11 Plus Exams Forum

Due to work OH is uprooting us all from Scotland to the Midlands in next 12 months. Dont know what to do!
Am thinking about trying to get son moved asap-just started year 7-so he is settled in school when move is complete. Any ideas about good boarding and chance of getting in asap?
We due have family in Solihull so he could live with them if he went to a day school.

Hi Staceystacey,

You may have already worked this out but children start secondary school a year early in Scotland so if he has just started then he will be Y6 in England which is good as he can start secondary school next Sept in England.

As for boarding school options there is Bilton Grange in Rugby which is very good at finishes at 13+. This school would give you plenty of time to then have a good look around for senior schools when you move.

This isn't entirely true.

We switched between the systems and because of my daughter's and my son's birthdate they were due to go to secondary school at the same time in both countries.

In Scotland they do primary 1 to 7. In England, they do reception to year 6. Thus my daughter went from year 3 in England into primary 4 in Scotland, then returned from Primary 7 in Scotland to Year 6 in England, in time for secondary school, but she would have also gone to secondary school in Scotland at the same time in both countries.

The only children really affected by the switch will be the ones born between March and August. In England, they will trot off to reception in the September after they are 4. In Scotland, they will stay at home for almost another entire year and go off to Primary 1 in the following August.

In fact, these children will go to secondary school later in Scotland so, if your son is already at secondary in Scotland, he will also be going into Year 7 in England.

As to schools, there is Solihull School, a mixed private day school which is quite well regarded and, of course, KES in Birmingham to which he could travel. Both would require entrance exams, of course, and I don't know how they regard taking latecomers although children are always leaving schools.

Thanks for replies. Will start phoning schools and looking at web sites. All still a bit of a shock at the moment though.

Will come back and let you know how we get on.

Do you know roughly where you will be moving too and has DC been at private school in Scotland and which one? May help in trying to find similar ones if you were happy with the previous ones.

Hi StaceyStacey

It's not well publicised, but the B/Ham KE Grammar schools do hold extrance tests for children moving into the area from other regions. Worthwhile exploring if you child is doing well academically at school in Scotland. Most of the KE Grammar are commutable from Solihull via the School Green Buses. Check with the specific schools.

The friend's son got into KE 5-Ways midway through year-7 after they moved up to B/Ham from London.

Regards

If you are looking at boarding immediately Royal Wolverhampton takes boarders from Yr 6, possibly also Tettenhall College on the west side of Wolverhampton. Bromsgrove school also has a junior boarding facility.

There are also some prep-schools offering boarding in Shropshire. Birchfield school just outside Wolverhampton takes about 20 boarders (Mon-Thurs nights only) and their boarding facility was rated outstanding by Ofsted. Boys can usually stay at these schools until they are 13.

For secondary boarding there are two state boarding schools in the area - Adams Grammar in Newport, Shropshire (mainly day pupils, about 100 boarders) and Old Swinford Hospital in Stourbridge. Parents only have to pay the boarding fee as tuition is free but you will have to register for the entrance exams soon if you are interested in this option.

Really depends what you are looking for - temporary boarding till you move or something longer term.

Only day boys (about 25% of admissions iirc) take an 11+ entrance exam at Old Swinford, but there's a scholarship exam (CEM online type plus a really stiff general knowledge paper) that boarders can take for assistance with boarding fees; otherwise the only entrance qualififcation for boarding is "suitability for boarding" (covered in the Admissions Code). I can't remember the entrance situation at 13+.

edit: If you're moving into the area but haven't yet done so I wonder if you might qualify as "boarding need" at OSH, if so that would be an enormous help.

Mike

Staceystacey,

Mike is correct there isn't a test for OSH though I think in the past all the boys had to do one - perhaps for setting purposes.

Last year the scholarship exams included questions on when the school was founded, etc. - even though they told parents no preparation was necessary. (I think they were also asked who Bobby Charlton was!!)

Anyway, its a very highly regarded school and worth a look if you are considering secondary boarding and want to save some money for university fees.

Resmum

They were also asked in what town Coronation Street is set (rather a tough question for a 10-yr old boy I would have thought!) and how many golds Team GB won in the Beijing Olympics.

Mike