When one mother set out to help her son prepare for the 11+ and ISEB exams, she faced a unique set of challenges. English wasn’t spoken at home, her son attended a local state school with no entrance exam preparation, and the UK admissions process felt complex and unfamiliar.
“I’m Chinese, my husband is German, and we don’t speak English at home. My son goes to a state school, so we had to find extra support ourselves.”
Determined to give him the best possible chance, she turned to her community for advice. After hearing glowing reviews from other Chinese parents, one platform kept coming up: Atom Home.
The outcome? Offers from all five schools they applied to: Westminster College, St Paul’s School, King’s College School Wimbledon, Hampton School, and Tiffin School.
Community recommendations and independent learning
While researching options online, the parent came across Atom on Red Note (also known as Red Book) – a popular app used widely by overseas Chinese families.
“It’s like our version of Facebook or TikTok. I read a lot of reviews comparing Atom to other platforms, like Century. People said the big advantage of Atom is the video explanations. Children can study independently; they don’t always need a parent or tutor beside them.”
With limited time to guide her son through the UK’s education system herself, that independence was a game-changer.
A platform that exceeded expectations
Although the initial plan was to use Atom to prepare for the ISEB Common Pre-Test, the platform quickly revealed itself to be far more comprehensive. “I didn’t know Atom had so many other resources. I thought it was just for ISEB, but you can set your target schools and focus your practice. That was really impressive.”
She was particularly surprised by how specific the platform could be when targeting different schools. This was a detail that gave her son an edge in the final months of preparation. “It felt like Atom knew where he needed to improve and helped him practise those exact areas. It was very clever.”
Focused preparation and real results
The family began using Atom three months before the ISEB test and built it into a consistent study routine. “We used Atom four or five times a week. Each day, my son would do two papers from English, maths, or reasoning. In the last few months, we also used the mock tests regularly.”
Her son found motivation through Atom’s unique design and gamified features, which transformed study sessions into something he enjoyed. “He loved the island feature and collecting points and badges. It made the learning more interesting for him — that’s something offline tutors can’t always offer.”
Atom’s benchmark scores and school-specific feedback were especially helpful in tracking progress and building confidence ahead of test day. “I liked seeing how he compared to other children sitting the same test. That gave us reassurance that we were on the right path.”
Looking ahead
Now, the parent is planning to use Atom again – this time with her daughter, who is currently in Year 4.
“I just wish I had found Atom earlier. I’ll definitely use it for my daughter. If you start earlier and do a little bit every day, it makes a big difference.”
Advice to other families
Her message to other families preparing for the 11+ is clear: start early, stay consistent, and trust the process. “Even just ten minutes a day helps. If you build it up bit by bit, it’s so much easier later. Atom is very helpful for that.”
While she had previously used tutors and additional resources, Atom became the family’s core tool in the lead-up to the exams. “It helped my son feel confident. And in the end, he did really well.”
