Boots on, everyone. Let’s climb!
Accessible for every child. Ambitious for every child.
Workbooks written by two London head teachers. From a toddler’s first big marks, to National Curriculum confidence, to 7+, 8+ and 11+ preparation, with Monty beside your child at every step.
Written by two London head teachers
Four quick questions
Find the right books for your child
Answer four questions and we will name the books to start with, and say why. Here is the first one.
Where is your child now?
- Monty on every pageA friendly guide who keeps learning calm and encouraging.
- Answers for grown-upsClear support so any parent or tutor can help with confidence.
- Several levels in every topicSuits every child, from first steps to the top level.
- Buy securely on AmazonCheckout, delivery and returns are handled by Amazon.
Who wrote these books
Created by two London head teachers
Both of us lead schools today. We wrote the series so the basics are secure, and every learner has the right challenge to grow in habits, reasoning and independence.
One mountain, four stages
Find your child’s place on the mountain
Start where your child is now, and climb when they are ready. Every stage leads on to the next.
- Ages 3 to 4Early years and fine motorLittle by LittleBig marks and little adventures: fine motor skills before formal work begins.Shop this stage →
- Reception to Year 6National CurriculumNext Steps · Word by WordPractice that follows the National Curriculum, to build confidence in class.Shop this stage →
- Reception to Year 37+ and 8+ entrance examsThe Foundations SeriesEntrance exam preparation, with an Answers and Methods book for parents and tutors.Shop this stage →
- Year 6, ages 10 to 11Extension to 11+Year Six Mathematics 11+The next step on, for children aiming at the 11+.Shop this stage →
Monty’s Tip
Not sure where to start? Four quick questions and we will name the books to begin with, and say why. Every book has several levels, so there is always a next step.
The whole library
Browse every book →
Short sessions, big confidence
Five to ten minutes, three little steps
Every Next Steps session follows the same calm pattern, so children know what to expect and parents know how to help.
Look Back
Recall something familiar, to warm up and build confidence.
Next Steps
Practise one small skill, with thinking time and one modelled example.
My Progress
Notice how it felt: I can do this, a little help, or let's practise again.
Read aloud together
Stories to talk about
Each week starts with a picture story that a grown-up reads aloud. It is for listening and noticing, not a reading test.
How the books teach
Picture first. Understanding follows. Then the numbers.
Every book is built on pictorial methods. Children handle real things, draw what they see, and only then work with abstract numbers. The pictures are not decoration: each one is a thinking tool that your child learns and can pick up on their own.
1 · SEE IT
Real things
Counters, objects and sharing plates. Notice the quantities before calculating.
2 · DRAW IT
A picture tool
Choose the right picture: a ten frame, part-whole circles, a number line or a bar model.
3 · SOLVE IT
Numbers, with reasons
Show each step, explain why, and check the answer. The picture is still there to fall back on.
Five pictures. Five tools for life.
Each picture can be used on its own, on any page, in any book. In the Year 6 book they have grown into bar models, diagrams and number lines.
Counting objects
Real things to touch and count, then drawn as dots.
Ten frame
See numbers to ten and make tens, with no counting from one.
Part-whole
Split a number into parts and put it back together.
Number line jumps
Count on, count back and bridge through ten with jumps.
Sharing plates
Share equally and see division and fractions as fair shares.
The structure inside every book
Ten topics. Four camps in each.
Every topic is a small mountain. Children begin at Base Camp with skills from their own year, so everyone can start, then climb as far as they are ready to go. A Summit Challenge, progress tracker and certificate close each book, and a grown-up guide covers the marking.
See the books →- Base CampStart with skills from your own year.
- The ClimbApply what you know.
- High CampExtend your thinking.
- The SummitReason independently.
A sneak peek
Turn a few pages
See how the book is laid out before you buy: worked examples, the picture to draw, and room for your child’s own working.
About Reception English workbook →
Front cover · 1 of 6
Accessible to start. Ambitious to finish.
Every topic has several levels. The first are based on the National Curriculum for your child’s year, so any child can begin. The upper levels reach further, and the top level is a genuine challenge.
- AccessibleBased on the National Curriculum
- AmbitiousUpper levels stretch ahead
- The SummitThe genuinely challenging level
Start here
See all books and filter by year →Little by Little: Fine motor adventures
The Climb · Ages 3–4 · Activity edition · 32 pages of colouring, trails and mazes
Coming soon — Little by Little: Fine motor adventures is not yet on saleNext Steps Reception Book 1: Listening and Noticing
The Climb · Ages 4–5 · English and Maths · six weeks of short top-ups
Coming soon — Next Steps Reception Book 1: Listening and Noticing is not yet on saleYear Three Mathematics: Answers and Methods
The Foundations Series · Ages 7–8 · parent and tutor edition
Coming soon — Year Three Mathematics: Answers and Methods is not yet on saleYear Six Mathematics: 11+ workbook
The Foundations Series · Ages 10–11 · 52 pages
Buy on Amazon — Year Six Mathematics: 11+ workbook, on amazon.co.uk
Workbook, answers, or both
Every series has an answers book for parents and tutors. All purchases are completed on Amazon.
- Workbook
The child's workbook
The practice workbook for your child to work through.
Price shown on Amazon
Buy on Amazon (opens amazon.co.uk) - Answers
Answers and Methods
The parent and tutor edition, with the pictures your child should be drawing.
Price shown on Amazon
Buy on Amazon (opens amazon.co.uk) - Best value
Workbook and answers together
Both, with marking and progress tools.
Price shown on Amazon
Buy on Amazon (opens amazon.co.uk)
For parents
Where do we start?
Choose your child's stage
Early years, National Curriculum, 7+ and 8+, or 11+. Every level starts from where your child is now.
Pick a series and subject
Little by Little, Next Steps, Word by Word spelling, or The Foundations Series for Maths and English.
Buy on Amazon
Choose the workbook, the answers, or both, and check out on Amazon.
Written by two head teachers, for families
Exercise Academics workbooks come from two serving prep school head teachers who have spent their careers teaching young children.
Calm, short sessions
Five to ten minutes at a time, with a pattern children recognise, so practice never feels like a battle.
Every parent can help
Answers and Methods books show the picture your child should be drawing, not just the answer.
A route that keeps going
From fine motor at three to 11+ preparation, each stage leads on to the next.
Try a free sample page
Tell us your child’s year and how they are getting on, and we will send a page pitched at the right level — not a Year 6 sheet for a four-year-old. Termly tips for parents come with it.