Nlcs

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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London-Dad
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Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:44 am

Re: Nlcs

Post by London-Dad »

DG is right about the extent to which Prep school heads will phone up + fight the corner for their girls...

Jean.Brodie is also right about the non-transparency of the process... NLCS can make an offer to whoever they want...for whatever reason... just like any other Independent School.
This may seem a bit frustrating to those parents used to the linear + precise metrics of exam scores / miles from school gate etc....but this is how it works.

At the risk of re-opening another can of worms...the confusion about chances of getting an offer boils down to the extent to which NLCS over-offer places.

My back of the envelope maths (not even 11+ standard required!) would argue that they need to make at least 100 offers to eventually fill 60 places.(Hence the Head maybe suggesting a 50% chance for a girl who is one of 200 invited back for interview)
This is because there will be a significant group of girls towards the top of the exam rankings who end up with multiple offers from some or all of NLCS / HBS / CLSG / SPGS / Habs / Highgate / SHHS etc etc
I personally know offer holders from NLCS over the last couple of years who have opted instead for each of the above schools for a variety of reasons to do with geography / finance / siblings / school culture etc.

How NLCS handles this reality is entirely down to them + their experience in recent years...
They can only make 70 offers....and make extensive use of the waiting list
Or they can make 90 offers...and then see where they stand before going to the waiting list.
Every independent school will make its own commercial decisions in this regard...and some schools did not get to waiting list last year.

There is no shame in over-offering places...it is the practical reality of handling the admissions process
...but it is understandable that a school is not going to publicly advertise how many offers they need to make before they fill their quota (and every school has had its fingers burnt in unusual years when a higher than normal acceptance rate leads to them having to lay on an extra class)

This is an area where I have crossed swords before with NLCS parents / pupils / admirers...
It seems to be a bit of a North London thing...because I don't see so many CLSG parents up in arms at the suggestion that CLSG also over-offers places.
It has echoes of the HBS admissions process....where they also seem unusually sensitive about the extent to which they need to go down the ranking list to fill their 93 places.

As I said in an earlier post...it is all quite unnecessary...as the academic results of NLCS (+HBS) speak for themselves...they clearly end up with a very bright group of girls who have fantastic talents + go on to a fabulous selection of Universities.
The notion that NLCS doesn't over-offer places is similar to this perception that at interview you have to be able to solve multiple maths puzzles...whilst unscrambling a Rubik's cube...whilst discussing US foreign policy in the Middle East (...in French)

NLCS are clearly unhappy with certain aspects of the current admissions process as they are pulling out of the North London Consortium... so unfortunately another set of exams for many girls next year.
Probably to do with logistics ...and maybe too tight bunching in the Maths paper scores...but also to do with enhancing the "brand" of the school.
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Nlcs

Post by hermanmunster »

A lot of schools certainly do over offer and as London-Dad says they will occasionally get their fingers burnt by more than expected acceptances. I have come across schools with no waiting list as that would imply that they have been turned down by someone.
Immortal Dreams
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:59 pm
Location: North London Consortium

Re: Nlcs

Post by Immortal Dreams »

I don't see the point in being embarrassed about a school over offering places. As you say, it is a practical reality.

DG - I probably will have a different, perhaps biased, perception of NLCS (which isn't perfect despite what people think).

I wasn't implying that prep schools aren't in contact with indies - as their "success" is rated by the number of pupils going to top schools, it is in their best interests to assist pupils with appeals etc. However, the actual nature of the exam is jealously guarded and I seriously doubt prep schools will be told this before anyone else.

London Dad - the interview is difficult, but yes, people do have a ridiculously twisted perception of it. I think you are right about coming out of the consortium to enhance the "brand" of the school, but it is going to be difficult for people already at a North London consortium school as they must now travel to another school. To me I think there will be more disadvantages than advantages for parents, but NLCS must feel that it is better for them.

They have had their fingers burnt in the past - they had to create extra forms for current Yr 7 and 9 as more people accepted than expected in those years.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Nlcs

Post by Daogroupie »

I wait with baited breath for their sample papers! It will be great to have some new material to work with. I wonder when they will make them available. I do hope they will have sample papers and not follow the Habs girls example of no sample material at all but chapter and verse provided to their prep girls. The North London Consortium currently enables state dds to compete with prep dd by providing past papers. All the dds I know of who worked hard and prepared using the format got interviews at all the Consortium schools they applied for. Habs girls changed their format for the English paper this year and caught many dds off guard. DG
Blossomingflower
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:11 am

Re: Nlcs

Post by Blossomingflower »

Has anyone moved from the NLCS wait list to a firm offer?
Immortal Dreams
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:59 pm
Location: North London Consortium

Re: Nlcs

Post by Immortal Dreams »

Blossomingflower wrote:Has anyone moved from the NLCS wait list to a firm offer?
I don't know anyone this year but my younger friend was on the waiting list and is now enjoying Year 7.
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