11 Plus Maths Tuition Gloucestershire

In short

Gloucestershire's seven grammar schools, Pate's, Denmark Road, Ribston Hall, Sir Thomas Rich's, The Crypt, Marling and Stroud High, share one entrance test that the schools run themselves. For September 2027 entry it was a GL Assessment test on Saturday 12 September 2026: two multiple-choice papers of about an hour, one of them non-verbal reasoning and maths. For children now in Year 5, the test changes. FSCE takes over, the test moves to Saturday 3 July 2027, registration runs from 8 February to 19 March 2027, and there are three papers: the Adventure Paper (English and maths, multiple choice), the Beacon Paper (English and maths, short written answers) and the Compass Paper (any school subject). The schools say maths and English form the main part. We teach the maths, live online, in time for July. There is a free first lesson; after that we charge USD 100 per month for a group place or USD 150 per month one to one.

Starting in Gloucestershire

Three courses for a July test

With the test in July of Year 5, the time to start is this autumn. Pick by where your child is now.

GLOS / A

Year 5 maths by July

The Year 5 curriculum paced to finish before the summer term, for multiple-choice and written answers.

Open the syllabus →

Elementary Maths for Grades 1-5 course thumbnail

GLOS / B

Catching up on Years 1 to 4

For children whose earlier maths needs securing quickly before Year 5 topics.

Open the syllabus →

GLOS / C

Mental and written calculation

FSCE tests maths "through written and mental methods of calculation (no calculators)".

Open the syllabus →

What has changed

A new provider, a new date and a new format

Pate's Grammar School published the G7's announcement; FSCE and Pate's publish the details for 2028 entry. Gloucestershire County Council describes the arrangements. All read on 26 September 2026.

The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Entrance Test, last cycle and next
	September 2027 entry	September 2028 entry (today's Year 5)
Provider	GL Assessment	Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE)
Registration	Noon 18 May to noon 26 June 2026	Noon Monday 8 February to noon Friday 19 March 2027
Test date	Saturday 12 September 2026 (Year 6)	Saturday 3 July 2027 (Year 5)
Papers	Two, about an hour each, multiple choice only	Three: Adventure, Beacon, Compass
Where maths sits	With non-verbal reasoning	In Adventure (multiple choice) and Beacon (short written answers)
Results	Mid-October 2026	October 2027

The G7 announcement, published by Pate's, says the schools "have appointed Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) as their new admissions test provider for entry to Year 7 from 2028 onwards" and have decided to "move the test date from September of Year 6 to the latter part of the summer term of Year 5". The reasons given: it "will reduce pressure on pupils beginning Year 6, and provide families with earlier results".

Pate's 2028 page puts it plainly: "If your child is currently in Year 5 and wishes to apply for a place at a Gloucestershire Grammar School, they must take this test." It lists the three papers and says "Maths and English form the main part of the assessment".

FSCE says its test focuses "solely on areas of the KS2 National Curriculum that have been taught up to the end of Year 5", and that in doing so it "aims to remove any need for tutoring". Its FAQ describes three separate papers, each typically 45 to 60 minutes, which might be sat in any order.

The county council notes that registration and administration are "all carried out by the Gloucestershire grammar schools themselves". Qualifying scores and admissions are for the schools; we do not advise on them.

Sources: Gloucestershire County Council, grammar schools; Pate's Grammar School: Year 7 entry pages for September 2027 and 2028, the 2027 FAQ and key dates, and the G7 announcement of the new provider; FSCE's information sheet and FAQ for Gloucestershire. Modern Age Coders has no connection with the G7 schools, FSCE, GL Assessment or the council.

Three papers

Where the maths will be, and how it is answered

Pate's lists the three FSCE papers for 2028 entry. Two of them contain maths, answered in two different ways.

Adventure Paper

"English and Maths, with Multiple Choice Answer options." Maths here looks like most 11 plus maths: choose the right option and mark it.

Beacon Paper

"English and Maths, where you respond with Short Written Answers." No options. The child writes the answer, so its exact form matters.

Compass Paper

Any school subject, from art to science, "with Multiple Choice Answer options". Maths may appear, but it is not the focus.

The Beacon Paper is the real change for maths. On a multiple-choice paper, a child who works out 2.5 when the answer is 0.25 can often spot that 2.5 is not offered and look again. On a short-written-answer paper, 2.5 simply goes down, and it is wrong.

Short written answers reward exactness: the right number of decimal places, the right unit, the right form. Those are learnable habits, and they are most easily learned on Year 5 topics where the form of the answer carries meaning, of which decimals are the clearest.

The July date changes the timing of everything. FSCE says the content is what has been "taught up to the end of Year 5", but the test is sat before Year 5 ends. Topics that a school teaches late in the summer term may only just have been met. We plan to finish the Year 5 maths curriculum by Easter, leaving the summer term for practice in both answer styles.

