About 11 Plus Essay
11 Plus Essay was created to solve one of the most common problems families face when preparing for selective school entrance exams: the writing paper. For many bright, able children, the writing component is the element that lets them down. Not because they cannot write, but because no one has taught them how to write for an exam. 11 Plus Essay exists to change that.
Who We Are
11 Plus Essay is part of the Geek School Tutoring group, founded by Joycellyn Akuffo in 2014. Joycellyn is a journalist and experienced 11 Plus tutor who has helped more than 1,000 children secure places at grammar schools and top independent schools. Her background in journalism means she understands not just what good writing looks like, but how to teach it in a way that children can immediately apply.
Why We Teach Writing Differently
Most 11 Plus tutors are strong at verbal reasoning, maths and comprehension. Very few have a background in writing or a method for teaching it. Children who practise creative writing with a general tutor often find their work receives a grade or a brief comment, and they are not sure what to do differently next time. This is the problem 11 Plus Essay was built to fix.
Our approach is built around the Editor’s Review: a personalised video of Joycellyn reading your child’s work line by line and explaining, in detail, what is working and what to improve. Children who receive this kind of feedback improve their writing faster than children who receive any other form of instruction. The Story Desk workbook, which comes with every course, gives them the structure to practise consistently between reviews.
Our Track Record
Since 2014, children taught by Joycellyn and the 11 Plus Essay team have secured places at some of the most competitive schools in the country, including Sevenoaks School, St Paul’s Girls’ School, Dulwich College, James Allen’s Girls’ School, Trinity School, Eltham College, Alleyn’s School and the City of London School for Girls. In many of these cases, the families tell us the writing paper was where their child stood out.
Our Commitment to Quality
All marking is carried out or personally supervised by Joycellyn. We do not use automated feedback, AI tools or junior markers. Every Editor’s Review is a genuine, expert response to your child’s specific piece of writing. We are a Corporate Member of the Tutors’ Association and all tutors are DBS checked.
11PlusEssay.co.uk was created to solve a problem that catches many parents off guard. The writing paper is often the hardest part of the 11 Plus. It is the one section where examiner expectations leap far beyond what most children learn in school, and it is usually the deciding factor in grammar and independent school entrance exams.
This platform exists to close that gap with teaching that is clear, structured and rooted in real writing expertise.
11PlusEssay.co.uk is part of Geek School Tutoring, an established education business that has supported more than 1,000 children with their writing over the past ten years. Across our centres in Beckenham and Lewisham, and through our online programmes, we have seen the same pattern again and again. Children are bright and capable, yet they are never taught how to plan, structure and write in a way that meets the demands of selective exams. Our work rewrites that story.
The site is owned by Joycellyn Akuffo, founder of Geek School Tutoring and former BBC journalist. Her professional writing background, with experience on titles such as Glamour, Women’s Weekly and BBC Good Homes (to name a few), shapes everything we teach. It means our 7+, 10+, 11_ and 13+ writing courses are not based on vague textbook methods but on real editorial standards, clear communication, and practical structure that children can master.
Parents choose 11PlusEssay.co.uk because they want results they can see. They want more than general tuition. They want expert-led guidance that teaches children how to craft original ideas, structure strong openings, use literary devices purposefully and write with confidence under timed conditions. They want feedback that goes beyond phrases like “add more detail” and instead gives clear, actionable steps for improvement.
During the past decade, our methods have helped children gain places at some of the most selective grammar and independent schools in the UK. Much of that success has come from strong writing, often turning a weakness into an exam advantage.
Everything we teach is built on examiner expectations, tested strategies and a step-by-step system that makes writing feel less mysterious and far more manageable. When children understand the structure, writing stops being overwhelming and starts becoming impressive.
Whether your child needs a complete writing reset or a focused push before exam day, 11PlusEssay.co.uk provides the expert support that has already helped more than 1,000 students thrive.
Your child’s writing has the potential to become their strongest asset. We are here to make sure it does.