Cambridge Young Learners exam prep, without the pressure
These are Cambridge's own low-stakes, no pass/fail exams — designed to build real exam skills gently, one shield at a time, with progress the whole family can follow and celebrate together.
What Starters, Movers and Flyers actually are
Three levels, each a natural step up from the last — no exam here can be failed. Every child who sits one receives a certificate; the only question is how many "shields" they earn.
Starters
A gentle first introduction to a structured exam format — listening, reading & writing, and a short one-to-one speaking chat with a friendly examiner.
See what's tested →Movers
Builds on Starters with the same relaxed structure, a little more challenge, and the beginnings of free writing.
See what's tested →Flyers
The most advanced of the three no-fail levels — a real confidence milestone before any higher-stakes exam is ever on the table.
See what's tested →Why start here
This is a deliberate first step, not a lesser one.
Low-stakes, by design
No pass/fail, no comparison between children — Cambridge built these exams to be genuinely non-threatening, so the focus stays on learning, not on a result to fear.
Real exam skills, built gently
Learning to work within a defined exam format — while staying calm and confident under a little light structure — is a genuine skill. It's built here first, in the lowest-pressure setting it will ever be easier to learn in.
A natural next step, when ready
For families who want to go further later — towards B2 First or C1 Advanced — Starters through Flyers is the ideal, well-prepared starting point. That's a decision for later, taken only once it's genuinely right for your child.
The bigger picture: the path to fluency
Starters, Movers and Flyers are the first rungs of one continuous ladder Cambridge English maps all the way to full fluency — so it's easy to see where today's lessons actually lead, without needing to decide anything about that path yet.
Today's focus stays exactly where it already is — Starters through Flyers, at your child's own pace. This is just context: a reminder that these early, low-pressure exams are a real foundation, not a separate track, should your child want to keep climbing later.
A journey you follow together
Exam prep with Eleanor is never a black box. After every lesson, you'll know exactly how it went — and because there's no pass/fail here, every step forward is genuinely something to celebrate as a family, not just wait anxiously for a result.
Weekly progress notes
A short follow-up covering the key grammar and vocabulary from each lesson, so you can see what your child is learning as they go.
A learning contract
A simple, clear agreement for under-18 learners, so everyone — Eleanor, your child, and you — starts on the same page.
Shields, not grades
Progress is reported as shields earned, never a score to compare against another child — something to look forward to together, lesson by lesson.
How it works
Group lessons for children of the same age are available in person, alongside one-to-one lessons online or in person — whichever suits your child best. Every option books directly on Eleanor's calendar.