Registration closes on 19 March 2027, months before the test. A family deciding in the spring still has time to prepare, but not to postpone the decision.

The lesson

Decimals to three places, written exactly

Year 5 is where decimals reach thousandths. The curriculum asks children to "read, write, order and compare numbers with up to 3 decimal places" and to round and scale them.

Year 5 decimals, as short written answers (our own questions)
Skill	Our question	Answer to write
Order	Write 0.305, 0.35, 0.3 and 0.053 in order, smallest first.	0.053, 0.3, 0.305, 0.35
Round to 1 decimal place	Round 4.67 to one decimal place.	4.7
Round to a whole number	Round 4.67 to the nearest whole number.	5
Multiply by 100	What is 3.45 × 100?	345
Divide by 1,000	What is 72 ÷ 1,000?	0.072
Thousandths as fractions	Write 0.007 as a fraction.	7/1000

The ordering question catches most children. 0.35 looks smaller than 0.305 because 35 is less than 305. Writing them all to three places, 0.350 and 0.305, shows the truth at once. We teach that step, pad with zeros and compare, until it is automatic.

Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000 is the other big source of written errors. Children who were taught to "add a zero" write 3.450 for 3.45 × 100. The idea that digits move and the decimal point stays still fixes it for good.

On a short-written-answer paper, the form of the answer is part of the answer. 0.072 and 0.72 differ by a factor of ten. 4.70 and 4.7 are the same number, but a question asking for one decimal place wants 4.7. We practise writing decimals exactly as asked, every time.

The curriculum links decimals to fractions throughout Year 5, including thousandths. A child who can move between 0.007 and 7/1000, or 0.25 and a quarter, has several routes to an answer and a way to check it.

Source: national curriculum in England, mathematics, Year 5 fractions (including decimals and percentages) and multiplication and division, statutory requirements. The questions are our own.

Our approach

Earlier, and in both answer styles

FSCE says its test aims to remove any need for tutoring. We take that seriously; here is what we do and do not do.

We teach the Year 5 maths curriculum properly and early, because a July test needs it finished early. We practise answers in both styles, multiple choice for the Adventure Paper and short written answers for the Beacon Paper, on the same topics so that neither becomes a weakness.

We do not claim to know what FSCE will ask. Its guides say question types and content change year to year, and we have never seen an FSCE paper. Our questions are our own.

We do not teach English, or the other subjects the Compass Paper may draw on. Families should plan those separately, and FSCE's familiarisation guides describe what each subject looks for.

For the 2027 cycle, Pate's FAQ suggested that, beyond familiarisation material, preparing well means reading books and using mathematics regularly. That remains good advice under the new provider, and it is what our lessons are built around.

FSCE is blunter than most test providers. Its Gloucestershire FAQ asks "Should my child have a tutor to prepare for the test?" and answers "No", adding that it does not want any parent to have to pay a tutor, and that "There are NO commercial 11+ books or past papers endorsed by FSCE." We think families should hear that before they hear from us. What we offer is teaching of the Year 5 maths curriculum, which many families choose for its own sake; parents who can teach it themselves do not need us for this test. Older GL-style practice books will not match the new papers either way.

The seven schools

Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud, taught online

Gloucestershire County Council lists the seven grammar schools that share the test. We reproduce the list only to show what this page covers.

Gloucestershire's grammar schools, as the county council lists them
Town	School	As described
Cheltenham	Pate's Grammar School	11-18 mixed
Gloucester	Denmark Road High School	11-16 girls, mixed sixth form
Gloucester	Ribston Hall High School	11-16 girls, mixed sixth form
Gloucester	Sir Thomas Rich's School	11-16 boys, mixed sixth form
Gloucester	The Crypt School	11-18 mixed
Stroud	Marling School	11-16 boys, mixed sixth form
Stroud	Stroud High School	11-16 girls, mixed sixth form

Pate's 2027 FAQ says the test is the same on the same day at all seven schools, and that families register once. We expect the same under FSCE, but the schools will confirm the 2028 arrangements.

Lessons are live on video, so a child in Tewkesbury, the Forest of Dean or the Cotswolds is taught the same way, in groups of five to ten matched by level.

For coding in the county city, see our Gloucester coding page.

We have no connection with any of the seven schools, FSCE, GL Assessment or Gloucestershire County Council, and we do not advise on applications or places.

Source: Gloucestershire County Council, grammar schools, read 26 September 2026.

Working back from 3 July 2027

Four stages, finished by the summer term

Registration closes on 19 March 2027 and the test is on 3 July 2027. Everything below fits inside Year 5.

