11+ prep hacks for over the summer holidays

Summer is here, and your routine can look a bit different during the holidays. If your child is preparing for the 11+, you might be wondering how to keep a little bit of learning going without disrupting the holidays or causing any stress.

The good news? It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. With a few simple strategies, you can help your child stay on track while still making the most of the summer break. Here are six easy, low-pressure 11+ prep hacks to keep things ticking over.

1. Stick to a “little and often” approach to revision

Keep revision sessions short, focused and regular. Just 20-30 minutes a day is plenty enough revision for your child to be doing over the summer holidays.

Through our years of supporting children with 11+ revision prep, we've seen that children retain more when learning is broken down into manageable chunks. By keeping sessions short, focused, and regular, you’re reinforcing positive habits and enabling children to remain consistent without the risk of burnout.

The idea that children should or could be revising all day, every day for the 11+ is unattainable and ineffective. With shorter daily practice, staying consistent and effective with revision is much easier and more productive.

2. Make learning fun

The holidays are full of opportunities to sneak in learning without the formality of “study time.” Some examples of fun activities you can do with your child that incorporate learning could be:

• Playing word association games in the car.
• Challenging each other with times tables while waiting for lunch at a cafe.
• Listening to an audiobook and talking about the plot together.

These are all maths, verbal reasoning and comprehension practice examples, disguised as fun!

3. Create a light timetable to follow

Without school to help structure the day, it’s easy for time to drift. A relaxed weekly timetable, even just a rough plan stuck to the fridge, will help you set expectations and avoid last-minute panic for your child.

It also gives your child a sense of control. Let them help choose their study slots around fun summer plans. This autonomy builds motivation and reduces resistance.

Atom Home’s platform lets you and your child plan and track learning together. You can view your child’s weekly targets, see which topics they’ve covered, and get alerts if they miss a session. It’s a simple way to stay on top of things, and no spreadsheets are needed.

Pictured: Olivia’s activities for the week. The activities are aligned to the content of her target school exams and are tracked to show which activities Olivia has completed.

4. Celebrate effort, not test scores

It’s especially important to keep spirits up over summer. Praise your child for sticking to the routine, not just for getting high scores. Learning is about building habits, not chasing perfection. When children know that effort counts just as much (if not more) than results, they’re more likely to keep going, even when it feels tough.

Try introducing simple, consistent rewards for showing up and trying their best. A sticker chart, a treat jar, or points towards a family day out can work wonders. Even better, involve your child in choosing the rewards. It gives them a sense of ownership and makes the process feel collaborative, not enforced.

5. Use travel time wisely

Whether you’re road-tripping or flying abroad, travel time is a brilliant opportunity to keep learning going, with no extra effort required.

Download some high-quality audiobooks to listen to on your journey. Audiobooks are a great way to build your child’s comprehension and vocabulary skills.

If you need help choosing books, check out Atom’s free reading lists for Years 3 to 6.

Or, if you’ve packed a tablet, a quick Atom session on the go can help make use of downtime. Atom Home works seamlessly on laptops and tablets too, so your child can log in anywhere, anytime. With no prep or printing needed, it’s the most flexible study companion you can bring on holiday.

6. Rest is productive too

Finally, and most importantly, remember that summer is also for recharging. Rest isn’t a luxury; it is essential for effective learning. A tired brain can’t absorb new information, but a rested one can.

Encourage plenty of unstructured play, lie-ins, and screen-free fun. You don’t need to “fill” every moment with productivity. Children often come back stronger and more motivated after a proper break.

Atom’s flexible design makes it easy to fit learning around your summer, not the other way round. There’s no penalty for missed days, just supportive guidance to help you pick up where you left off.

Final thought

Preparing for the 11+ over summer doesn’t have to mean sacrificing the joy of the holidays. With a calm, consistent approach and a little help from Atom Home, your child can keep building confidence, even while enjoying a well-earned break.

No stress. No last-minute cramming. Just steady progress, one small step at a time.