Darcey- really has grown in her confidence with her maths and you have defo given her the foundations to grow. She is very excited about starting senior school in September and I am sure we will be back in the future for more support for her or her younger sister. Big, big hugs.
Heidi & Lee
Thank you so much for helping me with my maths! Hopefully, depending on whether I need help when I go to Secondary School I might come back again. (I hope so) Thank you again. Madison.
Mrs H Breen
The way you teach is brilliant. Kids really enjoyed working/learning with you. Hope to be back next year. Thank you once again
Mr & Mrs Renji
Thank you for your lovely card. You have helped with my creative writing and vocabulary. I have grown in confidence and I appreciate your help.
Naomi
Thank you for all your support with our son, Thomas. His hand writing, spelling, maths and reading is progressing beautifully. I would highly recommend your setting to anyone who wishes to give their child a boost or to work on specific learning goals. It has been invaluable. All your tutors are warm, welcoming and professional and Thomas is always made to feel valued. Positive praise and lots of stickers, stamps, rewards, prizes and certificates give that extra special touch to reward and recognise the children’s efforts. Thomas is certainly always proud of his achievements from your centre.
Laura (Thomas’s mum)
Prezton has done really well and we are very proud of his achievement so thank you all again
Mrs A Laborde
We brought him to the centre in Year 6 because he just had no idea about maths. This year won the ‘Most Improved in Maths’ certificate for his year. He also came top of his class in 2 out of 3 maths exams. Coming to here is the best thing we ever did!
Mr S White
She is a quiet girl and I was concerned that her poor spelling was not being corrected. When she saw the progress Bella was making in such a short time, I enrolled her for Maths as well! It has transformed her thinking and she now has the self-esteem to ask questions in both numeracy and literacy.
Ms R Temple
Alex says ” I learned more in three months than my whole time in the maths classroom at school. I went from dreading it to feeling much better about being there.”
This Summer he was overjoyed to find that he had gone from a Grade 2 in his mocks up to a Grade 4 (C) pass in his final exam.
Alex
At the time of writing this testimonial, my daughter has had only 5 sessions and her confidence and ability has increased significantly! As a parent I am thrilled that her confidence has grown significantly and would recommend I Love to Learn without hesitation.
S BondParentPortsmouth
11+ Mock Exam & Open Day at I Love to Learn Liphook
Date: Saturday 10th October 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: I Love to Learn Tuition Centre, The Chase, Chiltlee Manor, Liphook
Following our recent guide to the 11+ and independent school admissions process around Liphook for 2027 entry, we’re inviting local families to our upcoming free 11+ Mock Exam & Open Day at Chiltlee Manor.
Preparing for the 11+ is about much more than just academic knowledge. For most children, the hardest part isn’t the questions themselves—it’s getting used to strict exam conditions and staying calm in a room full of unfamiliar faces.
Our goal is to provide a supportive, low-stress practice run. While the students tackle the papers, our experienced tutors will be right on hand to chat with parents, answer questions, and talk through the 11+ journey.
Why Attend?
A mock exam gives students the opportunity to:
Identify strengths and areas for improvement in a low-pressure environment.
Become familiar with common question styles used by selective and independent schools.
Reduce exam anxiety by making the assessment process feel more familiar.
For parents, the event offers insight into your child’s current level of preparation and confidence, together with practical guidance on the most beneficial next steps.
What to Expect on the Day
Students will have access to papers covering:
Mathematics
English & SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)
Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Assessments will reflect the range of formats used locally, including ISEB Common Pre-Test style questions and school-specific entrance papers.
Note: When you sign up, let us know which schools your child is aiming for. We‘ll do our absolute best to tailor the paper styles and question formats to match your target list.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, 10th October 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: I Love to Learn Tuition Centre, Chiltlee Manor, Liphook
Who it’s for: Year 5 and Year 6 students preparing for 11+ and independent school entrance exams.
11+ Exams Around Liphook: A Parent’s Guide to 2027 Entry
Understanding 11+ exams in Liphook
There is no single, universal 11+ exam. As Liphook sits in Hampshire, a non-selective local authority with no state grammar schools, the term 11+ locally refers almost exclusively to independent school entrance assessments rather than local authority grammar testing.
