Indies: Newbie questions

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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berks_mum
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Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:52 pm

Indies: Newbie questions

Post by berks_mum »

1) Are Indie exams harder than 11+ superselective exams to get through i.e are they only for those kind of DCs as shown in the channel 4 programme(child genius)?
2) What is the difference between scholarship and bursary places, do they have different qualifying exams?
3) Are Indie results standardised/age standardised similar to Grammar exams?
4) What materials would you recommend to prepare?
mad?
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by mad? »

berks_mum wrote:1) Are Indie exams harder than 11+ superselective exams to get through i.e are they only for those kind of DCs as shown in the channel 4 programme(child genius)?
It depends on the school and the child's strength but in general I would say no.
berks_mum wrote:2) What is the difference between scholarship and bursary places, do they have different qualifying exams?
Scholarships are usually awarded for a particular talent and vary by school in terms of amount and standard required. Bursaries are awarded based on parental means and vary in generosity from school to school.
berks_mum wrote:3) Are Indie results standardised/age standardised similar to Grammar exams?
No.
berks_mum wrote:4) What materials would you recommend to prepare?
Past papers from the schools' websites.
mad?
J50
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Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:35 am

Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by J50 »

berks_mum wrote:1) Are Indie exams harder than 11+ superselective exams to get through i.e are they only for those kind of DCs as shown in the channel 4 programme(child genius)?
2) What is the difference between scholarship and bursary places, do they have different qualifying exams?
3) Are Indie results standardised/age standardised similar to Grammar exams?
4) What materials would you recommend to prepare?

1. If you take a look at various schools and their past or sample papers you will find that they are generally easier; though with the 'top' independent schools I don't believe that this is the case.

2. Scholarship = awards for academic or sporting or all-round excellence. Usually can win an academic scholarship from the exams though some have a further exam/interview; other scholarships have a separate application form and require evidence / references. Bursary = help with fees for low income people, though income means capital wealth also in many cases.

3. Not sure but don't think so

4. See what the school websites give out in information or past papers and then use those and 11+ material.
Ladymuck
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by Ladymuck »

There are a handful of schools which are incredibly competitive to get into, and a lot will depend on which independent schools are local to you. But the numbers applying to independents are far far lower than for grammars, and most independents will over-offer at a ratio of 2-2.5 offers per place, so typically most candidates in the top 25-40% of ability will get a space at one of their local indies.

Scholarships and bursaries are usually now both awarded on the basis of ability. Bursaries can be for up to full fees, but are based on parental income. Scholarships can be awarded regardless of income, but are a maximum of 50% fees , and often far less, typically no more than 10%. The amount varies hugely by school, and it is worth investigating this closely. Policies can also change, so make sure that you have up to date information. In our area last year the schools which traditionally had the most generous scholarships cut their year 7 scholarships significantly, whilst 2 schools which traditionally had a maximum scholarship of 30% both offered a number over that amount.

In terms of age standardisation, in my experience VR exams are still age standardised by our local schools. Bearing in mind that places aren't being purely offered on the basis of exam results, but also on interviews and school reports, age and maturity are usually taken into account somewhere in the equation.

Many independent schools have past papers available - ask at an open day or when you get the registration details.

There isn't really a single rule of thumb when it comes to independent schools. In the same way I could ask how near to my state schools do I have to live to get a place - there isn't a single answer to this, it all depends on the schools.
elevenlevel
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by elevenlevel »

Huge variation in independent schools and how hard they are to get into. Some will offer a place to anyone who pays, others are highly competitive (e.g. North London Collegiate, KCS Wimbledon, Manchester Grammar, Habs). Even the difficulty of the papers isn't necessarily informative as the pass marks might vary. One school might have an easier paper and expect a higher mark, another might have a very tough paper but the hurdle is lower. Layered on top of that are the non-exam aspects of selection.

With preparation my impression is that a child coming from state primary would do well to work on creative writing and essays as this tends to be focused on less than in preps where many of the candidates will be coming from.

In my area apparently most of the indies, even the very academic ones, are meant to be somewhat easier than the super-selective grammars, based on numbers alone. So 10 to 20 applicants per place for grammars, and more like 4 to 6 per place for indies but with the latter a lot will have other schools as first choices so you're looking at 400 applicants and 120 or 150 might get an offer to fill 80 places.
berks_mum
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by berks_mum »

Thank you very much for all the information. It is indeed very helpful.

Do children coming from state primaries settle well in Indie schools?
mad?
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by mad? »

In my experience yes. However, it depends on the school and the child and a lot of luck. Kids can struggle to settle in anywhere if things go against them. The majority (just!) of DC at my DDs' indie are from the state sector.
mad?
fairyelephant
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by fairyelephant »

In the North London indies half the year seven intake is generally from state schools, if the school is right for your child there's no reason why they shouldn't settle, my DC have settled well into two very different indies from state primary.

Any vr or non vr element will be marked and standardised by the supplier - GLA or similar. DS is a summer baby so I asked various schools about how they would judge his performance in maths and English. Schools said they consider each child's papers carefully and take account of their age. For instance if a child tackled the harder maths questions at the end with ease and was summer born they would definitely interview them regardless of other results. That is the beauty of the ability of indies to consider the individual in their application process. They will be familiar with the local schools (state and private) and how the preps prepare their applicants and all of this is taken into account at a good indie.

I think the interview is key. A good interview can push you higher up the list.

The standard required for entry varies from school to school. Yes the state grammars are hugely competitive and you have to be very well prepared, the same goes for the most competitive indies, and around here the numbers applying relative to places are not dissimilar. There will be dc applying for indies who didn't apply for grammar and vice versa. many indies are easier to get into than grammars but that doesn't mean you can get away without good prep - the prep schools will be preparing like mad now.
Freddiefox2002
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by Freddiefox2002 »

Hi,
Just wanted to say my son started at a good Indie in sept having just finished at his state primary. He was lucky enough to get a really good bursary (which meant he could accept the place) and has settled in really well at his new school. We've found that quite a lot of the children previously attended state schools - some joining earlier than Year 7 - so he hasn't felt too out of place.
My son passed his eleven plus but missed out on a super selective grammar place, however he felt the entrance exam for his school was virtually as difficult and since he's statprted it has become clear that although he is quite academic there are a lot of very able children in his year group. We knew the indie was selective, but perhaps did not realise quite how academic.
berks_mum
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Re: Indies: Newbie questions

Post by berks_mum »

Thank you all. Every single post is helpful. We have such a great forum.

If your DC passes both a competitive Indie (just as an example, SPGS, NLC, City, Habs, MTS ...) and a state superselective ( for example, TGS, HBS,QE, St. Olaves, Wilson, Latymer …) which one would you choose for your DC and why ?

ps. I have seen many DCs giving up Superselective places for Indies and vice versa.
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