Year 5 maths, secure before July
When	Stage	Evidence
Autumn, Year 5	1. Number and place value	Numbers to a million and decimals to three places read and ordered correctly
Winter, Year 5	2. Operations and fractions	Written methods reliable; fractions and decimals linked
Spring, Year 5 (register by 19 March)	3. Measures, shape, data	Remaining Year 5 topics covered by Easter
Summer term, Year 5	4. Both answer styles	Multiple-choice and short written answers, timed, accurate

Starting late

A spring start is tight for a July test. We will focus on the biggest strands first and be honest about what fits.

At the free lesson we will give you our frank view.

After the test

Results come in October 2027, and Year 6 continues without an autumn test. Many children use that year for maths through coding or deeper maths.

Some try the challenges on our competitions calendar.

Courses

Maths and coding for Gloucestershire families

By stage, each linked to its syllabus.

I

For the G7 test

Years 3 to 5

GLM / 1

11 plus maths, Gloucestershire

Year 5 maths in time for July.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 2

Mental maths practice

Fast recall, no calculator.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 3

Primary foundations

Years 1 to 5 made secure.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 4

Abacus arithmetic

Place value you can see.

Open the syllabus

II

Secondary

Year 6 onwards

GLM / 5

Lower secondary maths

Decimals, ratio and algebra.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 6

GCSE maths, any board

Foundation and higher.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 7

Maths challenges and olympiads

For children who want more.

Open the syllabus

III

Coding

Decimals in code

GLM / 8

Maths through coding

Floating-point numbers, explored.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 9

Scratch programming course

Blocks, logic and first games.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 10

Python and AI (ages 9 to 12)

The first typed language.

Open the syllabus

IV

Later

Teenagers

GLM / 11

Vedic maths

Speed methods for fluent pupils.

Open the syllabus

GLM / 12

AI and ML, teen course

Maths in machine learning.

Open the syllabus

Timetable

After school and at weekends

Lessons are taught live from India. We schedule Gloucestershire primary pupils in the early evening or on weekend mornings, fixed in UK time, and absorb the spring and autumn clock changes ourselves.

After school, weekdays

Before the evening gets late.

Weekend mornings

A fresh start.

Easter holidays

Extra sessions before the summer term.

One teacher

The same teacher all year.

Frank updates

Short, honest notes after lessons.

Five to ten children

Matched by level.

Our own questions

No FSCE or GL material copied.

One to one

When time before July is short.

Maths only

No English or Compass coaching; no admissions advice.

Student work

What our students go on to make

Four projects built by students at our school, grounded in primary maths like decimals and place value. More on the student labs page.

AI and ML

NutriLife

An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.

by Bhavya · Open it

AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

by Harshit · Open it

AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

by Vivaan · Open it

Web app

SkyCast

A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.

by Krish

Fees

Families outside India all pay the same monthly US dollar fee. There is no joining charge and no minimum term.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

A real lesson
Honest feedback
No card needed

Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

Five to ten children, one level
The same teacher weekly
Work checked together
A certificate at the end

Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

One child, one teacher
Paced for a July test
Focused on weak areas

Enquire

What families say

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Parents' reviews on Google, verbatim.

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Gloucestershire questions

What Gloucestershire families ask us

Has the Gloucestershire 11 plus changed?

Yes. The seven grammar schools have appointed FSCE as their provider for entry from 2028 and moved the test from September of Year 6 to the latter part of the summer term of Year 5.

When is the test for children now in Year 5?

Saturday 3 July 2027, according to Pate's Grammar School and FSCE. Registration opens at noon on Monday 8 February 2027 and closes at noon on Friday 19 March 2027.

What papers are in the new test?

Three: the Adventure Paper (English and maths, multiple choice), the Beacon Paper (English and maths, short written answers) and the Compass Paper (any school subject, multiple choice).

How much of the new test is maths?

Pate's says maths and English form the main part of the assessment. No weighting has been published.

What maths does FSCE test?

FSCE says it focuses on areas of the Key Stage 2 curriculum taught up to the end of Year 5, using written and mental calculation without calculators.

What was the test for 2027 entry?

A GL Assessment test on Saturday 12 September 2026: two multiple-choice papers of about an hour, one covering verbal skills and the other non-verbal reasoning and maths.

Are there FSCE practice papers?

FSCE says there are no commercial 11+ books or past papers endorsed by it, and that its familiarisation guides contain all the relevant test information and sample questions.

Do you teach English or the Compass subjects?

No. We teach maths only, and we do not advise on applications or places.

Does FSCE say my child needs a tutor?

No. FSCE's Gloucestershire FAQ says a tutor is not needed and that it does not want parents to pay for one. If you choose lessons with us, it should be because you want your child's Year 5 maths taught well and early, which a July test makes more pressing.

How much are lessons?

Lesson one is free. After that, a small-group place is USD 100 a month and private lessons USD 150 a month.

Coding in Gloucester, another FSCE test area, and our national page.

Coding classes in Gloucester

Programming for Gloucester children.

11 plus maths in Reading

Reading School also uses an FSCE test in July.