Two people who have actually sat these exams — running the small, honest tutor we wished existed.
Bloom Academy was founded by a Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls alumna and a Chigwell School 90% academic-scholarship winner. We teach max-6 classes at Fullwell Cross Library in Barkingside, we publish what most tutors hide, and we give parents a dashboard that shows exactly how their child is tracking.
Born from frustration with the 11+ market
Between us we have been the scholarship kid, the grammar hopeful and, years later, the parent trying to make sense of it all. Too much of the local 11+ market trades on secrecy, oversized 'small' classes and promises nobody can check. We built the opposite.
The pedigree behind every lesson
Our founders' background is the cornerstone of what we do — and their City and Mayfair finance careers are the discipline that keeps us evidence-led.
Araliya
Pedigree: Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls alumna
By day: Broker, City of London
Araliya came up through Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls and knows the independent and selective world from the inside — the interviews, the writing tasks, the scholarship assessments and the unwritten expectations that catch families out.
By day she works as a broker in the City of London, where evidence-first, no-spin judgement is the whole job.
Disal
Pedigree: 90% academic-scholarship winner, Chigwell School
By day: Wealth Management, Mayfair
Disal won a 90% academic scholarship to Chigwell School — so he has lived the high-pressure selective route first-hand, and he is candid with families about which doors are realistically open to their child.
By day he works in wealth management in Mayfair, where being right with numbers is the whole job.
A note on honesty: our founders prepared for and thrived in selective and independent schools. We do not claim they won places at the specific grammars we prepare children for — we tell families only what is true, because trust is the whole point.
Four principles you can hold us to
Radically transparent
We publish our prices, our class sizes and the exam dates on the website. If a tutor hides those things, ask yourself why.
Genuinely small-group
Maximum six children per class — often four on our premium track. Small enough that every child is seen and marked every week.
Honest about catchment
Ilford County High and Woodford County High run strict catchments. If you live outside one, we will tell you, and point you to CSSE and independents instead of taking your money.
Data-led, not vibes
Parents see per-strand benchmark bands over time against the 104 qualifying floor and the 115–125 offer zone — plus attendance, homework and a written Progress Guarantee.
Fullwell Cross Library, Barkingside
We run our classes from a calm, well-equipped community venue in the heart of Barkingside — easy for local families and properly grown-up about safeguarding.
Fullwell Cross Library, Barkingside High Street, Ilford IG6 2LL
- A few minutes from Barkingside and Fairlop Central-line stations
- Dedicated rooms, so classes stay calm and focused
- Central to Redbridge grammar, CSSE and independent-school families
Safeguarding & compliance
You are trusting us with your child. We treat that as the most important part of the job, not an afterthought.
Questions about our policies or your child's safety? Talk to a founder directly.
Meet us before you commit
Book a GL mock day and you will get a full diagnostic, an honest conversation about catchment and fit, and a clear view of where your child stands — no pressure, no spin.