QE boys and Sutton schools test on the same day

[Daogroupie]

Yes, the Mill Hill County and DAO clash went on for years.

But there are also exams that consist of two or more papers one after the other.

SW Herts is CEM followed by Maths, Latymer is Maths and VR together and DAO this year will be three different formats: CEM followed by Comprehension followed by Composition.

St Ms does five different formats all in the same day: VR, NVR, Maths, Comprehension and Composition. DG

[loobylou]

Daogroupie, do children really sit two exams on the same day? The idea alone is exhausting.

The schools ensured that anyone who had applied to both (lots of children!) had their exams at different times of the day. In some ways it felt better getting it out of the way more quickly. Dd only sat for 3 schools (DAO, MHCHS and Latymer) but even so the process felt like it was dragging over those first couple of weeks in September; if she'd had to take another day to do another exam I think she'd have been more fed up!

[Gringo64]

Why do you want your child to sit both tests? There is nowhere in London from where you could reasonably commute to both schools. If you're planning to move, bear in mind that the gap between getting an offer and starting school is at most six months, and is less if you get a place from the waiting list. That's not a lot of time to make such an important change, especially if you have other children whose schools also need considering.

At my children's grammar schools I have met quite a few people who have sat their children for all the London grammar school tests and then moved to wherever the child gets the school place.

[streathammum]

I can (just) see the logic of that if you only have one child. But if you have another child it's a bit weird - uprooting DC2 from their primary so that DC1 can go to a particular grammar school. What happens when DC2 goes to secondary? Does everyone move again? Or does DC2 just have to lump it? And what happens if DC1 decides they don't like the school when they get there - the whole family has moved so that child can go to that school, that's a lot of pressure to put on a small person.

Also, there are so many other important factors about where a family choose to live. What about friends (parents' friends as well as children's friends), out-of-school activities, community groups, commutes to work - all sorts of things keep me in Streatham, even though I love the schools in Sutton.

If you have to move anyway, then fair enough. Otherwise, think really carefully about moving for a school.

[Gringo64]

Well I too am very surprised by the number of people I've met who have moved to the area because their older child has a place in the grammar school and they are asking me which are the best primary schools in the area for their younger child.

[Aethel]

Well I too am very surprised by the number of people I've met who have moved to the area because their older child has a place in the grammar school and they are asking me which are the best primary schools in the area for their younger child.

Yep, we have that in Berkshire too. I think over the past several years relocation for grammar has become far more of a "thing". Possibly because folk are less geographically tied to their work areas than in previous decades? I agree it feels like a lot of pressure, but maybe these families view it as socially "normal". Certainly there is an outstanding primary near us where it's considered "usual" for families to buy a house within the hallowed "cachement" when their oldest child is two years old, so that they are guaranteed a place...
Needless to say the school continues to perform highly, simply because they have incredibly motivated and wealthy parents, no lower-class-housing areas, almost zero kids on free school meals, and (according to a friend) a very high level of extra tutoring throughout the primary school years for any subject where the children are deemed not up to scratch.

So when you consider that it happens for primaries, it's maybe not so weird to see a family relocating? I totally agree it's rather tough for the siblings though...

[streathammum]

Relocating to be next door to a good mixed comp that admits on distance is one thing - all the siblings will get in, job done*. Relocating to be close to a selective school that not all the siblings will get into is different, I think.

*Yes I know this is selection by house price, but at least it takes the pressure off the kids and puts it on the wage earners instead.

[ToadMum]

Well I too am very surprised by the number of people I've met who have moved to the area because their older child has a place in the grammar school and they are asking me which are the best primary schools in the area for their younger child.

And of course, the more desirable the primary, the less likely there are to be places available outside the normal admissions round .

[nyr]

In the Ofsted outstanding primary that DC attended it is fairly common from Y2 onward for a few kids to drop out of the state sector and move to preps. This means that, whereas in some years reception allocations don't reach the edge of the catchment, it is normal for kids who're outside the catchment but willing to go on a waiting list to secure a place in later years.

[farfas]

Hi
There is no harm in asking Sutton School.e.g. to reschedule your child exam on another date.
I believe majority will face this problem this year. In case of illness, they always allow to reschedule but otherwise do try your luck and sit both exams.

Good Luck