# James — RGS 7+ Tutoring Plan

**Target:** RGS Newcastle Year 3 entry. Assessment **~January 2028** (Year 2), application
**~early December 2027**. Runway from June 2026 ≈ **18 months**.

> 📚 **Lesson & resource hub:** open [`hub/index.html`](hub/index.html) for the actual
> lessons, exercises, games, printables, glossary and skills map that put this plan into action.

**Guiding principle:** he's 5.5. The win is built on *little-and-often, playful, confidence
-first* practice — not cramming. Real exam-style/timed work only appears in the final ~3
months. If a session stops being fun, stop. Protect his love of reading and writing cards;
that intrinsic motivation is worth more than any workbook.

---

## Where James is now (June 2026, end of Reception)

| Area | Now | Implication |
|------|-----|-------------|
| **Reading – decoding** | Phonics Level 7 (a Year 2 target) | Ahead. Maintain, add stamina. |
| **Reading – comprehension** | Answers questions about stories | Good base; deepen toward *inference*. |
| **Writing – composition** | Writes sentences, cards; spells unknown words phonically | Lovely habit; build fluency. |
| **Writing – mechanics** | Full stops yes; **capitals misused** (start of *lines* not sentences); **letter sizing uneven** | Two clear, fixable targets. |
| **Maths** | Number bonds to 10, simple addition, **2 / 5 / 10 times tables** | Solid. Needs breadth (below). |
| **Reasoning** | Loves board games; no formal reasoning yet | Easy win via the right games. |
| **Non-academic** | Confident, sociable, concentrates, follows instructions (per NSB reports) | Already a strength — keep warm. |

**The two quickest "mechanics" wins** (start this summer, 2 min at a time):
1. **Capitals rule:** capital letters go *only* at the start of a sentence and for names —
   not at the start of every new line. Catch it gently when he writes cards.
2. **Letter sizing:** use lined handwriting paper with a baseline + dotted midline so tall
   letters (l, h, k), small letters (a, e, o) and tails (g, y, p) sit consistently.

---

## What the 7+ tests (so we cover all of it)

- **English:** reading **comprehension incl. inference**, **writing** (composition +
  punctuation/grammar/spelling), and **listening**.
- **Maths:** arithmetic, **times tables**, problem-solving / word problems; plus fractions,
  measurement, money, time, geometry. Year 2 syllabus + a little Year 3 extension.
- **The day itself:** group activities assessing **cooperation, persistence, listening,
  communication, conduct** — and RGS reads **NSB's report** on him. This is graded too.

---

## The four phases

### Phase 0 — Summer 2026 (the 8 free weeks) · *foundations & habit*
Goal: establish a gentle daily rhythm and lock in the two mechanics wins. ~20–30 min/day,
broken up, mostly disguised as play. **Detailed week-by-week below.**

### Phase 1 — Year 1 (Sept 2026 → Jul 2027) · *breadth, low pressure*
Goal: quietly reach a comfortable Year 2 standard across the board, ~15–20 min on 3–4 days.
- **Reading:** transition to **early chapter books** read independently; keep bedtime read
  -alouds and *ask 1–2 "why/how do you think" questions* each time (inference).
- **Writing:** from sentences → 2–4 sentence pieces (a recount, a simple story). Keep the
  capitals rule and sizing going. Introduce question marks, exclamation marks, "and/because".
- **Maths:** number bonds to 20; addition/subtraction facts; place value to 100; **3 & 4
  times tables** (then 6, 8); money; telling time (o'clock, half/quarter past); halves &
  quarters; simple word problems.
- **Reasoning:** keep it as *games* (list below). No worksheets yet.

### Phase 2 — Autumn Year 2 (Sept → Dec 2027) · *consolidate + familiarise*
- Fill any remaining Year 2 gaps; touch Year 3 extension (e.g. larger numbers, more tables).
- Introduce **light verbal & non-verbal reasoning** workbooks (a page at a time).
- Begin **format familiarisation**: short comprehension passages with written answers; a
  timed-but-relaxed "have a go" feel. **Submit RGS application (~early Dec 2027).**

### Phase 3 — Dec 2027 → Jan 2028 · *gentle exam readiness*
- 7+ practice papers / sample questions, lightly timed, ~2×/week. Review mistakes kindly.
- Rehearse the **assessment day**: being away for a day, working in a group of new children,
  listening to and following instructions, talking to unfamiliar adults, "keep trying when
  stuck." Visit RGS open days beforehand so the building feels familiar.
- Taper in the final week. Arrive rested and relaxed; confidence beats last-minute drilling.

