Number of prep students passing 11+

[mehtab]

Do forum members have any idea, what proportion of students passing the 11+ at Latymer,DAO or QE boys are from private schools?

[Thingsbehindthesun]

I think concrete figures would be hard to find but I've heard of a few girls from Stormont who end up at DAO.

[hermanmunster]

suspect it varies from year to year.

Depends on many factors: -
- many preps are non selective at intake so they tend to cover the range of abilities and schools they are aiming at in the way that state primaries do, also some have children arriving who have not got on well at their primaries.
- also parents may wish to send kids to private senior and hence will not take the 11 plus.
- some take the 11 plus but go elsewhere.

at DDs prep (not in your area) they had the option to take state GS. Some were out of catchment so did not bother, some wanted boarding, some knew they were never going to hit the mark... so out of 18-20 the number going to state GS varied between 2 and 6 each year

[Daogroupie]

There is a big difference between those who sit and those who take the place. These exams are a great free trial run for the indys so we know many children who use them as a mock exam and have no intention of taking the place. The timing of these exams is perfect for a taster for the January indy exams. In my experience there are only a handful of private school kids in each year. in my opinion I dont think DAO is the right place for a student from a small cosy private school. DG

[daofan]

Dear DG
This is a very interesting remark. I am intrigued to discover why you think a student from a "private cosy school" would not be suited to DAO.
Thank you

[onetogo]

Dear DG

I'm also interested to know why you think DAO isn't suited to children from a "small cosy private school". I know a couple of children who have gone to DAO from "small cosy private" schools in recent years and they appear to be doing well and like the school.

Thanks

[Daogroupie]

That is great to hear onetogo. DAO offers lots of opportunities and many children from a wide range of backgrounds do very well. It is only an opinion but we have seen some children who seem unused to the idea of having to sort things out yourself and perhaps were used to always having adults to do it for them. We know a family from a small cosy private primary school who turned down a music place at DAO in favour of a small cosy private secondary school. They told me that they knew the music opportunities would be far greater at DAO but this could not outweigh the massive amount of pastoral support that they would get at the private school. At first I was astounded as the child would have thrived in the orchestras, but the more I thought about it the more I could see the reasoning of the parents. She simply was not used to securing places on teams, choirs and orchestras on audition as she had always been invited to join. I am sure some students can adjust easily to a more go getting regime and for others it takes longer. I have heard potential parents dismiss the school as too big but of course the bigger the school the wider the range of opportunities. It is indeed lucky that parents are attracted to a wide range of schools. Did anyone go on the tour mornings this week? DG

[daofan]

Dear Dg
Thank you for your informative reply. I can see why you may feel this way. I have found your opinion as always very interesting. However wouldnt you agree in some cases that the best pastoral care comes from the parents? And maybe the parents of the child you are referring to were not able/willing to provide pastoral care themselves?

[new2me]

Pastoral support from parents isn't a replacement for support at school. As parents, we can not be there to find out:

- exactly where to get a fast past to avoid lunch queues on club days
- which of the various music groups are most appropriate for grade 2 violinists
- which particular board games are played at the board game club
- what exactly happens in maths club
- what he missed in French when he had his violin lesson because 'the teacher didn't tell me to write anything down'

Yet these are the exactly the issues that my DS, fresh from a small, nurturing prep, is facing at his large secondary school. He expects the teachers to come to him to answer all of these questions. He loves the school, settled instantly and has formed a strong band of friends. As yet, he has not made it to a single club, despite a daily conversation over breakfast about the day's clubs that match his interest.

I'm not sure if this issue is restricted to those children from prep schools, or to all children from small primary schools.

It doesn't make me question my decision to send him to a state secondary, rather validates my decision for my particular DS - high ability and support at home won't fully prepare him for the outside world.

[onetogo]

New2me, I think the issues you describe are common to many children, regardless of the type/size of primary school they attended. The move to secondary school is a big step up for most children and they naturally take some time to acclimatise. Give your DS time - I'm sure he'll sort out clubs etc eventually. It took my DS a good half term to really settle into his new school (and the conversations you describe with your DS sound all too familiar!) but by Christmas he was busy every lunchtime & after school and had to learn to negotiate with staff taking various activities to balance his attendance at clashing, mandatory rehearsals / training sessions etc. All very good for him!

Onetogo