Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Daogroupie
Posts: 11100
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by Daogroupie »

Dear me.

Knowing the exam format of the exam you are sitting for is A101 of exam preparation.

Did you ask to speak to a parent or get a written reference from a parent who had got their student into Alleyns using this company?

DAO is Dame Alice Owen's and yes you can phone the school and buy the papers.

The Alleyns comprehension papers are on their website. Did the tutor not do the actual Alleyns past papers with your students?

The format is designed to catch students out by having big mark questions at the end.

Many students will have lost lots of marks by not knowing this and never actually getting to the big mark questions, but any parents who paid money for an Alleyns specialist who had a student who did not even do the past paper should be asking for their money back. DG
Liddle
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:16 pm

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by Liddle »

Daogroupie wrote:Dear me.

Knowing the exam format of the exam you are sitting for is A101 of exam preparation.

Did you ask to speak to a parent or get a written reference from a parent who had got their student into Alleyns using this company?

DAO is Dame Alice Owen's and yes you can phone the school and buy the papers.

The Alleyns comprehension papers are on their website. Did the tutor not do the actual Alleyns past papers with your students?

The format is designed to catch students out by having big mark questions at the end.

Many students will have lost lots of marks by not knowing this and never actually getting to the big mark questions, but any parents who paid money for an Alleyns specialist who had a student who did not even do the past paper should be asking for their money back. DG
I found out about them from another parent who used their premium services and their child got a bursary place in Dulwich College...but that child also did Kumon daily from the age of 3. The tutor website currently states, "...and their record of success is exemplary" i.e. flawless. I should have asked for a reference from a parent who got their child into Alleyn's.

My child's tutor only had two Alleyn's past papers, which were taken from the school website. Other than that we focused on Bond books, as per their advice, and a few past papers printed online from City Of London School etc.

Thanks for explaining DOA. I will look into those and ring up Alleyn's school to buy their past papers. You have been a huge help.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11100
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by Daogroupie »

Alleyns only have two English past papers on their website, 11 plus and 13 plus. They don't have any to sell.

It would have been interesting to hear if the parent in question would have credited the tutor with a key role in getting the bursary at Alleyns.

Are they still doing Kumon I wonder? DG
Liddle
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:16 pm

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by Liddle »

Daogroupie wrote:Alleyns only have two English past papers on their website, 11 plus and 13 plus. They don't have any to sell.

It would have been interesting to hear if the parent in question would have credited the tutor with a key role in getting the bursary at Alleyns.

Are they still doing Kumon I wonder? DG
I've downloaded those papers and the others that you suggested. Thank you.

Their child got a bursary place at Dulwich College. Yes, they still do Kumon and both Maths and Eng. Interesting question if they'd give credit to their tutor for their bursary place...will ask them that.

Did you use CPG books for Alleyn's please?
grgygirl
Posts: 382
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:09 am

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by grgygirl »

Sorry to hear of your experience Liddle. I think this time around you need to arm yourself with as much knowledge of the format as possible. Only then can you spot the 'charlatan' tutors. We had a couple and wasted time and money because we were too polite initially to question the methods. Start looking through the independent section on this forum. Use the grammar school materials to get up to speed on VR/NVR and then practice ever more challenging comps with the aim of completing them with a little time to spare. Schofield and Sims Book 6 for maths is about the right level for Alleyns but also look at all the indie 'wordy' maths papers. We found the Manchester Grammar school papers good and also you can buy the Withington Girls school papers (no answers with those though).
There is lots of info on the English section here about writing standards. Perhaps try to find an old Sats Level 6 workbook - some of them give examples of different levels of writing which is useful.
Are you sitting for any grammar school tests or mocks? All of the children we know who received academic scholarships also prepared for and sat for at least one selective/super selective grammar school. They were therefore used to the crowds, the nerves and the pace of the test. You will also get a good feel for where your child sits in the cohort.
MrsB
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:02 pm

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by MrsB »

grgygirl wrote: Are you sitting for any grammar school tests or mocks? All of the children we know who received academic scholarships also prepared for and sat for at least one selective/super selective grammar school. They were therefore used to the crowds, the nerves and the pace of the test. You will also get a good feel for where your child sits in the cohort.
I take a slight issue with this advice unless the families are genuinely considering state grammars as well, given the cost of the exam to a (typically underfunded) school - it is not supposed to be a mock test centre for the independent sector. Also query whether it can actually make some children more nervous in the run up, because the state grammars often don't do much to make it a nice experience, compared to at least some of the indies. Obviously it is your choice, and this is just a personal view.
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by ToadMum »