Local state secondary schools (such as Bohunt School) follow Hampshire’s standard, non-selective coordinated admissions process. Meanwhile, nearby independent schools set their own entrance assessments, interview formats, and registration deadlines. Because each independent school sets its own entry criteria, your child’s preparation should change with your target school list.
Assessment Format
Assessment formats vary depending on the target school, but local independent assessments commonly evaluate English, mathematics, creative writing, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.
Exams fall into two main categories:
Online Adaptive Pre-Tests: Several schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test (CPT) or similar online adaptive tests covering English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. Candidates take these online tests once (often at their current primary/prep school or an approved test centre), and results are shared across participating schools, such as St Catherine’s, Bramley.
School-Specific Written Exams & Activity Days: Many schools set their own entrance papers, creative writing tasks, interviews, or team experience days. For example, Churcher’s College publishes its own assessment covering creative writing, maths, English/SPaG, and verbal reasoning.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
If you intend to apply for academic, music, sports, or drama scholarships or bursaries, keep in mind that registration and application deadlines often fall 2–4 weeks earlier than the standard entry deadlines listed below.
It is easy to confuse the ISEB Common Pre-Test with standard Common Entrance. The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online adaptive assessment taken in Year 6, used both for direct 11+ entry and as early screening for 13+ entry later on. Common Entrance is different — subject-specific written papers, usually sat in Year 8 for 13+ entry (occasionally at 11+, if a school specifically asks for it.)
How should families prepare?
Start by confirming the admissions route and deadline for each target school. Preparation can then focus on a mix of curriculum knowledge, reasoning, timed work and interview confidence. Preparation works best when it’s steady rather than rushed. We recommend focusing first on underlying accuracy across unfamiliar question types before introducing timed conditions.
Steps for parents
Shortlist destination schools before choosing an exam-preparation programme.
Confirm whether each school uses its own 11+ assessment, the ISEB Common Pre-Test, Common Entrance or a combination.
Record registration deadlines as well as assessment and interview dates.
Treat month-only dates and published windows as provisional until Admissions confirms the allocated day.
For 13+ entry, ask whether a Year 6 pre-test and later Year 8 Common Entrance are required.
At our Liphook I Love to Learn Professional Tuition centre, we can help families understand the likely assessment route and build a focused preparation plan across English, maths, and verbal/non-verbal reasoning. Contact us to discuss your child’s target schools, timescale and current confidence.
Note
School deadlines and entrance arrangements are accurate as of September 2026, but families should always verify dates directly with admissions teams.”
A Guide to the Cost of Private Tutors
Why Does the Cost of Tuition Vary So Much?
According to prospects.ac.uk after-school tutors in the UK charge from around £20-£60 per hour in 2025. Of course all of this will depend on a great deal? Is the tutor qualified? Does the tutor have experience with children? What qualifications does the tutor have in the subject and what exams (if any) is the child working towards? It would be quite normal to pay £65 per hour for GCSE tuition and much more than that for the best 11+ tutors in London say! (Tutorfair.com have prices of over £100 per hour for specialist 11+ tutors/entrance exam tutors)
So why is there so much variation?
What Makes Some Tuition More Expensive?
Does The Fee Include Overheads?
Some tutors work from home or will visit the student’s home, so may have travel expenses which are high at the moment. Some tutors work from a centre, so they have to pay overheads such as power, rent and rates. The resources and working environment may be better but it will cost a little more.
How Experienced and Qualified are the Tutors?
This is probably the biggest variable as tutors do not have to be qualified to offer their services. Some tutors may have a degree in the subject they are teaching and some tutors may have teaching qualifications and classroom experience in schools, so will expect to be better paid.
Does the Tutor Pay VAT?
Tutors do not have to pay VAT on the private tutoring they do if they are self-employed. Companies will need to pay this tax however if they go over the VAT threshold. The government have recently changed the law on this as some agencies were avoiding VAT, now they will all have to pay it too.
What Education Level or Exam is the Student Aiming For?
Generally the higher the level of qualification the student is studying for the fewer tutors will be qualified to teach that subject. If you are studying for a maths degree, for example, it will be more expensive to hire a tutor. The tutor will have to be more experienced and qualified themselves and the lessons will take longer to prepare, therefore they will charge more.
