Straight answers, before you commit a penny
We publish our prices, class sizes and exam dates because parents deserve clarity, not a sales call. Here are the questions we’re asked most — answered honestly, including the ones other tutors avoid.
Schools, format and timing
The single most important thing to understand is when the test sits — because it dictates when serious preparation has to be finished.
Which schools do you prepare children for?
Three routes, depending on where you live and where you’re aiming:
- Redbridge GL grammars — Ilford County High School (boys) and Woodford County High School (girls). These are super-selective and use the GL Assessment format.
- Essex CSSE grammars — Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend schools, which use a different, written format (including creative writing) rather than GL multiple-choice.
- Independents & scholarships — Chigwell, Forest and Bancroft’s, each prepared to its own paper style and standard.
We’ll tell you honestly which route fits your family — see the catchment question below.
What does the GL test for the Redbridge grammars actually involve?
The Redbridge grammars use the GL Assessment format, and every question is multiple-choice. There are two papers:
- Paper 1 — English and Verbal Reasoning.
- Paper 2 — Maths and Non-Verbal / Spatial reasoning.
Scores are age-standardised, and the qualifying floor is 104. That floor is eligibility only — it is not an offer. For an in-catchment offer, families realistically need to be scoring in the 115–125 zone, which is exactly the range our progress dashboard plots against.
When is the exam, and why must preparation finish by the end of Year 5?
The test sits Friday 18 September 2026 for Year 7 entry in September 2027. Crucially, it falls in the first few weeks of Year 6 — before the autumn term has really begun.
That means there is no “Year 6 run-up”. The child who walks into the exam in September has effectively done all their preparation by the end of Year 5. This is why our flagship Intensive 11+ programme is built around Year 5, and why we urge families not to leave it until what feels like the obvious exam year. Registration for the test typically runs 1 May – 15 June (during Year 5), with offers issued around 1 March.
Catchment and the right route for your family
We’re not sure we’re in catchment — will the grammar even be possible?
We’ll be straight with you, because plenty of tutors won’t. The Redbridge grammars operate a strict catchment: a child can score brilliantly and still not receive an offer if you live outside the priority area. For in-catchment families, the lead grammar is the natural target and we’ll prepare hard for it.
If you’re out of catchment, we will say so — and redirect your effort towards routes where strong performance actually converts into a place: the Essex CSSE grammars and the independents. There is no point paying for, or stressing over, an exam that geography has already decided.
What happens if my child is out of catchment for the grammar?
You still have excellent options, and the skills overlap heavily. We’d typically point you to:
- Essex CSSE grammars via our Essex CSSE add-on — written comprehension and creative-writing technique that GL multiple-choice prep simply doesn’t build.
- Independents & scholarships (Chigwell, Forest, Bancroft’s), including interview preparation and academic-scholarship stretch.
Many families run the CSSE add-on alongside core 11+ work to keep more than one door open.
Class sizes, streaming and the mock process
How big are your classes?
Genuinely small — and we publish the caps rather than hide them. Intensive 11+ is capped at 6 children; the Independents & Scholarship track at 4. We would rather open a second class than overfill an existing one.
At max-6, every child is heard every session, every piece of work is marked, and no one drifts at the back of a room of thirty. Small-group is the whole point — not a footnote.
How does streaming into Core and Higher work?
On joining Intensive 11+, a written diagnostic places your child into Core (B1) or Higher (B2). Grouping by ability means the teaching pitch, homework load and pace all match the child in front of us, rather than an imagined class average.
Streaming is a starting point, not a label. We re-test every term, so a child who pulls ahead moves up. Core focuses on securing the four strands and building exam stamina; Higher adds stretch work aimed squarely at the 115–125 offer zone.
What is the diagnostic, and how do the mocks work?
The diagnostic (£45, credited to your first month if you enrol) is a written assessment across the four strands. It tells us exactly where your child stands and which stream fits — no guesswork.
Our GL mock days (£50) are full, timed papers sat in true exam conditions. You receive per-strand benchmark bands plotted against the 104 floor and the 115–125 offer zone, so progress is measured against the real target rather than a vague “doing well”. Booking a mock is the clearest, lowest-commitment first step.
The dashboard and the Progress Guarantee
What is the progress dashboard, and what will I actually see?
It’s our biggest difference from a typical tutor, and it’s yours to log into. For each child, parents see per-strand benchmark bands over time — English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal / Spatial — charted against the 104 qualifying floor and the 115–125 offer zone.
Alongside the bands you’ll see attendance and homework completion, so the picture is honest and complete. No vague reassurance — just the same data we teach from.
What exactly is the Progress Guarantee?
If a child on Intensive 11+ attends and works as expected but doesn’t improve by at least 6 benchmark bands across 2 consecutive termly re-tests, we provide one free half-term of small-group catch-up.
The conditions are simply that the child has attended at least 80% of sessions and completed at least 80% of homework — because progress is a partnership, and we can only stand behind work that’s actually been done. We can offer this because the dashboard makes progress measurable in the first place.
Pricing, payment, discounts and cancellation
How does payment work — and can I cancel?
Fees are billed monthly by Direct Debit, with prices published in full on our pricing page so you know the cost before you ever enquire.
There is a 14-day cooling-off period from sign-up. After that, you can cancel with one month’s notice — no long lock-in contracts and no exit fees. We’d rather keep families because the teaching works than because the paperwork traps them.
Are there sibling or referral discounts?
For families with more than one child, and for those who recommend us:
- Sibling discount — £15/month off the second child and £25/month off the third.
- Referrals — £30 credit when a family you refer books a mock, and £75 when they enrol.
Discounts are applied automatically to your account, not buried in small print.
Do you offer one-to-one tuition?
Yes. Individual sessions with a founder are available at £60 per hour, usually as a top-up alongside a small-group programme — for example to shore up a single weak strand the dashboard has flagged. Most children thrive in the small group; 1:1 is a targeted addition, not the default.
Safeguarding, staff and the venue
Are your tutors DBS-checked, and how do you handle safeguarding?
Safeguarding is built in from the start. Before anyone teaches your child, we hold ourselves to the standards parents should expect:
- Enhanced DBS before teaching
- Insured before our first class
- ICO registration before launch
- Named safeguarding lead at launch
Before our first class we will appoint a named safeguarding lead, ensure every tutor holds an enhanced DBS check (with the children’s barred-list check), and put public liability insurance in place. Our safeguarding policy will be available to families on request.
Who actually founded and runs the tuition?
Bloom Academy was founded by a Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls alumna and a Chigwell School 90% academic-scholarship winner. Both went on to careers in City and Mayfair finance, but it’s the academic pedigree — and first-hand knowledge of selective admissions, including the independent process from the inside — that sets the standard we hold every class to.
Where are classes held?
All sessions run at Fullwell Cross Library, Barkingside High Street, Ilford IG6 2LL — a short walk from Barkingside and Fairlop Central-line stations, with easy parking nearby. A consistent, calm venue means children settle into a real working routine rather than a rotating set of front rooms.
Still have a question?
The fastest way to get a clear, child-specific answer is a mock and diagnostic. You’ll see exactly where your child stands across the four strands and we’ll recommend the right route — honestly, even if that means CSSE or independents rather than the lead grammar. Remember the exam sits Friday 18 September 2026, so the effective deadline is the end of Year 5.
Prefer to talk first? Email hello@bloomacademy.org.uk or call 07927 213771.