Lauren Super Tutor

** 9+ **

An exciting adventure complete with space pirates, mysterious aliens and an AI-controlled spaceship - which, thanks to a catastrophe on board, is now manned by a crew of children… 🚀👽🧑‍🚀☄️🪐

This is not my usual genre, but I was impressed by how the story and characters seem real and relatable, despite the most unfamiliar setting! It’s advisable for children to read fiction of all types, and I’d highly recommend Orion Lost as an excellent and enjoyable example of the sci-fi genre.

Every year, I start working with new pupils after results day. This year, almost all have asked me this very important question!

The wait is over…! Well done to all of my students, and to everyone who sat this year’s exams.

🏅🙌👏🥳

A weekend in Fernando de Noronha!

🇧🇷🌎🌊🐬🦈🏝️🌞

Role reversal in Fernando de Noronha ☺️

Thank you João for my Portuguese lesson! 🇧🇷

After a lovely winter break in Switzerland (thank you ) it’s back home for a busy week of exam and interview prep for my 11+ students - we’re truly in the final stretch now! 🙇‍♀️📚🙇‍♂️

Wishing everyone a very happy new year and sending lots of luck to those who have assessments in the next few weeks. 🤞🍀💫

This Christmas, all my students are reading .rundell - Impossible Creatures for the older children and this one for the younger siblings!

🎄🎅🏼🎠🧸💫

** Ages 9+ **

One of my students insisted that I read Code Name Kingfisher, and I’m so glad that I took her recommendation!

Set mainly in the Netherlands during World War Two, it gives a moving insight into the horrors of the time and, especially, the heroic efforts of the resistance. It is so important for children to understand the facts and nuances of that period in history, and this novel provides a unique, age-appropriate perspective which informs as much as it inspires.

As invitations to interviews and second round assessments start to appear in inboxes this week, some of us are already looking ahead to the next 11+ cycle in 2024!

With the assessments evolving year on year, I spoke with about the future of the 11+. Here are some snippets, and the full article is linked in my bio.

** Ages 9+ **

Impossible Creatures needs no introduction - many of my students are fans of the author, and we had all waited eagerly for its release.

Just like all of Katherine Rundell’s novels, it is rich in language, exciting in plot and beautifully constructed. My pupils and I recommend it to all, regardless of age!
rundell 🗺️🦄✨🧜🏽‍♀️🐉

My thoughts on planned changes to GCSEs at , as shared with . Link in bio for the full article ✍️

The London 11+ Consortium represents a group of fourteen girls’ schools which share their admissions test, allowing pupils to apply for multiple senior schools with one assessment.

Among my Year 6 students in London, this is one exam that almost all the girls sit each year. As the test changed both during and after the pandemic, parents often have questions about its new format and content.

Here’s my guide to preparing for the current assessment, section by section.

** Ages 9+ **

With entrance exam and interview season on the horizon, this is an excellent quick read to refresh general knowledge and inspire some ambitious thinking.

English comprehension tasks, school interviews and even verbal reasoning tests often assume a basic level of general knowledge, so don’t forget to include some non-fiction in your child’s reading list if they have exams approaching! 📚

Beautiful spots in Maine!
💙⚓️🗻🌳🇺🇸

** Ages 9+ **

‘A Place Called Perfect’ is as unique, quirky and creepy as they come… Look closely at the flowers on the front cover, and you’ll see that they’re sprouting eyeballs! 👀😱

This mystery / adventure / thriller makes for a very exciting read, highly recommended to Years 5, 6 and 7.

🌸👁️👓🔍

For teenagers, parents and educators, this incredible memoir tells an astonishingly powerful coming-of-age story.

Aged seven, set off on a round the world voyage with her family aboard Wavewalker, her parents’ yacht. Ten years later, after countless perilous situations, violent storms and familial crises, Suzanne was admitted to despite her most extraordinary of circumstances. For the best part of a decade, Suzanne had lived on Wavewalker, snatching hours to study when not performing chores or simply trying to survive the harsh conditions as the yacht travelled the world. She pored over textbooks, scribbled essays mid-storm and carried out practical experiments on board - all with no support from her parents but only an excess of determination to pursue her education.

This inspirational story is a must read - we can all learn something from Suzanne’s resilience, her calm reflection on difficult times and her unwavering commitment to her dream of getting to university. For those of us living on dry land with books, teachers, tutors and almost unlimited resources at our fingertips, how lucky we are!

