The Shine Academy English Course

Our programme of study is rigorous and systematic. It covers all the knowledge and skills needed for both online pre-tests and traditional written papers, including those set by the most academically competitive schools. 

We operate a ‘spiral curriculum’ meaning key skills are not only explicitly taught and carefully sequenced, but also revisited again and again. Weekly homework and termly assessments allow for further consolidation and practice. 

For comprehension we cover every skill and question type. We show the children how to identify the question types, and teach them a failsafe method for each one. These are applied across a range of genres with a particular emphasis on challenging fiction, including classic children’s literature. Our tuition in writing incorporates all the main extended compositions that the students may encounter at 11+, with the process modelled in a live and interactive manner. This allows the students to learn how to think like writers. We also offer instruction in spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary and verbal reasoning. 

Our tutor, Richard, was formerly Head of English and Head of Upper School at a top London prep school. He is a Cambridge graduate with a wealth of experience in preparing students to excel in entrance exams for leading day and boarding schools. 

English is a discussion-based subject. It can be very helpful for students of all abilities to hear their peers articulate thoughtful and well-reasoned responses. The chat function on Zoom also allows the instant sharing of excellent written answers. Often, a student will ask a question, pose a challenge or make a suggestion that will benefit all learners. The children enjoy sharing their top tips for verbal reasoning, for instance, and can provide valuable insights. 

The sessions are fast-paced, interactive and fun. This is engaging and motivating – especially when an element of competition is introduced! Students are rarely writing at length, in silence, for a long part of the lesson. This is because we expect extended responses to be attempted prior to the class. Plenty of time, therefore, is available for sharing feedback and improving answers. We also send reading passages in advance so that students have time to process, make sense of and discuss the text. They are therefore primed and ready to dive straight in to the learning. Of course this ‘scaffolding’ is removed as we get close to the 11+. 

What are the alternatives? Few children have the patience and enthusiasm to work through an online video course, nor is the learning from these likely to be retained without endless repetition of the same video tutorials. Workbooks and revision guides tend to be dense, lengthy and dull. The exemplar answers provided are usually well beyond the reach of even the brightest 11-year-old, which can be extremely demoralising. And whilst of course there are many excellent tutors offering 1:1, they cannot offer the ‘buzz’ of a class format. Nor are they likely to offer a robust and rigorous, structured and systematic course. Shine is your one-shop-stop solution!