Live small-group sessions designed to build the comprehension, vocabulary and inference skills your child needs — whether they're heading for 11+ or simply ready to go further.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Every child who joins the Comprehension Club leaves with strategies — not just answers. We build readers who can think, explain and justify with confidence.
Emma Simons · Founder, Verwood Tutoring
Six key skill areas — all essential for 11+ success and stronger English at any level.
Reading between the lines — understanding what a text implies, not just what it says. Essential for every 11+ comprehension paper.
Finding and using evidence from the text precisely. Children learn to locate, select and deploy information efficiently.
Building a broader word bank and developing strategies for working out unfamiliar words in context.
Structuring clear, concise written answers. Moving from vague to precise — and picking up the marks that matter.
Engagement, enjoyment and willingness to discuss texts. Confident readers become confident writers and thinkers.
Knowing how to approach a comprehension paper strategically — timing, marking, identifying question types and responding accordingly.
Every hour is deliberately structured to maximise active learning — no sitting, listening and forgetting.
We start every session with a targeted vocabulary activity. Children explore new words in context, building their word bank and activating prior knowledge before the main text.
We work through a carefully selected text together — fiction, non-fiction, poetry — chosen to challenge thinking and prompt discussion. Texts are at 11+ level or above.
Children discuss their ideas openly in a supportive environment. Every contribution matters. Discussion builds the confidence to reason aloud — a skill that transfers directly to written answers.
Children work through structured questions — retrieval, inference, vocabulary, explanation — matching the format of real 11+ and KS2 papers.
The session closes with positive, specific feedback. Children leave knowing exactly what they did well and one clear thing to focus on next time.
Verwood Tutoring was built on a simple belief: children thrive when they feel supported, challenged and genuinely seen.
Pupils supported through Verwood Tutoring have gone on to secure places at some of London's most competitive schools.
Emma is a qualified primary school teacher. She specialises in English, comprehension, creative writing, maths, verbal reasoning and 11+ preparation, working with Year 5 and 6 pupils across North London and online.
Her teaching is rooted in high expectations, clear strategy and genuine warmth. She understands the pressures of selective school preparation, and she knows exactly what these papers demand.
Pupils supported through Verwood Tutoring have gone on to secure places at some of London's most competitive schools, including Henrietta Barnett, Latymer, North London Collegiate, Highgate, Dame Alice Owen's, QE Boys, St Edmund's College and Haileybury.
Real feedback from families who have worked with Verwood Tutoring.
My son started private tutoring lessons for 11+ roughly 10 months ago and has enjoyed it from the beginning. Emma's approach to lessons has made it fun for him to learn — he even looks forward to lessons. Emma is very flexible in her approach and personalises the lessons entirely to his needs. I can see his knowledge, exam technique and confidence have both grown since he started the tutoring and I would recommend Verwood Tutoring.
My daughter worked with Emma for her 11+ three years ago, and I can honestly say her impact has been lasting. Even now, I remember how much she benefited from the English comprehension techniques Emma taught her — they were very effective and gave her real confidence. Most importantly, Emma made every lesson fun. My daughter absolutely loved her and seeing Emma genuinely felt like a reward, never a boring chore. If you're looking for a tutor who combines real skill with warmth, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Emma.
At the beginning, he was quite reserved and sometimes lacked confidence in his English work. However, he quickly developed a positive relationship with Emma and always looked forward to his sessions. Over time, his confidence grew significantly, and he became much more willing to engage with reading and writing. His reading comprehension improved, his vocabulary expanded, and he became a more confident and capable writer. We would highly recommend Verwood Tutoring to any parent looking for high-quality, supportive tuition.
Billed per session, with no long-term contract — but as each week builds on the last, we ask that pupils attend regularly.
Emma is happy to answer any questions before you book. Get in touch by email or phone.
Bookings cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are non-refundable.
Parent and pupil details are used only to manage bookings, send joining instructions, communicate about lessons and provide Verwood Tutoring services. Details are not sold or shared for unrelated marketing purposes.