How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

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anbar
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:16 am

How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by anbar »

Hi All,

Does anyone have any ideas on

1. How many students applied for each of the schools?
2. Of those who applied how many are selected for the interview rounds?
3. Of those interviewed how many are made offers?

Thanks
lefol
Posts: 382
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:13 pm
Location: Bexleyheath

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by lefol »

Hi ,

In respect of numbers that apply , only the school can confirm
that . You will find that most kids take the test for three of four schools with most applying to Eltham , Colfes and St Dunstans at the same time . From my experience the schools know parents apply to the same schools and therefore they have make more offers than places . At Eltham college the class sizes in my ds year were about 26 per class and they had three forms which meant 78 places with over 120 offers made .

At Dunstans and Colfes have smaller class sizes but will still make more offers as most places will be rejected by those who have applied to the local grammar schools and other indies .

Most of the schools you mentioned will interview 2 to 3 candidates for one vacancy .

Good luck and I hope you get one of your choices but they are not so difficult to get into if you are applying for a full fee paying place . More difficult if it was for a scholarship place as those are limited .
Hedwig
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 6:43 pm

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by Hedwig »

Of the three schools you mention I would say that Alleyns is the most competitive. That area of SE London is well served by independents; many parents applying to those schools will also be applying to Dulwich, Whitgift, Trinity as well as the grammars. For girls you also have JAGS and the GDST schools in addition to the grammars.

If your child is at a reasonable level in English and Maths they will almost certainly get an offer of a full fee paying place at St Dunstans or Colfes. IMO the chances are 50/50 for Alleyns as the competition is stiffer.

Broadly speaking they will use historical data to predict offers/acceptance rates but occasionally schools do get caught out - hence balloon classes and unusually large year groups. It's hard to say no to bums on seats - especially full fee paying ones!
Ladymuck
Posts: 1240
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:04 pm

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by Ladymuck »

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Last edited by Ladymuck on Sun Mar 22, 2015 12:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
anbar
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:16 am

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by anbar »

Thanks for the updates everyone, every reply i get, reinforces my faith in the eleven-plus site community - so thank you.

Unfortunately for us we can only take a place if we are considered for a bursary. DH works full time and I work part time as I have significant caring needs. We were informed by each of the schools that they have different bench marks for

1. Scholarship places - (Alleyns interviewed on Tuesdays and Thursdays to 10-15% - St Dunstans Interviewed on Saturdays top 10-15% - Colfes really dont know)
2. Bursary Places - (Colfes offer bursary places after exam results to the top 40 - Alleyns and St Dunstans only interview those who highlighted a bursary, if they met the bursary standard score - which changes every year on funding)
3. Fee paying places - Not as competitive as scholarship and bursary places, but they do have a minimum standard which varies from school. Your right about Alleyns - money does not necessary guarantee you a place unless your significantly wealthy enough to make a generous donation to the Alleyn's Advancing Scheme or fall with in the other categories (sibling, junior school progression or child of a teacher or former Alleyns student - not to forgot a child of a celeb)

Does anyone have any sucess stories about bursaries and what to watch out for?

Just wanted to ask an off the topic trivial question, are the letters posted on the 13th or do we receive the letters on the 13th? I know I can ask the school this question, but rather not call them as I don't want to be that "Parent" - who does not not understand "how busy their administrative department is/are".

Thanks
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

quote: (Colfes offer bursary places after exam results to the top 40

This doesn't make sense to me. Bursaries are means tested awards - based on low parental income - usually offered to those who have applied for a bursary and done well in any entrance test so they can't just offer bursary awards to the top 40 performing kids. They can only offer them to the top 40 performing kids who have also applied for bursary assistance - assuming they have enough money in the bursary pot. Bursaries can be offered to any percentage of fees right up to 100%. For example, if the top 10 kids who applied for a bursary all needed 100% bursaries, there may not be any money left for the next 30 best performing bursary applicants.

Scholarship places, on the other hand, are not means tested and are usually awarded purely on merit (be it academic/music/art/sport whatever). Scholarships are limited by the Charity Commission and usually are offered to a maximum 20% (with lots of children being given 10-15% awards). Scholarships can be awarded in conjunction with a bursary, so you could get a 20% scholarship topped up with an 80% bursary award, if you were eligible.

