Tutoring for independent school place?

[Bleu]

Hi, I am hoping to send my son (currently year 4) to Colfe's School for secondary. Do you advise that he has tutoring to help him pass the exam? I hear that the prep children do a lot of work towards the test.

Does anyone know of any tutors (that tutor for private school tests not Grammar) in Lee/Bromley/Lewisham areas?

Thanks!

[yoyo123]

If anyone can help please send genuine recommendations by personal message only

thanks

[Bleu]

Apologies. Yes, please do PM me any contacts you know of. However, I would like to hear your opinions as to whether you feel tutoring is necessary.

Thank you.

[no_ball]

it depends on the child and how 'brainy' he/she is but in most cases, tutoring is almost essential to reduce the chance of not getting into a selective school and also a lifetime of regrets of 'if only I had....' This is a personal opinion and of course depends on horses for courses.

[blessedmum]

I may be wrong but I do not believe the entrance test for Colfe requires tutoring except your child is not working at an average level or you are trying for a scholarship.

All the children I know that took the test (6) all got offered a place at the school. its seems like a very lovely school but I dont think its that academic that an average child will not get through the tests. It might be worth asking the school for past question papers.

Please anyone out there can correct me If I am wrong

[Bleu]

blessedmum - that's what I thought (and was hoping to hear!). I will go through the example test papers with him and make sure he knows what to expect. I really want to avoid the whole tutoring thing!

Were the children you know (who passed the test) of roughly average ability?

Thank you for your responses.

[blessedmum]

Bleu,

at least 4 of the children were of average ability, couple of them did not pass the Bexley tests but that could have been due to circumstances on the day as they missed cut off by very little.

One of them that passed the Newstead test and is good at Drama got 100% scholarship which she has decided to take.

[mystery]

You might be right about average children and colfe's, but your description of the 6 you know who passed did not strike me as "average" - as in national average.

[blessedmum]

You're right Mystery. National average is a totally different thing.
I can not honestly say I know how to measure or what the national average is.

I want to believe most people that most of the children put forward for the 11+ and academic independent schools are above the national average bearing in mind the govt's expectation and how much the children need to learn to be able to get through these exams.

[Bleu]

When I mean average, I mean achieving the average scores in their end of year teacher assessments - which is a national grading system I believe.

My son happens to be well above average in reading/comprehension and science/general knowledge but is achieving the average scores for maths and writing at the moment.