11+ entrance to academically selective senior schools
with renowned, specialist school entrance tutor Adam D’Souza
Your son or daughter will be supported with a personalised learning journey that will give them the conceptual knowledge, vocabulary, logic and critical thinking tools to secure multiple 11+ offers and, more importantly, thrive beyond the exam, equipping your child intellectually for their entire senior school education.
Adam D’Souza is an expert in school entrance preparation, specialising in teaching this age group, and demonstrating a significant track record of success securing places for former students at some of London’s most academically competitive schools.
Academic readiness: thinking beyond exams
Your son or daughter thriving academically in their senior school education is my main aim.
In the world of London’s high-stakes 11+ admissions, where offer rates at the most in-demand schools can be as low as 3.2%, ‘test prep’ is no longer sufficient. I believe strongly that 11+ success does not come from a bank of past papers, but rather in the cultivation of your child’s intellectual character.
My aim is to guide your son or daughter through an exciting journey where they will develop the knowledge and capabilities to secure an 11+ place at a top-tier senior school and thrive once they arrive – academically, creatively and emotionally. I am committed to encouraging my young students to be independent learners, creative thinkers and confident communicators.
Critical thinking and cognitive agility
The most academically selective schools use challenging, unexpected stimulus materials in their 11+ assessments – complex poems, non-fiction articles, abstract logic puzzles and data – to identify the cognitively agile, highly ‘teachable’ students. My teaching approach focuses on teaching your child to evaluate complex information, spot patterns and form logical arguments.
The heart of my educational philosophy is academic value-add: helping your child to make exceptional progress, wherever their starting point.
Precision of language and advanced vocabulary
In a top-tier school’s 11+ English assessment, vocabulary is a proxy for intellectual maturity. A successful candidate must be able to spot and articulate nuance. I place significant weight on ‘vocabulary architecture’: exploring the etymology, context and double meanings of language, enabling your child to read critically and write with sophistication.
The art of the spoken word
The interview is where the offer is arguably won or lost. Academically selective schools are looking for an 11+ candidate with a spark of intellectual curiosity, who will contribute to their community. Rather than old-fashioned ‘interview prep’, which risks your child appearing over-rehearsed, I weave oracy and improvisation exercises into my tutoring programmes from the first lesson. Your child will be empowered with confidence to speak with authenticity about their interests, reading, viewpoints – showing their ‘best self’ without coming across over-rehearsed.
A track record of outstanding results
What sets my approach apart, the greatest source of professional pride, is the quality of human relationships, creating a culture of achievement and success.
I have supported more than 230 children, as architect of their academic futures, to apply to selective schools. 100% of students gained offers from shortlisted schools. The aspect of my work that I am most proud of is the quality of human relationships: building trust between child, parents and me as tutor.
My mentorship includes you as parents, providing you with the strategic clarity needed to navigate the complex (and ever-evolving) London selective school landscape with confidence and calm. Furthermore, I have taught and led in academically selective London independent schools across both prep and senior phases, and served as an 11+ examiner, so I know what schools are looking for.
Former students have received 11+ offers at some of London and the UK’s most academically competitive schools, including Westminster School, St Paul’s Girls’ School, King’s College School Wimbledon, Sevenoaks School, Dulwich College and many more.
The heart of my educational philosophy is academic value-add: helping your child to make exceptional progress, wherever their starting point.
Former students have secured 11+ places at London’s most competitive schools…
A bridge in mindset to intellectual independence
They say it is better to travel well than to arrive… I say it is best to travel well, then arrive somewhere amazing!
Most 11+ tutoring stops at the entrance exam. I believe that the 11+ process is a rewarding bridge between childhood and the pre-teen years, where you can share the excitement of watching your son or daughter evolve their mindset and develop new capabilities.
For every child, emotional wellbeing is key to academic success. I place equal emphasis on academics and personal development. By guiding the development of vocabulary, critical thinking, oracy and logic, I will support your child to create their own toolbox of intellectual skills. This will allow them to pursue independent study and open doors to academically rigorous schools.
My students arrive into Year 7 on day one with the independent learning habits, conceptual frameworks and confidence to thrive academically.
I invest in CPD as a professional private tutor, including safeguarding qualifications and coaching training with Graydin, to support the pastoral needs of children at this crucial transition stage of their education. Alongside teaching, I have gained insight in independent school admissions leadership as a founding member of the management team of a schools group and as a head of year overseeing 11+ in a prep school. This gives me insight on the pressures facing families during the 11+ process.