What Makes Some Tuition Less Expensive?
The Number of Students in a Group
One way to reduce costs is to teach more students at a time. This may lead to a less individualised lesson if the planning is not well organised.
What Is the Preparation Time?
Using standard resources and computer programmes is a way to reduce costs. This reduces the preparation time for tutors and so reduces the amount of time spent on each lesson, before and after. Some companies use AI computer resources which respond to the child’s progress so the tutor does not need to do any planning.
Online or In Person?
Online tutoring can provide services anywhere which increases the supply of tutors and therefore reduces the cost. For example, they could be from another country with lower wage costs.
Why are some tuition companies more expensive?
Generally, the more qualified and experienced the tutors are, the higher the fees are going to be. Some tutors will charge more because, even though they may not pay VAT or have to pay wages, they may have built up a reputation that allows them to increase their fees. Also, in some regions there is a lot of competition for independent school places and therefore a lot of demand for 11+ tutors. This drives up prices.
Why are some tuition companies cheaper?
Some ‘tuition centres’ do not employ fully qualified tutors, in fact some may just be enthusiastic graduates or less. Some education businesses do not actually teach the children but allow the computer AI to teach them. If a tutor lacks experience and qualifications, teaches online or doesn’t have to travel far, they are likely to charge a lower fee.
I Love to Learn Professional Tuition-Where do we fall?
We only employ fully qualified and experience teachers to be tutors here at I Love to Learn. This means that we don’t even interview anyone unless they have QTS (qualified teacher status). We also expect tutors to have a number of years of actual classroom experience.
We run dedicated education centres which means we have to pay overheads. It does give us the advantage of having all our resources in one place and the ability to run tuition in small groups. For those reasons our frees of £48 for each 80 min session, which works out at only £36 per hour, and we think is great value. We also think the teaching environment, the excellent computer/non-computer resources and the fun of small group learning make our tutoring a really high quality product.
Administrator (Part Time)
Administrator (Part/Time)
Summary
A part-time administrator is required to help support the thriving I Love to Learn Professional Tuition after-school tuition centres; in Havant, Fareham and Portsmouth. Hours are flexible during daytime or early evening.
Communication
Internal-e.g. emails and calls to customers
Missed sessions and catch up sessions
External-e.g. letter and emails to schools
Finance
Recording payments-non-automatic
Following up late payments
Updating financial records
Data Management
Keeping Calendar and database up to date
Updating management data
Qualifications and Education Requirements
DBS cleared
Customer service skills
Ability to work independently
Verbal communication skills
Attention to detail
Numeracy and literacy skills
Salary and Hours
Hours to be negotiated, but minimum of 6 hours a week initially
£10.50 per hour (depending on experience)
How Qualified Does A Tutor Need To Be?
Is Your Tutor Qualified?
The short answer is, not at all. Anyone can call themselves a tutor without any qualifications or experience. It is up to parents to ask and decide what qualifications they would prefer. Well-qualified tutors, with classroom experience and a proven track record, are, of course, desirable. However, for highly motivated students, someone who is enthusiastic about their subject but not a qualified teacher may be a successful tutor. Generally, for children who are falling behind or have special needs, parents should actively seek tutors who possess specific skills tailored to their needs. This can often be achieved through the tutor’s experience working with similar cases or in specialized areas. It is important to note that while qualifications and experience are typically important benchmarks, a tutor’s dedication, passion, and ability to connect with the student on a personal level can also significantly contribute to successful tutoring outcomes. Therefore, parents should consider both the credentials and personal qualities of potential tutors when making their selection, ensuring the best fit for their child’s unique educational requirements.
Qualifications to look out for:
Degrees such as BSc (Science Degree), BA (Arts Degree), MA (Advanced Degree), PhD (Very Advanced Degree).
Teaching Qualifications, PGCE (Teaching Qualification), BEd(Education Degree), GTP (On the Job teacher training) -These all lead to if teachers complete a Newly Qualified Teachers year of experience (NQT) QTS (Qualified to teach in UK schools),
Many private tutors have qualified teaching status (QTS) although you don’t need to be a qualified teacher to be a private tutor. Some teachers tutor as a sideline to their classroom teaching job and some become private tutors after retirement.
