“Your Next Teacher”: How Atom Helped a Family Secure a Place at a West Midlands Grammar School

How did you first hear about Atom?

I was referred to Atom through their partnership with The King Edward VI Foundation. I found Atom very child-friendly and user-friendly. She could use it by herself without supervision and do what she was expected to do.

Can you share your overall experience with Atom Home?

We started a little late on our 11 plus journey; we started around December. I was a bit nervous, worrying whether my child would catch up with everything and be offered a place at a grammar school.

She really struggled with maths. I had my doubts about whether she’d be able to catch up with everything she needed to learn for the maths part of the test. She found it very easy to navigate. She also got into the habit of scheduling practices for herself and completing the ones I’d set her in her weaker areas. She loved being responsible for her studies.

What features did you find most valuable?

I loved the feature where I could see Divija’s progress compared to other children applying to the same schools. It helped me gauge where my child was at and whether it was practical for my daughter to aim for a particular school. I changed our order of school preferences on the Common Application Form based on the comparison data that Atom provided. I could see that she was behind her peers for King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, so I changed my preferences on the form.

You have to set goals which are practical; I don’t want to push my daughter into something she can’t achieve. When I changed my target school to the school she’ll be joining in September, she was almost on track – and she was beyond the target for English.

I also loved seeing her overall progress in the different subjects on the test. I would quickly glance through her weaker areas in maths to see which topics she needed to practice more.

How did you use the mock tests on Atom?

I didn’t want to push Divija to do mock tests just because they were included in our free subscription. I only started to set mock tests for her when I was confident she was ready. It was my preference for her to use the tests when I felt that her progress was up to the mark and she could achieve something that would make her feel satisfied and motivated about her test.

Over time, the mock tests built up her confidence and helped her become familiar with the time pressure of the test. After she finished a mock test, she’d check her own results and set up her own practices based on the areas she found difficult.

Why did Atom Home work for your family?

I could leave her on her own with minimum supervision. She was being tracked, and I was being updated on her progress… almost like tuition. There was a feedback loop. I can’t express how much this helped me.

What were the biggest challenges of preparing for the 11+?

The challenge for my daughter, in particular, was maths. When we started preparing for the test in December, her maths was at a level similar to that of a Year 4 child. The children in her tuition classes were quite far ahead of her because some of them had been preparing since Year 3.

I encouraged and motivated her to give it her best. I was also struggling because I haven’t studied in this country, and the way they teach maths now is very different from how I learn it. That’s why the videos, helpsheets and explanations on Atom were so helpful; she could understand the concepts herself without me having to explain them to her. Atom really helped to boost her knowledge and understanding of maths.

What advice would you give to other families preparing for the 11 plus?

With tough competition around cities like Birmingham, where we are from, I’d recommend starting early so as not to stress your child.

If you had to sum up Atom in one sentence, what would it be?

Your next teacher.