Children aiming to record a successful pass into one of Salisbury’s excellent grammar schools will have to demonstrate academic depth and breadth.
Whether your child sits the three GL Assessment test papers for South Wilts Grammar School, or the two CEM papers for Bishops Wordsworth’s Grammar School, the subject areas are:
- English: Comprehension exercises, writing tasks, grammar and punctuation tests, and a variety of tasks on spelling and vocabulary
- Maths: testing on the Multiplication tables, the application of the four main number operations, geometry, mental arithmetic and data handling
- Verbal Reasoning: Logical thinking, speed-sensitive problem solving, word meanings, similarities and opposites, word-based Maths problems, and tasks involving systematic application of rules and patterns, when faced with verbal information
- Non-Verbal Reasoning: Logical, systematic reasoning in relation to patterns, graphic and pictorial and spatial constructs. Visual Maths topics such as reflection, symmetry, rotation and enlargement will be tested
Almost all children have greater strengths in specific elements of the topics below, whilst finding other topics more challenging.
“I offer tuition in all of the topics with the dual aim of developing your child’s technical capability, speed of processing and overall confidence.”
| South Wiltshire Grammar School GL Assessment – Three 45-50 mins Test Papers | Bishops Wordsworth’s Grammar School CEM Assessment – Two 50 mins Test Papers | |
| English | • Grammar & spellings • Parts of speech • Prefixes, suffixes • Plurals & homophones • Apostrophes, dashes & hyphens • Synonyms & Antonyms • Alliteration & Onomatopoeia • Fiction & Non-Fiction writing | • Grammar • Spelling • Plurals, prefixes & suffixes • Parts of speech • Fiction & Non-Fiction writing • Synonyms & Antonyms • Apostrophes, dashes & hyphens • Alliteration & Onomatopoeia |
| Maths / Numerical Reasoning | • Place value, rounding & number sequence • Ratio & Proportion • Fractions, Decimals & Percentages • Addition/ Subtraction • Division / Multiplication • Multiply / Divide by 10, 100, 1000 • Algebra, Word & Mixed Problems • Displaying & Analysing data • Angles & symmetry 2D & 3D shapes, Symmetry • Area, Perimeter, shape problems • Units of Measure & Time | • Addition & Subtraction • Multiplication & Division • Place value & rounding • Fractions, Decimals, Percentages • Primes & Factors • Ratio & Proportion • Algebra, number & word problems • Data, Means & Averages • Angles, 2D & 3D shapes • Perimeter, area & Symmetry • Transformations & Coordinates • Units of Measure & Time |
| Verbal Reasoning | • Missing & moving letters • Missing, hidden & moving words • Pairs & anagrams • Similar & opposite words • Codes & riddles • Word & phrase connections • Letter sequences • Number sequences • Letter sums • Missing & moving letters | • Plurals, Homophones & Homographs • Silent & double letter spellings • Prefixes & Suffixes • Closest, opposite & multiple word meanings • Reordering word orders in sentences • Odd words out • Parts of Speech; verbs & conjunctions • Missing vocabulary • Comprehension answers: meaning, hidden facts, logic & reasoning |
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | • Shapes • Rotation • Reflection • Position & Order • Shading and lines • Layering • Pointing |
OPTIMIST EDUCATION 