You are right however, bursaries are means tested EVERY year - if your income changes, the bursary award may also change - up or down - also the total bursary pot may change, which could affect any bursary applicant already in the system (although in practice, most schools would limit any new bursary applications rather than offering current people less). Bursaries and scholarships are not guaranteed year on year - scholarship candidates have to meet academic and school involvement criteria also.

Anyhow - good luck with your application.
anbar
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:16 am

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by anbar »

Thanks Kenyancowgirl,

With regards to Colfes, we were equally as dumbfounded by their bursary procedure which is extremely different from the other schools. Our understanding, which might be interpreted incorrectly (which i doubt as we had a long conversation with the headmaster about the big "B" word extensively), was that all parents who requested a bursary assisted place would only receive a bursary pack if their DS was in the top 40 of all the children who sat the entrance exams.

So to clarify a parent would have (i) needed to highlight that they wanted to be considered for a bursary, (ii) their child would needed to have been within the top 40 of all the children who sat the exam and (iii) Colfes bursary funds would need to be in a position to help those who applied. :?

- This to me seems abit unfair as from a very rational and social viewpoint, low income families would not be in a position to afford the extra tuition for their DC's compared to those comfortable enough to do so. - But then again that is how the system works!!! :roll:

Overall, not great and no way near Alleyns or St Dunstans who ask you to complete an FDA before a set deadline.

Please feel free to add more thoughts.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Did you ask what would happen if nobody in the top 40 asked for a bursary?! :wink: I wonder if they would then look at position 41-60 for example?!

An interesting system but, I guess at least it is transparent in the sense that they are confirming that bursaries are only for very academically able kids, although I do take your point that families with more disposable income may afford extra support and therefore get the top 40 places - however, I suspect the answer to my question above would be that they would look lower down the list, albeit in rank order, to use the bursary pot. Schools like to be seen to be offering financial support, after all, as it is one of the factors that parents use to judge them.

Again, good luck! At the risk of sounding like a radio one dj, fingers crossed for a top 40 place!
Tioman
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:48 pm

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by Tioman »

Hello, I have been following your thread and really hope that you get the offers that you need. I am also waiting to hear from Colfes and St Dunstans. We were told that offers from Colfes will be posted on Tuesday 11th (for girls) and the 13th for boys. St Dunstan's told us that if we haven't heard by the Monday of half term, then we should ring them as offers can get stuck in the post. Let's hope it won't be a case of Snail Mail - we've had enough of waiting!

Does anyone how many scholarships are awarded by Colfes and St D? And what are the chances of getting one from St D if you made it to the scholarship interview round? You can't help but get your hopes up, but its also hard to know just how many other children are up for the same thing. Would it be a case of interview 10, then one or 2 will be successful? All we were told is that DD had been consistent across the board and had done well enough to be considered for one.

Good luck, Anbar with your application to Alleyn's. Think I will agree that this is a very competitive school to get into - (if you get an interview, thats good, because you've done well enough in the exam) but I think they interview 200+ children. Places really are limited because of siblings, junior school, celeb intake and also because its mixed and that reduces the number of places on offer. Our DS nearly made it in 2 years ago but got put on the waiting list. Think you have to have some very strong extra curricular interest, in music, sport, drama which shows a very high level of talent or achievement. Our DS hd played rugby for years but they play football there! It is a great school, though. Hope you are one of the lucky ones.
anbar
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:16 am

Re: How many offers do Alleyns, St Dunstans and Colfes make?

Post by anbar »

Thanks again people for your thoughts and well wishes, keep them coming.

kenyancowgirls: Unfortunately for us Colfes are at not liberty to disclouse how many bursary applications they provided for this years 11+ intake... how many with the top 40 were offered bursary application, but where told that after the 3rd of March they might be in a position to look down the list.

Tioman: Thank you so much for your well wishes and likewise I really hope your DD gets a scholarship offer at St D's. With regards to St D's our DS scored remarkable high in maths, when asked how high, we were told that ST D's does not disclose actual scores... not so great... average in English and above average in VR and NVR, overal good for an interview but not well enough for a Scholarship place :( . But on the bright side we are being considered for a bursary as stated before my "DH works full time and I work part time as I have significant caring needs". Nevertheless we are extremely proud of our DS who has been a star at getting so far. Other than that, Tioman I sincerely hope that your DD does get that scholarship and will be in my prayers!!! Did you apply to other schools?
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