Rest assured that, at I Love to Learn Professional Tuition, all our tutors have a teaching qualifications (QTS) and lots of classroom and tutoring experience. We give full training and our centres are all OFSTED registered. We are also members of The Tutors’ Association which is a professional body.
In this video I explain how to write lower case letters. At I Love to Learn Professional Tuition we teach cursive (or joined up) writing right from the beginning. I start with writing letters that begin with vertical strokes e.g. i, t, l, p and m This is suitable for parents wishing to help their child with the basics of joining up ( cursive) handwriting. However, it can also be used by all those who would like to improve their handwriting style.
Teach Your Child Fractions-Improper Fractions and Mixed Numbers
In this video I explain how to convert improper fractions into mixed numbers. This is a topic that can often cause confusion, mainly because of the terms being used. I suggest that it is usually helpful to draw a diagram of the improper fraction or mixed number that you are trying to convert.
This is suitable for parents wishing to help their child with topics they may have forgotten.
Here are some great action shots from our Summer School this August
Our students came to us this August for a whole week of tutoring. We really love teaching summer school as all the students make such great progress and have a great time!
Celebrate Success!
Reward Time!Progress means getting stamps and stickers!
Imagine a setting, near or far. Create characters, human or animal. Describe problems and difficulties they face. Think of ways their problems are solved.
Summer Writing Competition 2019!
Your school could win £100 in book tokens to celebrate if one of your students is the overall winner!
Last year was a great success and we had some wonderful writing from local children. We are keen to repeat this and have invited local author, Justin Strain, to judge this year’s competition for the second year running. His first book, ‘The Secret of the Scarlet Ribbon’, was shortlisted for the, 2018 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Award. He is currently writing the sequel among other novels!
Competition Details
The theme is, ‘I Love Our World’, issues that hi-light caring for the natural world and the problems involved with living in a polluted environment .
Here are the criteria, for Justin to use, to judge the entries;The stories will be judged upon;
1) How children use powerful descriptive language to create their settings and bring their characters to life.
2) How they use narrative structure to develop the plot (including a clear opening, build up, problem, resolution and ending.
3) How their story explores the key theme of caring for our environment – How we can explore ways to love our world.
We have three age categories
Ages 6 to 7
Ages 8 to 9
Ages 10 to 12
Competition Deadline: Entries must be submitted by 7th September.
Entries To: Linda Jones, I Love to Learn Professional Tuition, 3 Beacon House, Cumberland Business Centre, Southsea, PO5 1DS.
Email; tutors@ilovetolearn.co.uk
Winners Announced: Monday 23rd September
Prize Giving: Saturday 28th September at our ‘I Love to Learn Professional Tuition Centre’ in Portsmouth, with Justin Strain.
To help children get started and to encourage them to ‘have a go’ here are some top tips;
Top Tips
Try and imagine a scene as your character would experience it. Showing the reader what the character; sees, hears, tastes, smells, feels. This can be really powerful.
Think about how your characters move, speak, and react and write choosing words carefully to explain this.
Use similes to give readers more information that help you describe your images more fully.
Break up you story into paragraphs to show a change of place or time. Planning your story will really help.
Lastly, don’t worry too much about spelling as you can edit your writing later on. Enjoy writing and have fun creating your own story!
We are so excited about this opportunity to celebrate creative writing and hope our enthusiasm will inspire local children to write this summer.
FREE Assessment
Simply complete our form to book your FREE assessment.
According to prospects.ac.uk after-school tutors in the UK charge from around £20-£60 per hour in 2025. Of course all of this will depend on a great deal? Is the tutor qualified? Does the tutor have experience with children? What qualifications does the tutor have in the subject and what exams (if any) is the child working towards? It would be quite normal to pay £65 per hour for GCSE tuition and much more than that for the best 11+ tutors in London say! (Tutorfair.com have prices of over £100 per hour for specialist 11+ tutors/entrance exam tutors)
have recently changed the law on this as some agencies were avoiding VAT, now they will all have to pay it too.
Why are some tuition companies more expensive?
