Why little and often beats cramming
This is not a motivational slogan — it is one of the most robust findings in learning research. Information reviewed at spaced intervals is retained dramatically better than the same total time spent in one block. Two twenty-minute sessions on different days beat one forty-minute session, every time.
The second well-established finding is retrieval practice: testing yourself is far more effective than re-reading. A child who covers a page and tries to recall it learns more than one who reads it three times. This is exactly why answering questions beats passively reviewing notes.
A month-by-month plan
Year 4 and earlier — no formal preparation
Read. Read widely and often, including things slightly above their comfort level. Play word games. Learn times tables to complete fluency. That is the whole plan, and it is worth more than any workbook.
Year 5, autumn term — foundations
- Confirm which exam your target schools set.
- Fill maths gaps: times tables, fractions, decimals, percentages.
- Begin vocabulary properly — a few words a day, with synonyms and antonyms.
- Introduce one reasoning question type at a time. Do not rush this.
Year 5, spring term — building
- Cover the full range of verbal reasoning types.
- Extend maths into ratio, area and angles, averages and multi-step problems.
- Comprehension once a week, discussing the answers rather than just marking them.
- 15–20 minutes on school days is plenty at this stage.
Year 5, summer term — consolidation
- Start light timed work so pace becomes normal.
- Keep a mistake log and revisit errors after a few days.
- Check registration deadlines — in many areas these fall now.
Summer holidays — the pivotal window
The most valuable weeks, and the easiest to overdo. Aim for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, with real holiday in between. Introduce full timed papers. A child who arrives in September rested and confident outperforms one who has been drilled all summer.
Year 6, September — exam month
- Stop introducing new material entirely.
- Light consolidation and one or two full mocks only.
- Focus on sleep, routine and calm. This matters more than another paper.
- Practise the mechanics: separate answer sheets, timing, moving on when stuck.
How much per day, realistically
| Stage | Per session | Days per week |
|---|---|---|
| Year 5 autumn | 15 minutes | 4–5 |
| Year 5 spring/summer | 20 minutes | 5 |
| Summer holidays | 30 minutes | 5 |
| Year 6 September | 20–30 minutes | 4–5, tapering |
The mistakes that cost the most
- Practising what they are already good at. It feels productive and achieves nothing. Target the weak areas.
- Marking without reviewing. The learning is in understanding why an answer was wrong.
- Seven days a week. Rest days are part of the method, not a concession.
- Starting timed papers too early, which teaches panic before competence.
- Making the child carry adult anxiety. Ten-year-olds absorb far more of it than parents realise, and it shows up on exam day.