One-to-one 11+ lessons can easily become overstuffed. Ten minutes disappears reviewing homework, a difficult Maths question expands into twenty, and the planned comprehension never gets opened.
A repeatable lesson structure protects teaching time while still leaving room to respond to the pupil in front of you.
Minutes 0–5: retrieval, not small talk plus panic marking
Start with three to five questions drawn from previous errors. This tells you whether last week's learning survived the gap between lessons.
Keep the starter brisk and familiar. If the pupil cannot recall the method, you have found an immediate priority.
Minutes 5–10: homework review by pattern
Do not re-teach every wrong homework question. Group them.
“Three of these are actually the same fraction misconception.”
“You knew the vocabulary, but you changed four correct answers.”
One pattern-based explanation is more efficient than question-by-question commentary.
Minutes 10–25: explicit teaching
Teach one primary objective clearly. Model the thinking, not only the final answer.
For a comprehension inference, show how you locate evidence. For an NVR rotation, verbalise what stays constant and what changes. For a Maths word problem, show how you decide the operation before calculating.
Then ask the pupil to explain the method back.
Minutes 25–40: guided to independent practice
Begin with support, then reduce it. The first question might be solved together; the next with prompts; the final few independently.
This gradual release helps you see whether the pupil can use the method without tutor scaffolding.
Minutes 40–50: timed application
Use a short mixed set or relevant mock section. Timing here tests transfer: can the pupil recognise and execute the skill when the worksheet heading is no longer giving the topic away?
Record both accuracy and pace.
Minutes 50–55: feedback the pupil can repeat
Choose two successful behaviours and one improvement target.
Good feedback is specific: “You now underline the unit before calculating. Keep that. Next week, your target is moving on after a minute with no progress.”
Avoid a five-minute speech about “concentration”.
Minutes 55–60: set homework deliberately
Assign a task linked to the lesson and say why it was selected. Add a due date if you use a digital dashboard.
If the pupil has a heavy school week, reduce volume rather than setting work you already know will not be completed.
Where do mocks fit?
Not every lesson needs a full mock. Use them periodically as diagnostic and timing checkpoints, then let subsequent lessons respond to the findings.
For rehearsal lessons closer to the exam, use papers matched to the pupil's target school rather than a generic set. centre-specific mock papers
Closer to the exam, more lesson time can shift toward timed mixed practice and centre-specific rehearsal.
Keep a simple tutor record
After the pupil leaves, record:
Objective | Evidence | Repeated error | Homework | Next lesson opener
Five lines are enough to stop every session starting from memory.
Run the workflow in one place
EduArchives' tutor dashboard lets teachers assign papers, set due dates, mark work and leave feedback while using the wider worksheet and mock library.
Explore the teacher/tutor dashboard →
Frequently asked questions
Should every 11+ lesson cover all four subjects?
No. Rotate subjects across a programme while keeping each lesson focused enough for real teaching.
How much of a lesson should be timed?
It depends on stage. Early lessons may be mostly untimed teaching; nearer the exam, timed application should become more regular.
What if homework review takes too long?
Review patterns, not every line. Select the errors with the greatest teaching value and move the rest into future targets if needed.