https://life.spectator.co.uk/articles/a ... even-plus/

One parents view point.An interesting reflection but I am not sure its a coherent account between the state and independent sectors.

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In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln

I read this yesterday, and was very confused by the line "Then comes the stressful wait for envelopes: offer letters are fat with ‘welcome’ materials, rejection letters are thin."

You get the same single sheet whether you've passed or not!

I was also confused by the references to interviews....

As you say, quasimodo - I think the the system for applying to private schools has been mixed up with grammar schools.

Yes, in Bucks you used to get a fat envelope if you weren't selected, I believe, because it had the appeal papers in. Not for many, many years though & even that may be rumour!

I think they used to do that in North Yorks but then one year the Post Office went to strike and arrangements were made to give the envelopes out in local schools and for parents to queue up and collect them at the education office. All the envelopes looked the same then.. lots of parents trying to nonchalantly open the envelope outside the building //

Yes, this is pretty much a description of applying for the independent senior schools in London (with grammars referred to for leavening). Interviews as standard for indies. Fat envelopes for success in getting an offer from a senior school and thin for a waiting list position or outright failure (no right of appeal so no appeal papers). The author doesn’t mention the difference in the exams or the need to match the preparation to the type of exam. Or that Prep schools generally prep for independent senior schools and not grammars - though you might have luck with a prep that ends at year 6. From the article I doubt the author was seriously looking at the grammars.

The concept that you don't have to do any prep if you are at a private prep is really not the case.

Something that some parents find out when it is all too late and end up having to find a 13 plus prep for 13 plus entry. DG

Indeed, although some preps will happily convey the opposite. However, since the article is all about how the author prepared his child for the indie exams and interviews (despite being at a prep) I would hope the reader would pick up on that discrepancy.

Edited 1x- actually rereading the article it isn’t clear the child was at an indie. There is a brief comment about preps taking care of everything but state schools leaving lots of ground to cover.