moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar school

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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harrow123
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:54 am

moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar school

Post by harrow123 »

my ds now in indie and moving to one of the grammar school for his yr 7 in sep 2011

does it make sense to move my ds from grammar to indie at 13+

does he need to be tutored specially for it, or should he be ok with the school work that he would be doing at grammar school

it may be good idea to continue him at current school and then move him to another indie at 13+, but if he does not get at any top indie at 13+ then he will be left at his current indie which is not very great

is it difficult to get into any schoool at 13+ rather than 11+
sherry_d
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Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by sherry_d »

Just out of interest why would you want to move him at 13+ when you have just put him through the 11+?

I think the hardest age to move from state to indie is 13+ because most do common entrance which is something you have to prepare for. State school pupils are exempted from some papers but you still have to prepare and my understanding is what they test for in languages at 13+ isnt quite what the GCSE or KS3 syllabus covers. So being in a high performing grammar doesnt make it any easier to do the 13+ so I would tread with caution. If you are set on a high perfoming indie at 13+ some of whom I have heard demand 70%+ in common entrance, why dont you send him to prep now for 2 years then do the 13+? The move can be done though from a grammar so its not impossible, I met some boys who had done the move when I was touring one particluarly good school.
is it difficult to get into any schoool at 13+ rather than 11+
Worth noting that most 13+ top indies do offer conditional places years in advance such that admission for 2011 and 2012 are closed at most school and if you are thinking about 2013 entry then you need to start registering now with these schools. In terms of how difficult it is if you are considering top indies as your title suggest then it will be competetive but there are schools that take 50% pass but these probably arent the ones you are keen on.

Another alternative and perhaps a better time to move from state to inides is after GCSEs for their 6th form.
Impossible is Nothing.
doingmybest
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Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:53 pm

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by doingmybest »

If your son is currently year 6 many schools have already closed their lists for 2013 year 9 intake.

St Paul's closed their list in year 5, Westminster is also now closed, Kings College Wimbledon have already sat pre-tests and even some boarding school have already closed their lists e.g. Charterhouse closed at Christmas.

Before you make any decisions you should talk to the school want to move to.
surreymum
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Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by surreymum »

Also, as well as being late, some indie schools will not believe you are committed to indie if have removed at 11 and are applying for 13. I know KCS has turned down boys at pre test interview for just this reason
harrow123
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:54 am

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by harrow123 »

There is something called Common Entrance examinations for which some prep schools prepare the children for 11+ and 13+. Many Indies consider the score that the child gets in Common entrance.

So I may have to my ds to those prep school and get him tailored for 13+ to get into any good indie at 13+

OMG, moving to good indie at 13+ or 16+ is very tough unless child is really the best, 11+ route looks to be quite easy way of getting into any indie including Eton

I may have to leave my ds in whatever Grammar school he gets

Will enquire about good prep schools who prepares children for Common Entrance exams for 13+
TubbyCakes
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Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by TubbyCakes »

Harrow123,

Picking up on Sherry_D observations, I would comment as follows:

My DC has recently converted from a state primary to a boarding prep and will transfer to senior school 2013, so the following is based on what I have learnt so far.

Maybe I am confused by why would you want to go from an independent school to a state grammar back to an independent school, all within a couple of years. Surely this would be very disruptive for even the brightess and most able of children.

Senior independents fall into two broad camps, those with 11+ entry and those with 13+. Many of those with 11+ entry are day schools eg Habs, Merchant Taylor, whilst many with 13+ entry are traditional, but not exclusively boarding schools, such as Eton, Winchester, etc. It is not a question of 11+ being easier if the school doesn't have 11+ entry and some of the more traditional schools do not. Also, another point to note is that the grammar will be following the National Curriculumn, but Common Entrance does not follow this entirely and the best way to describe it is similar standard to KS3 but taken at 13 rather than 14.

For some schools, you are already too late for 13+ entry eg Eton, Radley etc for 2013.

Common Entrance is a 2 year course and the exam paper is marked by the school that the child wishes to attend, not by central examiners. Whilst it is a standard test, the subjects on which entry depends, varies from school to school. Also, some senior schools have "preferred" feeder schools, so you need to know which senior school you want your child to go to and then pick the appropriate feeder prep that has a tradition of sending children to that school. That said, it is not an absolute, but during the two year preparation period, the proposed senior school often requests updates from the feeding prep on how each candidate is doing, hence the relationship between feeder and senior schools. Other schools require children to complete pre-tests before they do the Common Entrance exam, which can lead to a child being "dropped" if it is believed that they are not strong enough.

I would comment that you need to be clear in your mind what exactly it is that you want for your child. Competition can be fierce and to change schools after only 2 years without a good reason, such as a house move, may lead to a school looking unfavourably on your child.
:)
katel
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Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by katel »

It would be a bizarre and disruptive thing to do.
hermanmunster
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Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by hermanmunster »

I have know it happen in a few situations - mainly related to family moves. the kids were sent as day pupils to independents and in one case had been at a GS before moving to start in year 9.

I think this comes down to what H123 sees as "top performing indies" - The school fall into three categories really :

1) if it is a case of "performing" then it may well be some of the day schools he is referring to who will have a more fluid and transparent method of selecting at 13, even though it may not be their main intake.

2) If he means the top boarding indies then the decisions really have to be made when the child is at pre prep or even still at home with nanny as the choice of a prep school is key. Eton Harrow Winchester Marlborough etc

3) it may also mean some of the myriad of other good indies mixture of boarding and day who genuinely don't sort their admissions until year 6 or 8 (much as they might try to do it earlier!!!) ... I mean (these are purely examples) Uppingham, Oakham, Ampleforth, Blundells, Kings, Sevenoaks etc etc
harrow123
Posts: 299
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:54 am

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by harrow123 »

Thanks for everyone's replies

I am not looking for top boarding schools, Indies that I may be looking for are like

Westminster School - London
Haberdashers' Aske's School
Merchant Taylors' School - Northwood
St Albans School
City of London School for Boys

so only day schools in London. I think some of these schools don't follow Common entrace process but have their own 13+ test papers. I am now late for these schools for 11+ entry.

I will wait till March 1st and see if my ds gets either QEboys or Tiffin, if he gets into anyone then will monitor if he is getting chance to use his full potential. By the completion of year 7 if I think he can do better at Indie then will prepare him for 13+ for schools like above. If I am happy for him to be at GS then will review to change his school for his sixth form if applicable/required.

Once in GS does not mean always GS in my opinion, even if ds changes school at 13+ still he has 5 years to use new school where he can develop lot

Prep schools are mainly to tailor child to appear for CEE , which is used by top boarding indies and some other day schools ofcourse. So I don't need to think probably for a prep school now for my DS
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Re: moving to top performing indies at 13+ from grammar scho

Post by hermanmunster »

Hi your list looks OK apart from:

Westminster - this is also one of the schools that expects kids to come from preps, they need to be registered for 13+ by the end of year 6 .... so you do have time BUT they then recommend that they go to a prep NOT a GS...

re the others, I think you will have to ask yourself if he does not "get on to his full potential" at Tiffin or QEB, is he really likely to do so at one of the others? + factor in the disruption.

I think many of us look at other schools from time to time and wonder but actually it may be a case of the grass is always greener...
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