🌊🌊⛵️🌊🌊

** Ages 8+ **

Featuring one of the nastiest villains I’ve met (read about!) in some time, The Vanishing Trick is a brilliant thriller for readers who like their stories magical, mysterious and chilling. With its gothic Victorian setting and twisting plot, this is one very exciting and creepy read for pupils going into Years 5 and 6!

🐀🐀🐀😬😱

** Ages 9+ **

A Flash of Fireflies by was one of the newly published books I recommended in my recent article for .

Beautifully written and filled with mystery and magic, this is a fantasy novel with a twist. I was gripped by Hazel’s increasingly demanding and desperate situation, and loved the inclusion and analysis of fairytale motifs.

A great summer holiday read for Years 5 and 6!

🧚‍♀️🐺🪲🧙🏻‍♀️🐴🪓

Hazel’s increasingly desperate and demanding quests will grip Year 5 and 6 readers.

I wrote a guest blog for on the value of shared reading. Read the article in full at the link in my bio! 📚

continues his brilliant series of WW2 novels with Until The Road Ends, a story of a dog, cat and pigeon who undertake an epic journey from London to to find their evacuated children. 🐕🐈🐾

As always, Phil’s novels are inspired by true stories (there really was an award-winning search and rescue dog, Rip) and are full of facts for young historians. There is much to be learnt about the Blitz; the struggles of ordinary people; the impact of war; and, last but certainly not least, the invaluable role played by the carrier pigeons! 🐦✉️✈️

Highly recommended for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.

It was lovely to meet up this week with some of my international students who have arrived in London ahead of their various summer camps. As well as the courses themselves, the older students are so excited to have a boarding school experience at some of our most beautiful and prestigious schools!

📚The youngest camper is attending a week’s course on storytelling .

📈A budding entrepreneur, who already has so many ideas for starting her own business, is going to study enterprise with .

⚽️A talented footballer is going to train with the Foundation in their combined football and English residential camp.

Good luck, everyone! 💫

Catching up with one of my former 11+ students (now very happily installed at a top London girls’ school) and meeting the new family member! A lovely end to the half term! 🥰

For children’s historical fiction, there’s no one better than ! The Tale of Truthwater Lake is one of my favourites so far, twining together the future and the past and culminating in an impressive English Channel swim! 🌊🏊🏼‍♀️🌊

In each of her novels, the author artfully depicts historical periods in such a way that children gain an understanding and appreciation of past times, which is so useful for putting history into context, not to mention setting them up for success with tricky comprehension passages which are often taken from classical texts or set in the past!

Today’s online tutoring situation! 🌞👩🏼‍💻💙

** Ages 4+ **

Rachel Bright’s books are wonderful for younger children. I love the colourful stories and characters, positive messages and, most of all, the rich vocabulary which is much more ambitious than might be expected of a picture book. Goldy the Gecko, for example, is flamboyant, expressive and impressive! 🦎

A young child’s vocabulary is one of the most important indicators for future academic success, and Rachel’s books are the perfect blend of age-appropriate themes and challenging new words. Highly recommended!

** Ages 8+ **

Recently, I read this book with a Year 4 student who was so excited by the idea of a superhero squirrel (that’s Ulysses!) that he wrote his own version of the story! The book is so much fun and the heroic squirrel’s exploits had us both laughing out loud.
🐿️⚡️🦸‍♀️

A very entertaining read for all ages and a great novel for strong readers in Years 3 and 4, as its illustrations and lively storyline make it easily accessible.

** Ages 9+ **

Part fantasy, part social commentary and with more than a hint of magic, Tyger is a rich and unique story of friendship, justice and good versus evil. Set in an alternate and disturbing vision of London, the novel follows Adam as he discovers a mythical beast, vows to help her and in so doing begins to heal the sickness of an unhappy society.

Highly recommended for Year 5 and 6 students! 🐅🔥💫



✨Beautiful painting by .astor on display ✨

🦣☺️💕

My students were delighted by my attempts to learn their language! 🙈

Mastering Portuguese in three weeks has proven a little ambitious, but I’ve made reasonable progress… will have to return next year to ensure all is not forgotten! 🇧🇷

Muito obrigada to my hosts and see you again soon! ☺️