Private Prep schools
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
Re: Private Prep schools
mike1880 wrote:* it's a cloze test!
-
DIY Mum
- Posts: 744
- Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:08 pm
- Location: Not in a hole in the ground but in a land where once they dwelt-the Beormingas
Re: Private Prep schools
If you take a look at some of the prep schools' prospectuses, you'll get some indication of how many children were offered places at selective schools (indie and grammar).Minicooper wrote:It's a tricky one, whether its worth the risk I still don't know, I guess I have the next few months to do enough research before the next academic year begins. Over the last few days I've literally phoned all private primary prep school to ask how many of their students actually passed and got offer of grammar school place. So wierd that the admissions officers are still collating the data........ Maybe Mike is right, that children from so many state schools are passing the GS not only indie.
The one I'm quoting below (note only 2011 but they give data from 2006) is from West House:
11+ examinations: Number in year group: 2011, 28
KES: 10
Solihull:10
KEGS: 9
BV & HGS: 10
Old Swinford Hospital: 10
Other Indie Schools: 15
No. of pupils offered at least one selective school: 26, 93%
Just taking KES and KEGS, and assuming that the same number of children offered a place, sat both exams, then roughly about 1/3 , 33%
Re: Private Prep schools
Two more, showing a remarkable disparity in offers which I imagine can only reflect the schools' priorities (based on their respective locations) rather than the abilities of the pupils. It also shows some pretty startling (imho) numbers of exams being taken. Hallfield, btw, appears to have a year group of aboput 55:
http://www.eversfield.co.uk/assets/Uplo ... s-2012.pdf
http://www.hallfieldschool.co.uk/about- ... stinations
Mike
http://www.eversfield.co.uk/assets/Uplo ... s-2012.pdf
http://www.hallfieldschool.co.uk/about- ... stinations
Mike
-
moseleymum
- Posts: 659
- Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:59 pm
Re: Private Prep schools
There's a huge difference between the different prep schools. Some are more pastoral than others. Some are "pushier" than others. One doesn't bother with 11+prep at all (as its not in their interests 
).
We know several families who went through the 11+ process with one DC at a particular prep school, didn't like the way the school handled the process and removed younger siblings from there.
It really depends what you want from a prep school, in much the same way as the whole Indie v Grammar debate. If your main focus is the end result eg 11+ destination/GCSE/A level/University etc then you will have different views to someone who is more interested in the journey e.g opportunities for enrichment and things outside the classroom.
If you're solely interested in the Grammar schools at 11+ and you have decent State Primaries in your area from which children manage to make Grammars, then a prep might not be the best way. Save your money and get a tutor. Preps are feeder schools for the Indies, and a fair number of the families would not consider Grammars for their children.
The tables may show number in year group but not how many took each exam. We know lots of people whose DC didnt take the Consortium Exam at all despite going to a prep school. However they were involved in lots of activities which they can carry through to their Indie Secondary.
I have a friend whose DD is bright (I think so anyway). She was assessed by a well known tutor who agreed that she was a bright girl but had been disadvantaged by going to a poor primary school and was unlikely to be able to recover from that and gain entry. Of course the tutor could be wrong, but a decent primary, whether free or paid for can make a difference. For this, it depends on where you live.
).We know several families who went through the 11+ process with one DC at a particular prep school, didn't like the way the school handled the process and removed younger siblings from there.
It really depends what you want from a prep school, in much the same way as the whole Indie v Grammar debate. If your main focus is the end result eg 11+ destination/GCSE/A level/University etc then you will have different views to someone who is more interested in the journey e.g opportunities for enrichment and things outside the classroom.
If you're solely interested in the Grammar schools at 11+ and you have decent State Primaries in your area from which children manage to make Grammars, then a prep might not be the best way. Save your money and get a tutor. Preps are feeder schools for the Indies, and a fair number of the families would not consider Grammars for their children.
The tables may show number in year group but not how many took each exam. We know lots of people whose DC didnt take the Consortium Exam at all despite going to a prep school. However they were involved in lots of activities which they can carry through to their Indie Secondary.
I have a friend whose DD is bright (I think so anyway). She was assessed by a well known tutor who agreed that she was a bright girl but had been disadvantaged by going to a poor primary school and was unlikely to be able to recover from that and gain entry. Of course the tutor could be wrong, but a decent primary, whether free or paid for can make a difference. For this, it depends on where you live.
