state school then inde at 13+

[d2001]

Hi All,

I'd like to send my boy to an indi school but cant afford for 7 years. So to compromise, I was thinking of sending him at 13+. Just wondering what problems he could face if I delayed sending him until he is 13..... would he have to do VR and NVR again? will he have to learn latin ?

rgds
DP

[iamfrazzled]

You will need to talk to the admissions Depts of each school as they will have different arrangements.Some now expect boys to sit a pretest in Jan of yr 6 and then will expect a particular % in common entrance which you can only really sit at a prep school. Others have other arrangements for DC not in prep schools but set their own exams in yr 8. One thing is sure make the phone calls sooner rather than later as some schools close applications 3 yrs in advance others only open them two years in advance.

[Yummiemummie]

Many indes have two routes in at 13 plus. This is taken from a selective inde website: "There are two methods of entry to the school at 13+: the Common Entrance Examination, for boys at preparatory schools; and the 13+ Entrance Examination, for candidates from maintained schools and independent schools which do not prepare candidates for Common Entrance."
But the best way to find out is to call individual schools. They are very helpful and especially so since they all want strong candidates.
If you have to do 13 plus CE, you can register with the Iseb yourself and sit as an individual candidate. They are also v helpful, but narrow down the schools you are interested in first. Good luck.

[Loopyloulou]

Think very carefully before delaying entry to the independent system beyond eleven.
The two years from eleven to thirteen are a time when standards in the independent system really start to fly away from those in the state sector. By waiting until thirteen you will find your choice of independent school much reduced, since entry from the state sector to selective independents will be much more difficult at thirteen than at eleven leaving only the non-selectives to choose from.

Just last Saturday I was talking to a thirteen year old girl who moved into the independent sector this term - let us call her Imogen. The independent school she has joined is not really selective. Imogen is charming, intelligent and mature, despite having spent two years at a comprehensive; but she has found the transition at thirteen to be difficult. She mentioned two things in particular:

1. Whilst not unpopular, Imogen has yet to establish a group of real friends. The problem here is that like most non-selective independent schools, the main entry point to the school was at age eleven so friendship groups in Imogen's year are already well established. I am sure a girl like Imogen will find her place eventually, but just at present this troubles her.
2. Imogen had been the top pupil in her comprehensive school for mathematics so in recognition of her ability the independent school put her in its own top maths set, but Imogen finds she is now at the bottom of that set and struggling to keep up. This, I think, illustrates very well the point I made earlier about the academic progress made by independent schools in the 11-13 age bracket.

Moving at thirteen is not impossible - for example many prep schools don't teach Latin so most public schools are able to cater for new starters who have no Latin at that age - but it is certainly more difficult at that point than two years earlier.

Good luck .

[Rob Clark]

Actually, while this is the case for girls' schools, it is much less true of boys' schools, at many of which the main point of entry remains 13.

It does depend which schools you are considering, of course, d2001, but certainly the majority of boys' public schools are still geared up primarily for boys to join the school at 13, so this won't necessarily be a disadvantage at all.

[Loopyloulou]

Mmm. I'd disagree a little with that if I may. On the whole I'd say that those schools which have main intake at 13 tend to be the more selective schools, so anyone joining from the state system at 13 is, on the whole, more likely to have success joining a school which had its main intake at 11.
It does, of course, differ from school to school, and also I think matters of personal friendship are more important to girls than to boys.

[d2001]

Thank you for your replies, really appreciated!!
I'm thinking of sending him to a grammar, top 100 in the FT. and it's free..... so he'll not be jumping from a comprehesive to inde..... but from a grammar to inde.....
anyone think coming from a grammar will do the trick.... I'm hoping he'll get into a nice inde, like HABs etc...
the money I'll save in the 2 years will help me fund the full fees later as well.... but no point planning this if it's not going to work,

rgds
DP

[Rob Clark]

If you have specific schools in mind, I might be able to be of more help

In the case of Habs, loopyloulou is right – considerably more than half their yearly intake is at Y7 so you would be better off targeting that 11+ entry point I think.

Merchant Taylors', on the other hand, takes almost twice as many boys at Y9 as it does at Y7.

HTH

[ClappedOutMum]

If you have specific schools in mind, I might be able to be of more help

In the case of Habs, loopyloulou is right – considerably more than half their yearly intake is at Y7 so you would be better off targeting that 11+ entry point I think.

Merchant Taylors', on the other hand, takes almost twice as many boys at Y9 as it does at Y7.

HTH

Since grammars are tax-payer funded "independents", why move him at all out of interest?

[hermanmunster]

d2001, I think you may find that if your DC is at a top GS then there may be little point in disrupting his education and moving him to an indie.