Reading Blue Coats School

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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thidirac
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:29 pm

Reading Blue Coats School

Post by thidirac »

My DS is currently preparing for the 11+ entrance exam for Reading Blue Coats. We really love the school and desperately hope he gets an offer. Is anyone else in the same boat? I'm getting rather stressed :?
stevew61
Posts: 1786
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:54 pm
Location: caversham

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by stevew61 »

Pleased don't get stressed, :)

The Blue Coat exam is looking for potential, it is not super selective, it is a very good school with great facilities.

If you've done some prep and your boy has a good exam day I'm sure you will get an offer.
mumoftwo76
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 2:38 pm

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by mumoftwo76 »

My son is also sitting the 11+ entrance exam for Reading Blue Coat. Like you, we also love the school and hope he gets in. The plus side is they look at the whole package and how rounded the child is, instead of just relying on exams like grammar schools. Having done so much work over the summer for the 11+, we haven't done any full practice papers since - think the experience burned us all out :shock: however I have given him short 10/15min papers to see if the speed and accuracy is still there. How is your prep going.
thidirac
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:29 pm

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by thidirac »

Thanks Stevew61 for your reassuring post. I do feel less stressed after what seems to be a successful exam last Tuesday.
Rayyan-I also got the impression that they were interested in the whole person, extra interests and so on. We've done some prep over the last couple of months for the exam on Tuesday and RBC on 23rd but I sense that we are all getting a bit burned out as well!!! We also worked over the Summer. I'll be glad when RBC is finally done! I did have a minor panic when I saw 250 boys had applied but they must give out more than 96 offers and lots of boys must be trying to get into a range of schools so fingers crossed.
J50
Posts: 296
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:35 am

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by J50 »

thidirac wrote:Thanks Stevew61 for your reassuring post. I do feel less stressed after what seems to be a successful exam last Tuesday.
Rayyan-I also got the impression that they were interested in the whole person, extra interests and so on. We've done some prep over the last couple of months for the exam on Tuesday and RBC on 23rd but I sense that we are all getting a bit burned out as well!!! We also worked over the Summer. I'll be glad when RBC is finally done! I did have a minor panic when I saw 250 boys had applied but they must give out more than 96 offers and lots of boys must be trying to get into a range of schools so fingers crossed.
2.5 to 1 offers to places would not be an unusual number of relative offers to make so if there are 96 places and 250 applicants pretty much anyone would get an offer! Not what you'd call selective...
mumoftwo76
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2015 2:38 pm

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by mumoftwo76 »

Thidirac what Tuesday exam are you referring to.. Offer letters should come out early Feb which is some consolation. However for many March will be the D day for final decisions on which school to select, and many have probably got RBC as a back up in case they dont make Reading boys.
thidirac
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:29 pm

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by thidirac »

Hi Rayyan. DS did Salesian in Farnborough last Tuesday. Also seems a very good school. We aren't waiting for a Reading Boys result so we should know at the start of February. I REALLY hope that you are right J50! RBC might be less selective but their teaching provision must be great because their results are fantastic!
ToadMum
Posts: 11945
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by ToadMum »

J50 wrote:
thidirac wrote:Thanks Stevew61 for your reassuring post. I do feel less stressed after what seems to be a successful exam last Tuesday.
Rayyan-I also got the impression that they were interested in the whole person, extra interests and so on. We've done some prep over the last couple of months for the exam on Tuesday and RBC on 23rd but I sense that we are all getting a bit burned out as well!!! We also worked over the Summer. I'll be glad when RBC is finally done! I did have a minor panic when I saw 250 boys had applied but they must give out more than 96 offers and lots of boys must be trying to get into a range of schools so fingers crossed.
2.5 to 1 offers to places would not be an unusual number of relative offers to make so if there are 96 places and 250 applicants pretty much anyone would get an offer! Not what you'd call selective...
So should they cut their intake, or press-gang a few hundred local DC into sitting the entrance test to reduce the chance of getting in and make the school look more exclusive?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
J50
Posts: 296
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 10:35 am

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by J50 »

ToadMum wrote:
J50 wrote:
thidirac wrote:Thanks Stevew61 for your reassuring post. I do feel less stressed after what seems to be a successful exam last Tuesday.
Rayyan-I also got the impression that they were interested in the whole person, extra interests and so on. We've done some prep over the last couple of months for the exam on Tuesday and RBC on 23rd but I sense that we are all getting a bit burned out as well!!! We also worked over the Summer. I'll be glad when RBC is finally done! I did have a minor panic when I saw 250 boys had applied but they must give out more than 96 offers and lots of boys must be trying to get into a range of schools so fingers crossed.
2.5 to 1 offers to places would not be an unusual number of relative offers to make so if there are 96 places and 250 applicants pretty much anyone would get an offer! Not what you'd call selective...
So should they cut their intake, or press-gang a few hundred local DC into sitting the entrance test to reduce the chance of getting in and make the school look more exclusive?

So long as they fill their required numbers why would they look to change anything?
thidirac
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 7:29 pm

Re: Reading Blue Coats School

Post by thidirac »

Just to say that a few weeks ago we did get an offer from Reading Blue Coats. We are thrilled. Just hope DS number 2 gets a place as well in a couple of years time! Thanks for your posts.
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