Re: Private Prep schools
I would be cautious about going down the prep school route unless you can afford the indie option later too. I'm not sure how a child would cope with the switch from prep to comp if they didn't get into GS.
Re: Private Prep schools
I agree.
I am not convinced at all by Independent Primary/Prep schools, although I can see the benefit if a child had special needs, such as dyslexia or asperger's, and went to a school that provided higher levels of attention and support than state schools can manage.
I admit that I've visited quite a few Indies and found that I was less impressed with the quality of teaching, leadership and resources, than I have been in many state schools, who are often subject to greater scrutiny and accountability. I accept that many parents, including forum members, have chosen the Indie route and are very happy with it, though, and I do not mean to offend anyone by speaking my mind.
Having been educated at Indies myself, I actually felt a lot of angst for some years, that I could not send my own children to Indie schools. But the brightest child I have ever taught was actually homeschooled and had never even been to a school at any point....I wonder what that tells us!
Yes, as has been pointed out, closely supervised tuition can help far more than a move to Indie, but I would actually suggest that the most important factor in a child's educational success, will always be their parents/carers.
The time and effort that a parent gives to their child, the time spent reading to and with them from an early age, and the genuine interest they take in remaining fully participant in their child's 11 plus 'journey', rather than a bystander who entrusts everything to a tutor, will be the most obvious way to success.
Edited to add: my post was purely on Independent Prep/Primary schools, as this was the forum topic, and what I have said above does not apply, obviously, to secondary level, where the difference between Independent schools and State comprehensives is usually significant.
I am not convinced at all by Independent Primary/Prep schools, although I can see the benefit if a child had special needs, such as dyslexia or asperger's, and went to a school that provided higher levels of attention and support than state schools can manage.
I admit that I've visited quite a few Indies and found that I was less impressed with the quality of teaching, leadership and resources, than I have been in many state schools, who are often subject to greater scrutiny and accountability. I accept that many parents, including forum members, have chosen the Indie route and are very happy with it, though, and I do not mean to offend anyone by speaking my mind.
Having been educated at Indies myself, I actually felt a lot of angst for some years, that I could not send my own children to Indie schools. But the brightest child I have ever taught was actually homeschooled and had never even been to a school at any point....I wonder what that tells us!
Yes, as has been pointed out, closely supervised tuition can help far more than a move to Indie, but I would actually suggest that the most important factor in a child's educational success, will always be their parents/carers.
The time and effort that a parent gives to their child, the time spent reading to and with them from an early age, and the genuine interest they take in remaining fully participant in their child's 11 plus 'journey', rather than a bystander who entrusts everything to a tutor, will be the most obvious way to success.
Edited to add: my post was purely on Independent Prep/Primary schools, as this was the forum topic, and what I have said above does not apply, obviously, to secondary level, where the difference between Independent schools and State comprehensives is usually significant.
-
Minicooper
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:23 am
Re: Private Prep schools
Um,
Having had weeks of stress and anxiety for choosing the correct school, I do strongly believe you are right with the points you have made. Additionally, someone like myself always had it in my head that prep schools are the best solution for our children if we can afford it. I think it's in the head that those schools fully prepare our children for GS or Indie, even though only recently I've come accross many parents who paying for private tutoring alongside prep school education. I've managed to speak to parents whos children are attending the top prep schools that are also spending a lot of tuition also. Question is, is the extra tuition because the children need the tuition or purely because tuition is a trend nowadays?
I hope, myself I find a decent state school for my children and try to give a lot more focus on reading and extra activities at home. I think a good routine at home can make the difference.
Thanks for all views and opinion.
Kindest regards
MC
Having had weeks of stress and anxiety for choosing the correct school, I do strongly believe you are right with the points you have made. Additionally, someone like myself always had it in my head that prep schools are the best solution for our children if we can afford it. I think it's in the head that those schools fully prepare our children for GS or Indie, even though only recently I've come accross many parents who paying for private tutoring alongside prep school education. I've managed to speak to parents whos children are attending the top prep schools that are also spending a lot of tuition also. Question is, is the extra tuition because the children need the tuition or purely because tuition is a trend nowadays?
I hope, myself I find a decent state school for my children and try to give a lot more focus on reading and extra activities at home. I think a good routine at home can make the difference.
Thanks for all views and opinion.
Kindest regards
MC