---

## Summer 2026 — concrete 8-week rhythm

A simple repeatable daily loop (any order, split across the day, skip days off guilt-free):

- **Read** (~10 min): he reads to you *or* you read a chapter and ask 2 questions — at least
  one "why/what do you think will happen/how did he feel?" (inference).
- **One micro-task** (~5–10 min), alternating days:
  - *Writing day:* write a card / postcard / "what we did today" sentence. Fix **one** thing
    only (capitals OR sizing), praise the rest.
  - *Maths day:* a games-based bit — number bonds, a tables fact, money with real coins,
    clock-reading, sharing snacks into halves/quarters.
- **A game** (~10 min): a reasoning/strategy board game (list below).

Light weekly focus so it doesn't blur together:
| Wk | Writing | Maths | Reasoning game focus |
|----|---------|-------|----------------------|
| 1 | Baseline: watch him write 2 sentences; note sizing/capitals | Baseline: bonds, the 3 tables he knows, can he tell time / use money? | Guess Who (deduction) |
| 2 | Capitals rule (sentence vs new line) | Number bonds to 20 | Rush Hour Jr |
| 3 | Letter sizing on lined paper | Subtraction facts to 10 | Set / Connect 4 |
| 4 | Write a 2-sentence recount | 3× table | SmartGames logic puzzle |
| 5 | Add "and / because" | Money (coins, change to 20p) | Ticket to Ride: First Journey |
| 6 | A 3-sentence mini-story | Telling time (o'clock, half past) | Outfoxed (co-op deduction) |
| 7 | Question + exclamation marks | Halves & quarters of shapes/amounts | Katamino / tangrams |
| 8 | Free writing he chooses; review progress | Mixed quick-fire review | His favourite from the summer |

> Record what you do in a running `log/` note (date, what you did, how it went) — it makes
> the next 18 months easy to steer and gives RGS-relevant evidence of his growth.

---

## Reasoning through board games (his love of games = the easiest win)
- **Logic / spatial:** Rush Hour Jr, Katamino, tangrams, SmartGames range (IQ Puzzler,
  Camelot Jr, Gravity Maze, Roller Coaster Challenge).
- **Deduction:** Guess Who, Outfoxed (co-operative), Cluedo Jr.
- **Pattern / visual:** Set, Connect 4, Othello/Reversi.
- **Maths-y:** Sum Swamp, Sleeping Queens, Mobi, Bananagrams (also spelling).
- **Strategy / planning:** Ticket to Ride: First Journey, draughts.

These build exactly the deduction, pattern-spotting and "stick-at-it" muscles the day rewards.

---

## Non-academic strand (runs throughout — RGS grades this)
James already scores well here per NSB; keep it warm rather than drill it.
- **Listening:** read a short passage aloud, then ask about it (no looking) — builds the
  listening component *and* day-readiness.
- **Following instructions:** give cheerful 2–3 step instructions and let him complete them.
- **Group play & turn-taking:** board games and playdates cover this naturally.
- **Talking to adults:** let him order in cafés, talk to relatives, answer the door politely.
- **Persistence:** praise *effort and having-a-go when stuck*, not just correct answers.
- **Independence:** comfort being dropped at clubs / a full day away from you.
- **Keep NSB onside:** his school report is part of the assessment — the qualities his
  teachers already praise (helpful, dependable, concentrates) are gold; nurture them.

---

## Suggested resources (UK, age-appropriate)
- **Maths/English workbooks:** CGP Year 1 then Year 2 (Maths & English); Schofield & Sims
  (Mental Arithmetic, Comprehension, Spelling, Handwriting).
- **Handwriting:** lined paper with midline; Schofield & Sims Handwriting (matches NSB's
  pre-cursive style — check which scheme NSB uses and mirror it).
- **Reasoning (Phase 2+):** Bond verbal & non-verbal reasoning, ages 6–7 then 7–8.
- **Times tables:** "Hit the Button" (free online), real-life counting/coins.
- **7+ practice (Phase 3 only):** Exam Papers Plus / Atom Learning 7+ materials; RGS-specific
  sample questions if available — ask RGS admissions directly.

---

## Logistics
- **Free weekday slots:** Tue, Fri (Mon = French, Wed = gymnastics, Thu = swimming).
  Plus weekends and ~2 hrs of after-school energy on free days.
- **Delivered by:** parents primarily, nanny as backup — keep a shared `log/` so whoever
  runs a session knows where he's up to.
- **Cadence:** Summer ~daily/light; Year 1 ~3–4×/week ×15–20 min; Year 2 building to ~4×;
  final run-up ~2 focused sessions + games.

## Next actions
1. Confirm with RGS admissions: exact 2028 assessment dates, application deadline, register
   as an enquirer, and ask for any sample/format guidance.
2. Run the Week-1 baseline (writing sample + maths check) and note it in `log/`.
3. Pick up a couple of the reasoning games and lined handwriting paper to start the summer loop.