11+ Without Burnout: A Calm 12-Week Plan

You don’t need long sessions to make progress. You need a routine your family can actually keep — even on busy weeks.

This plan is built around short, focused practice, regular review, and just enough timed work to build calm speed (without stress taking over).

Related guides: 11+ Prep · Study Skills & Focus · Maths (7–11) · English & Verbal Reasoning · All blog posts

Who this is for

• Families who want a simple weekly rhythm (not an intense timetable).
• Children who do well with consistency but burn out with long sessions.
• Parents who want a plan that works even on “busy weeks”.

The big idea: small reps + smart review

Most improvement comes from two things:

• targeted practice (one skill at a time), and
• quality review (fix the pattern, not the one question).

This plan keeps pressure low and learning high.

The weekly rhythm (4 days)

Repeat this structure each week. Keep the sessions short and end on a win.

• Day 1: Skills (20 minutes)

  Target one core skill (e.g., fractions, inference, vocabulary). Slow, accurate practice.

  Goal: clarity + method, not speed.

• Day 2: Timed set (15 minutes) + review (10 minutes)

  Small dose of pressure, then immediate learning. The review matters more than the timer.

  Goal: calm speed + catch error patterns.

• Day 3: Weak area practice (20 minutes)

  Work on the one thing that caused most errors last week. Keep it focused.

  Goal: turn the biggest “leak” into a strength.

• Day 4: Mixed mini-test (25 minutes) + praise + one fix

  A short mixed set to check progress. Then choose one thing to improve next time.

  Goal: confidence + direction (not perfection).

What to do on the other days

If you want a tiny “bonus” without adding stress, do one of these (5–10 minutes):

• Reading (fiction is fine) + 1 inference question.
• Vocabulary: 1 word + 2 sentences.
• Times tables / mental maths (short bursts only).

The rule that prevents burnout

No more than one timed set per day.

Timed work is a tool. Too much of it turns practice into stress — and stress lowers accuracy, motivation, and confidence.

Helpful pairing: Timed Practice Without Stress.

How to review (fast, but effective)

Use the same three-step review every time. It keeps feedback simple and repeatable.

1. Circle the mistake (what went wrong?)
2. Name the skill (fractions, inference, ratio, checking, etc.)
3. Write a “next time I will…” rule (one sentence they can reuse)

Example rules:

• “Next time I will underline what the question is asking before I calculate.”
• “Next time I will estimate first to check my answer is sensible.”
• “Next time I will check units (minutes, £, cm) before I finish.”

Try this next

Pick one weak skill and repeat it for 7 days.

Not everything. Just one. Repetition is what turns a weak area into a strength.

Easy 7-day options

• Fractions: equivalent fractions + compare (10 minutes/day)
• Word problems: goal + operation (no calculations) for 5 questions/day
• Inference: one chapter + Facts/Theory/Proof
• Estimation: range first, then exact answer

If you want a low-friction way to run the “Day 2 timed set” and “Day 4 mixed mini-test” structure, use the free Classroom Trial and keep your review as the learning layer afterwards.