Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Fluffinder
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Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by Fluffinder »

Helpneeded wrote:My DS has just failed to get into Latymer and QE boys. He didn’t make it to the top 650of Latymer which was a surprise as he had been scoring 90-95% on the GL maths and VR tests in timed practice at home. I now know (since reading this site) that we should have been stretching him a bit more with MGS type papers etc. He is a mid August birthday and panicked (he told me afterwards) when the VR for Latymer was different from what he had been doing. QE was a bit of an afterthought to be honest and he didn’t have any specific prep for it which I now realise was at best a bit naive. He got 218.
So...do we try CLSB, Habs and Highgate? We could just about afford them. I really don’t want to set him up for a further raft of failure. He has been a bit knocked by all this. We have a good local state secondary (APS).
I have always thought DS would thrive in a selective environment but maybe I am wrong. I am even (reluctantly!) willing to admit he may not be sufficiently academic.
Please help.
Daogroupie
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Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by Daogroupie »

If he got 218 at QE without much preparation he certainly did not fail.

That is a very good score. QE considers all boys who score over 210 to be capable of doing well at the school but it is just that other boys scored higher and so the places are taken by those in the 230's and above.

Every year I deal with this fear of further failure but I know these schools and students who get straight in every year.

Their format is straightforward and they publish past papers for you to follow.

Provided you keep it ticking over he has a very good chance of doing well at these schools.

I would recommend that he sits. It will help to recover some lost confidence for both of you and then you will have choice.

If you do decide to go to the state schools the experience of sitting the exams and doing the interviews will stand him in very good stead. DG
Last edited by Daogroupie on Thu Oct 25, 2018 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Sla212
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Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by Sla212 »

APS is one of 2 local state schools for us, people are increasingly choosing it (over Fortismere) & its results improve every year. We looked at it for 6th form, I would have v happily sent my child there if she'd been able to get a place - that's how popular it is these days!

V hard making the decision over sitting the 11+ & how many schools to sit for....my child sat just 1 selective - Latymer - & 1 indie - Highgate. I chose the schools I felt happy with him going to. When he sat Highgate he already knew he'd got into Latymer so that took the pressure off somewhat.

I do think that it may be easier to get into the indies....although not that much easier....and not as easy as some people would have you believe!

The odds for my child getting into Highgate 2 years ago were about the same as Latymer - 750 children for 80 places at Highgate v 2000 children for 186 places at Latymer.

In his year, I know of someone who got into QE but not Latymer, got HABS & City but not Highgate - they went to HABS. Another child went to Latymer having not even made the interview stage at Highgate which had been their first choice. I certainly know of people every year from our state primary who got into QE/Latymer & did not get into an indie.

A friend has done 11+ the last 2 years with her 2 children who had weekly 11+ tutoring , neither got into Latymer despite being children who were regarded as v bright, they were v low in the Latymer exam rankings. One of them went to the local state school & is flying, the school streams & the child is top set & full of confidence. It isn't at all how the mother saw things panning out but they are all pleased.

There are always surprises but all these schools are v slightly different in their exam formats - I know someone who had their child sit every possible indie exam & was amazed when their child didn't get in anywhere.

My view is that you have to be honest and realistic with your child (and yourself) from the beginning....and hopefully have a good state school as back up.

Sitting these exams is daunting for a Yr6, however prepared they are....I tell my child all the time that if they can walk into the Latymer exam hall without me, sit with 100s of strangers, keep a cool head under all that pressure - and then gain a place - then they can do anything!!! I really believe that - arriving there on exam day was so nerve wracking....your child did it & survived too!!
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by Daogroupie »

There are two different issues; studying the material required and sitting the exam.

Both are equally important but the latter is often neglected.

There are a long list of reasons why the latter does not translate into an offer of a place at the school. The vast majority of these can be avoided with focused preparation.

This year at Latymer some students who had been scoring very high marks in VR did not manage to get through the first round.

This appears to have been because some of the questions were in a slightly different format than the preparation material that they had grown comfortable with and this threw them.

A slight change in format does throw some students who have gained a lot of confidence with high marks gained from repeatedly using the same format.

Other students mess up the timing because they were expecting to be given timing instructions during the exam. Some manage to miss Section B completely.`

These three schools publish past papers so that many of these exam issues that can go wrong are avoided by preparation using past papers.

DG
drinkmoretea
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Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by drinkmoretea »

Hello, I'm new to posting but have been reading for a little while to try to get my head around all of this.

I have a child who sat Latymer this year - removed by a moderator
DG, I am wondering whether CLS/CLSG/Highgate are roughly of equal hardness to get in to. Are you able to please advise based on your experience? Do many children who get offered one also get the other? (Obviously CLS and CLSG can't be directly compared).

Thanks
Daogroupie
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Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by Daogroupie »

In my experience Highgate is easier to get into.

Because it is an earlier exam some students are not ready so those who started earlier preparation are at an advantage.

The English paper at Highgate is reasonably straightforward provided you read the questions very carefully.

The texts they choose are very interesting and action packed and so lend themselves to discussion and there is no VR

City girls has persuasive writing which requires different preparation.

City boys interviews are more challenging so I would say Highgate all round. DG
Sla212
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Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:31 pm

Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by Sla212 »

Highgate does have the reputation for being easier to get into than City....although it does appear to be getting harder....last year, for the first time ever, no one from our primary school got into Highgate....and many sit every year, it's our local indie. Increasingly parents thinking of the indies seem to be trying to avoid the 11+ & get in earlier if they can.

I do know of people who got into City but not Highgate....but most people I know don't sit both unless they're in the category of parents who just want any indie!

What I think is significant is that they are very different schools....despite knowing boys who are very happy there, City wasn't for us. I think it's important to choose what suits your child not just where they can get in.

Good luck!
Last edited by Sla212 on Fri Nov 30, 2018 4:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
MrsChips
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Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by MrsChips »

I disagree that few parents try both City and Highgate. If you've a boy in North/North-East London then City, UCS and Highgate are fairly standard options.

I'd also disagree that Highgate is the easiest to get into - I think it's especially hard for a boy (might be easier for girls). Or, maybe not harder, but different.

I know kids who've got into all three, kids who've got into just one of them, kids who've got in two out of the three and kids who've got into none. And apart from the ones who get into all or none, it's really unpredictable. And I don't think one is more or less academic than the others - if you look at the league tables, they tend to come in similar positions. Highgate is better this year but way worse last year.

I would say, in our experience, that all are easier to get into than the state grammars unless your child is a bit quirky.
Helpneeded
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Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:46 pm

Re: Try CLSB/Habs/Highgate or not?

Post by Helpneeded »

Just a quick update. I had another look at CLSB, Habs and Highgate after posting and a long chat with DS. We decided to do CLSB and Habs. In the prep I realised there were gaps in his knowledge that I wish I had picked up on before the grammars. Anyway, I am sitting with 2 offers from CLSB (with music scholarship) and Habs. DG - you were right that success after failure is sweeter!
Not sure what we will do yet. Need to wait for the state school allocations on 1March but glad we risked it.
Thanks to everyone for the advice.
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