St Albans Boys

[Macca7]

Hello first post for me so hope I'm in the right section. I'm trying to organise myself to help my son prepare for the entrance test for entry to St Albans next January and wonder what sort of material is best. As far as I can gather there is only one sample of a past paper on the website so not much to go on there, so I guess I would have to turn to GL Assessment papers Maths, English and Verbal reasoning.

Anyone who has been through the process, I would be really grateful if you can you please give me any tips on preparation. I realise it's fiercely competitive and we would really just like to help him as much as possible.

Many thanks

[fairyelephant]

It might help more to try other independent schools' papers, particularly for the maths and english elements, most have them on their websites (try oundle, the Perse school, the London consortium of girls schools, Highgate school, habs boys and City boys - roughly I think in that order from easier to harder, unless anyone else can correct me). Sadly most of them don't post the answers so you will have to work through them yourself! I

[Daogroupie]

I had students sit St Albans, Habs, City, Westminster and St Pauls this year with 100% success rate for every school. We did lots of comprehension and creative writing as they were already there for Maths. I write my own papers but I would recommend North London Girls Consortium, Habs and City Boys. St Albans is our local school so we know lots of boys there. I would recommend applying for and sitting the state school exams at QE boys, Mill Hill County and DAO if you are in catchment, Mill Hill is next monday and QE and DAO in September. The DAO exam format is the same as all of these schools and I have never known anyone get into DAO and not get into St Albans. In fact nobody from our old primary has ever failed to get into St Albans. I would expect any boy in the top half of the class to get a place but if you prepare well you can also get a scholarship which I am sure you would be glad of! I would also recommend doing Sutton Mocks but they are full, you could email them and ask to go on the waiting list. Pm me if you need more info. DG

[magic-mum]

My son is at SAS - It is competitive and I know of boys who did not get places ( bright boys, from good prep schools who just didn't perform on the exam day). Prep using indie school past papers - habs, city, MT's, Perse etc but also Manchester Grammar (especially as the answers are also provided here !) and the North London girls consortium papers. Boys are interviewed on the same day as the exams and then if successful they are invited back again for a "lesson" to see how they are in a classroom senario (and re interviewed if necessary). Good luck - it's a great school