moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar school

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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harrow123
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:54 am

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by harrow123 »

Daogroupie wrote:Can I just ask why you did not sit City, Merchant Taylors, Habs and St Albans in the last few weeks as many on this site will have done. We sat City Girls, Habs Girls, and St Albans Girls in January in addition to the maximum amount of selective and grammer schools that we were allowed to apply for on our CAF in November. There is no limit to the amount of indies that you can apply for and sit in January as opposed to the three or six limit imposed on state applications. Had you done you would have had a chance to compare these schools to QE boys and Tiffins, you would have met other parents and had a chance to compare facilities and as all of these exams are all day ones your ds and you would have had a chance to spend time at these schools and really understand what the differences are. There are many on this site who have turned down scholarships and bursaries at Habs, St Albans, Merchant Taylors and City in order to go to grammar schools and many who have done the opposite. There is a lot of personal choice in these decisions in terms of other factors such as sport and music and location coming into play. Everyone has different criteria, so it seems odd that you have just missed this great chance to compare these schools with the two grammars that you sat for? Please someone correct me if I am wrong but I would think that there are many more opportunites to go to these four schools at eleven than there are at thirteen? DG
thanks , my son sat for only grammar schools and not even for any indie. the reason becaz i never planned for him to write for indie but now i am thinking of indie for him, i know i am late but still i will see what best can be done. Instead of opening another thread, i will ask another question here

What are the best day independent schools which is co-educational, or boys and girls taught separately (like habs boys and habs girls, not sure if this is right example but i mean boys school and girls school are near by and maitained by same group), am looking in london and surroundings.

My son is in year 6 and daughter in year 4, so i may get both of them to the same indie , means my dd will be writing 11+ and ds will be writing 13+ for the same school.
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by mad? »

Co-ed West London schools are Latymer Upper, Kingston Grammar, St Benedicts and Emmanuel (sp?). Boys and girls are taught together at these schools. However, I believe the main point of entry is at 11+ with a limited number of places at 13+.
mad?
harrow123
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:54 am

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by harrow123 »

mad? wrote:Co-ed West London schools are Latymer Upper, Kingston Grammar, St Benedicts and Emmanuel (sp?). Boys and girls are taught together at these schools. However, I believe the main point of entry is at 11+ with a limited number of places at 13+.
sure, thanks

will wait for other replies, in the mean time i am trying to get an local indie who can prepare both my kids either for Common entrance exam or for 13+/11+. i know changing school every 2 years is not good but should not be a problem in my view, i changed school every 3 years during my childhood and never had a problem so my kids
emmalulu
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 12:37 am

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by emmalulu »

aldenham school - boys and girls
xx
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by Daogroupie »

Haileybury nr Hertford, 20 miles north of London, co ed, entrance Year 7 and Year 9. If you do a search on Hertfordshire league tables you can see their results. Fantastic grounds and very sporty. What are you looking for? Is academic your top priority or are you considering other factors? DG
NorthLondonMum
Posts: 170
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:24 pm

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by NorthLondonMum »

Highgate or Mill Hill
mebaasmum
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 7:45 pm

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by mebaasmum »

Hampton and LEH are boys and girls schools next to each other. Both good schools. Newland House in Twickenham has a good record getting boys and girls into them
harrow123
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:54 am

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by harrow123 »

sherry_d wrote:Just out of interest why would you want to move him at 13+ when you have just put him through the 11+?

I think the hardest age to move from state to indie is 13+ because most do common entrance which is something you have to prepare for. State school pupils are exempted from some papers but you still have to prepare and my understanding is what they test for in languages at 13+ isnt quite what the GCSE or KS3 syllabus covers. So being in a high performing grammar doesnt make it any easier to do the 13+ so I would tread with caution. If you are set on a high perfoming indie at 13+ some of whom I have heard demand 70%+ in common entrance, why dont you send him to prep now for 2 years then do the 13+? The move can be done though from a grammar so its not impossible, I met some boys who had done the move when I was touring one particluarly good school.
is it difficult to get into any schoool at 13+ rather than 11+
Worth noting that most 13+ top indies do offer conditional places years in advance such that admission for 2011 and 2012 are closed at most school and if you are thinking about 2013 entry then you need to start registering now with these schools. In terms of how difficult it is if you are considering top indies as your title suggest then it will be competetive but there are schools that take 50% pass but these probably arent the ones you are keen on.

Another alternative and perhaps a better time to move from state to inides is after GCSEs for their 6th form.
you are right, i shud move my ds to prep school now and leave him there for next 2 years where he can be prepared for common entrance exams. and then i will consider schools which are mainly 13-18 so that more number of places for 13+ children so easy to get in, will consider some 11-18 also but as we all know places are limited for 13+ students.

I took time to understand everything that you said, and i will be following ur suggestion and you suggested really what i should do and which is the best and right thing.

i just phoned up westminister school and the registrations are not closed, good sign for me. and also kingston grammar school offering 5-10 sure places from 2013, which is another positivie sign for me

thanks to the forum really as i am getting really useful information and thanks to everyone who is responding me patiently
la boume
Posts: 287
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:33 pm

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by la boume »

Kingston Grammar is really difficult to get into nowadays :( know many bright and well tutored kids who did not get there
doingmybest
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:53 pm

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by doingmybest »

Boys for Westminster were to be registered by the end of their 1st term in year 6 at the latest. They have already started interviewing and offering places.
Kingston Grammar didn't offer any places for 13+entry this year despite accepting registrations, they refunded the fees and said sorry not taking any. That is why there has been a real scramble for places at 11+ this year, no-one trusts the school and fears that the same might happen in 2 years time.
I spent a long time looking around schools and I honestly don't believe that the education offered by Kingston Grammar will be any different to that you would receive at Tiffin over the road.
I accept that schools like Westminster offer something different, but I can't understand why anyone would want to swap a grammar school place for a fee paying grammar school place.
I speak as someone who has 2 children in private education and for whom fees are not an obstacle, so this is not envy speaking, to me its just obvious.
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