11+ Support
The 11+ year, held carefully.
The 11+ year does things to children, and to families, that the assessment itself never sees: lost sleep, perfectionism, comparison, the long Sunday-evening ache. Our wellbeing groups are not preparation for the papers. They are for the child who has to live inside the year while it happens, and they can help with the stress and worry that come with it.
What this is
Small wellbeing groups, experienced hands
In selective school environments pressure can become normal, and children do not always say what is worrying them. Comparison, perfectionism and uncertainty can sit quietly beneath outward capability. A group lets those experiences be named and understood, in a setting that is safe and contained.
These groups are
Structured, therapeutically informed group work, led by an experienced KST therapist
Sessions combine psychoeducation, which means learning how stress and worry work in the mind and body, with creative activities, discussion, shared experience, and practical ways to calm down and steady the body. The tone is light where it can be and serious where it needs to be. Children are never required to share anything personal.
These groups are not
Tutoring, coaching, or therapy
The groups sit alongside academic preparation without adding to it. They focus on understanding pressure, managing worry, loosening perfectionism and keeping perspective. Where a child needs individual support, we talk about that separately.
How the groups work
Four things happen in every group
Understanding
Knowing what worry does
Children learn, in words that suit their age, what stress and anxiety do in the mind and body, and why. A worry that is understood can be easier to carry, and less frightening when it comes.
Practical
Tools to take home
Breathing, grounding and sensory strategies children can use by themselves, in school and at home, when the pressure rises.
Shared
Discovering they are not the only one
Children often describe the relief of realising others feel the same pressure. A group can make difficulty feel more ordinary, and loneliness smaller.
Creative
A way in that does not need words
Structured activities give children a way into their experience without having to say it straight out. Taking part is encouraged, never imposed.
Through the year
The 11+ year unfolds in stages
Groups run a few times across the school year, or more regularly where a school needs them. They may begin in the final term of Year 5 and continue through Year 6, adjusted to each school and cohort. Many pupils join at more than one stage, building on what came before.
- Year 5
Foundations
Introducing the idea of senior school in a way that suits their age. Building words for feelings, perspective and early confidence.
- Early Year 6
Settling into the year
Supporting pupils as expectations rise. Exploring pressure, comparison and early worry before the assessment period intensifies.
- Before the exams
Steadiness at the peak
Steady support while academic focus is at its height, with practical tools for staying calm and thinking clearly under pressure.
- After the exams
Waiting, and results
Helping pupils with the replaying and second-guessing that follows the papers, and with the particular difficulty of waiting. Encouraging perspective and balance.
- Final term
The move to senior school
Preparing for the move: endings, changing friendships, and a new sense of who they are, explored with maturity and care.
What pupils said
In their own words
The whole of Year 6 at an independent prep school, more than 40 pupils, completed an anonymous feedback survey at the end of their group sessions.
- 93%would recommend the groups
- 86%would join another group
- 8/10average rating for how helpful it was
- 6pupils in each group
It felt like a safe space where everyone was heard.
In the first session I felt very nervous about the 11+. In the second session I felt calm and was not worrying as much.
I loved how open we all could be. It gave a sense of fun and honesty.
I felt more confident after the first session. I knew I could speak to Sam freely without hesitation.
I felt heard. I also learned a lot from the others in the group.
I felt less stressed knowing that other people think the same things as me.
Sam’s sessions go way beyond just support. They are bespoke and have been vital for the wellbeing and support of our Year 6 pupils this year.
This is a very helpful programme. Recognising the stressors for 10 and 11 year olds through the 10-week period of assessment is really important.
For schools
Support for a whole cohort, in the school day
Because the groups run in school, every pupil in the year can have structured emotional support through the 11+, including children who are not yet on anyone’s list. Sessions take place during the school day, in small groups of six, timed to your academic calendar.
The same approach can be shaped for older pupils. With schools, we build groups around the pressures of their year: the move to senior school, the GCSE years and the sixth form.
- Programmes designed around your calendar, cohort size and pastoral structure
- Appropriate liaison with safeguarding and pastoral leads, within clear professional boundaries
- Parents told about the group beforehand, including what stays private within it
- Optional workshops to help parents reinforce the tools at home
- Therapists who understand the culture and pressures of selective prep and senior schools
Currently running at Kensington Prep School. Fees are discussed in the first conversation, so the programme fits your cohort and calendar.
Bring wellbeing groups to your school
We begin with a short conversation about your school and cohort before proposing a programme. There is no obligation, and our clinical lead reads every school enquiry personally.
For parents
If your child is facing the 11+
If your child’s school runs 11+ groups, the school is the place to ask about a place in one.
If it does not yet, tell us which school your child attends. With your agreement, we are glad to make an introduction, at the school’s pace.
And if your child needs more than a group can offer, we can talk with you about one-to-one support. Our pages on the 11+ year and on parent consultations may help in the meantime.
Questions
Often asked
Is my child expected to share personal feelings?
No. Children take part at their own pace, and there is no pressure to talk about anything personal. Many find it easier to join in through the activities than through direct conversation, and the groups are built with that in mind.
Are the groups suitable for children with additional needs?
Often, yes. The sessions are structured and adaptable. Where individual support would suit a child better, alongside the group or instead of it, we talk about that in the first conversation.
Can my child join at more than one stage of the year?
Yes. Many pupils join at more than one stage. Each programme builds on the one before, and having the same therapist throughout supports that.
What if my child needs more than a group?
If a child would benefit from individual support, we will talk it through with the family and can arrange a referral for one-to-one sessions, usually in school.
If this is urgent
Kensington Square Therapy is not a crisis service. If you or your child is in immediate danger, call 999.
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If you need help right now
If you or your child is in immediate danger
999Call 999
If either you or your child is in a mental health crisis
NHS 111England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000
If your child is under 19 and needs to talk to someone themselves
Childline0800 1111
If you are worried that a child is being harmed or is at risk
NSPCC Helpline0808 800 5000
If you would prefer to text rather than speak
ShoutText SHOUT to 85258
If you or someone you are worried about needs someone to talk to
Samaritans116 123
Begin
For your school, or for your child
We begin with a short conversation, with no obligation and no pressure. Fees are discussed at that point, so the shape fits your school or your child.