MrsB wrote:
grgygirl wrote: Are you sitting for any grammar school tests or mocks? All of the children we know who received academic scholarships also prepared for and sat for at least one selective/super selective grammar school. They were therefore used to the crowds, the nerves and the pace of the test. You will also get a good feel for where your child sits in the cohort.
I take a slight issue with this advice unless the families are genuinely considering state grammars as well, given the cost of the exam to a (typically underfunded) school - it is not supposed to be a mock test centre for the independent sector. Also query whether it can actually make some children more nervous in the run up, because the state grammars often don't do much to make it a nice experience, compared to at least some of the indies. Obviously it is your choice, and this is just a personal view.
A definite '+1' from this quarter. Remember that state schools are prohibited by law (and rightly so) from making any charge for any aspect of their application process; the indies can afford to make it a lovely day out for your £50+ registration fee.

Not that any of our three had anything like a distressing experience taking exams at a total of one local (target) grammar school and one partially-selective comprehensive each.

But then they had all had plenty of experience of being in stressful, crowded places (not that I deliberately lost DS2 in IKEA that time when he was six and tbh he wasn't at all bothered by the experience :roll: ) and DD and DS2 at least had also been involved in various activities run by local secondary schools, so spending a Saturday morning in one of them taking an exam was no big deal.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Liddle
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:16 pm

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by Liddle »

grgygirl wrote:Sorry to hear of your experience Liddle. I think this time around you need to arm yourself with as much knowledge of the format as possible. Only then can you spot the 'charlatan' tutors. We had a couple and wasted time and money because we were too polite initially to question the methods. Start looking through the independent section on this forum. Use the grammar school materials to get up to speed on VR/NVR and then practice ever more challenging comps with the aim of completing them with a little time to spare. Schofield and Sims Book 6 for maths is about the right level for Alleyns but also look at all the indie 'wordy' maths papers. We found the Manchester Grammar school papers good and also you can buy the Withington Girls school papers (no answers with those though).
There is lots of info on the English section here about writing standards. Perhaps try to find an old Sats Level 6 workbook - some of them give examples of different levels of writing which is useful.
Are you sitting for any grammar school tests or mocks? All of the children we know who received academic scholarships also prepared for and sat for at least one selective/super selective grammar school. They were therefore used to the crowds, the nerves and the pace of the test. You will also get a good feel for where your child sits in the cohort.
Thanks for the amazing advice.

Yes, I hope to sit my next child for a Grammar School and will try Alleyn's School again with all the tips received here. Thank you once again.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11100
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by Daogroupie »

I don't know any state grammar that would hold a test and not do their best to make it easier for their applicants.

State grammars put a lot of time and effort into making the test experience as smooth as possible. The Head of my dd's school stood outside the school all day personally welcoming all the students and parents.

People are people whether they work in state schools or private schools and the process is run by people. The staff that work in the state schools in my experience give up their weekends and do their best. The only unfriendly unwelcoming experience my dd had was from the other students at one of the private schools she sat. DG
MrsB
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:02 pm

Re: Alleyn's School, Dulwich

Post by MrsB »

Daogroupie wrote:I don't know any state grammar that would hold a test and not do their best to make it easier for their applicants.

State grammars put a lot of time and effort into making the test experience as smooth as possible. The Head of my dd's school stood outside the school all day personally welcoming all the students and parents.

People are people whether they work in state schools or private schools and the process is run by people. The staff that work in the state schools in my experience give up their weekends and do their best. The only unfriendly unwelcoming experience my dd had was from the other students at one of the private schools she sat. DG
I agree people are people whichever sector they work in, but my own DS was very intimidated by the process - whipped away at the door, no time to say goodbye, sat for 30 mins in silence waiting for the first sitting to come out. DD's experience slightly better but still involved queuing for ages which was inherently stressful.
I am not suggesting they did not care, but I am not sure they had a choice. The number of children applying meant it was an industrial scale process.
Contrast the indie we applied to where they did fun things before and the parents had a nice lunch.
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