Wow, such an amazing diversity of helpful replies!
Oneoftwothings wrote:
I’m not sure your Oxbridge figures are correct: KCS’s headline sell is that they send an average of 25% of leavers to Oxbridge. Obviously still very high; I believe the upper sixth cohort is around 200 and 38 went to Oxbridge last year.
Yes, that is correct, KCS do send around 25% of students to Oxbridge. In my figure of 50 students, I was including Imperial admissions for KCS as well.
mad? wrote:
Parents are out of the loop this - apart from forcing/encouraging DC to apply. Preparation varies hugely by department and subject in most Indies.Preparation varies hugely by department and subject in most Indies. Several Indies do outreach to local comps for Oxbridge prep and I can assure you those DC got more help and guidance than my DD did, as she was applying for something that was poorly supported. It also depends on the subject to be studied - History offers for example are rare as hens teeth, languages considerably less so. I suspect the numbers reflect the volume of applications and the 6th form intake more than anything else.
So the key question would be this: how strong are private schools for preparation in core subjects (for University entry exams) like Mathematics, Sciences and Languages? Is there considerable variation in support for these subjects as well?
ToadMum wrote:
Do remember that sixth form isn't just moving up from year 11 to year 12; in the state sector, at least, there will be a new set of entry requirements (and I doubt that many indies selling themselves on their Oxbridge output allow everyone to continue into the sixth form, regardless of their achievements at GCSE). Have you looked at the entry requirements for the schools which you are comparing, if post-A level destination (of students who will have left school a minimum of 8 years prior to your own DS) is a major factor in your decision-making?
I understand that 16+ provides another opportunity to join these schools in the 6th form (based on an entrance exam in GCSE year and predicted grades, with minimum GCSE grades required in subjects of choice).
But again, that is another needless hassle at that point, if there is already an option to join these schools at 11+. (On the other hand, entry at 11+ is no guarantee to stay in the school's 6th form as well, as you might get filtered out at that stage because of lower GCSE grades).
Even though DS's university is 7 years away, I think it is worth considering the
optionality a school can provide, and the judgement of this is only possible unfortunately with their performance right now.
Basically, once a decision is made at 11+, it will be hard to go back from it (until 6th form or University), hence it deserves extra attention, IMHO.
mad? wrote:
London Indies do well here and offer more support from what I have seen BUT, check how many of those offers are legacy, sports scholarships or US citizens.
That is an excellent point, I was not aware of this! I will inquire them deeper on the US university stats.
Moon unit wrote:
We opted for Wilson’s.
It’s a truly amazing school.
Oneoftwothings wrote:
My DS is only in Year 7 but I also have a family member who works there and I was nodding along to so many of the points in Moon Unit’s post. It is an incredible school. Have a look at the Enrichment and the Year 7 music programmes on their website (if you haven’t already).
Definitely, Wilsons is what we are leaning towards (if DS gets admitted there), however, the thinking was to give KCS a strong consideration as well, if they provide value for money especially with a markedly better support than Grammar Schools like Wilsons (or SGS), which was the reason for this post.
Moon unit wrote:
When looking at the Oxbridge stats it’s worth seeing what the courses are.
This is so true! I doubt DS would ever show interest for studying Veterinary Medicine or Japanese degrees (even at Oxbridge, though nothing wrong with these areas of study as well). But who knows!
That is why, if DS shows enthusiasm and aptitude for hard sciences or engineering, it would be worth exploring the support for going to US universities as well.
mad? wrote:
Whatever decision you make do not ever look back. It is a pressured time for DC, now more than ever. It is important they do not feel their successes or failures are being framed in the context of a school choice. More to the point, for your sanity once you have made the choice embrace it and let them make the most of it, whatever the choice is.
That is the precise plan after 01 March! As with all parents in this forum, the ultimate aim is to support DS in achieving a great start in life to the extent of his enthusiasm and capacity, and spare no effort for this (OH and I both work, money is a (manageable) second consideration).
Once again, thank you everyone for the replies, it certainly provides a wealth of information and food for thought!