Godolphin & L, NHEHS, Francis Holland, Putney High, Latymer

[Aubergines]

Hi,

I am new to this forum. I have a year 6 daughter at a state primary. She is bright but not exceptional. A good all rounder.

I have always planned to send her to a state secondary as that is all we can afford but at this last minute her grandparents have offered to pay for a private secondary.

We have visited the five schools in the title and love them all. Latymer Upper is probably her favourite as its co-ed but she liked the others.

How hard are these schools to get into? She's not tutored although I'm now doing about half an hour a night with her going through practise papers and bond books. Is it realistic that a bright but not exceptional, non-tutored all rounder could get into these schools? Do some of these schools have a better reputation than others? We only one to apply to three and we are having a hard time deciding which.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[mad?]

As a gross over generalisation Francis Holland, Putney Hugh and NHEHS have in the past tended to be slightly easier to get into. I am aware of many (well over 20) kids whohave had offers from these but have not got interviews at G & L or LU. Latymer Upper interview a lot of children and have been known in the past to perhaps offer some kids on 'potential' or all round (including non academic) talents, but this is assessed at interview so only once they have passed the exam. A bright kid with limited tutoring can do it, but I guess it depends how bright is bright? Not sure about the others but am aware (lasts known intake 2013) that over half Latymer's in take has been from state schools. Good luck.

[fairyelephant]

I think bright but not exceptional is probably a fair description of most kids at these schools. You do need to start getting your DD to do whole papers now so that you can identify her weak areas and work on them, and also to get her used to completing them in time. Encourage her to write down her working out in the maths papers - there may be a method mark even if the answer is wrong, and to write full answers in comprehension. there are lots of tips if you search the forum, on creative writing.
It's very generous of her grandparents to pay, you might want to take a close look at extras (school trips can be expensive, lunch, books, uniform etc) in advance, and work out what will happen if for some reason they can't pay. Some schools offer a discount for paying in advance which might be useful.
However many schools you apply to, I would make sure at least one if from the easier to get into list that mad? Identified. I applied to four for each child, with either one or two easier options for each.

[Aubergines]

Hi again,

Can anyone give advice about the marks you need to aim for on past papers in order to get into these schools?

My daughter sat last year's Godolphin paper at the weekend. She got 80% in the comprehension and 68% in the maths (if I am marking it as they do). I have no idea how they mark the creative writing but she wrote a fantastic piece which was imaginative and had no SPAG errors, but writing is her strength so I am not so worried about that area.

Are these the kind of scores that give her a change at Godolphin given that she is a state school child without a tutor? Or does she need to do significantly better at this stage? If these scores would not get her into Godolphin would they get her into NHEHS? Francis Holland?

Latymer is a car crash. We did a past paper a few weeks back and the maths was just too hard for her.

[Guest55]

Are you sure that a Private school is the best use of this kind offer? What about university or helping her get on the property ladder?

I would have a real think if you have a good Secondary school nearby.

[Aubergines]

Sadly we live in a part of town with few good state secondary schools. It would be fine if we were religious, or faked religion like many of our neighbours, but we are not and we do not. We have applied to three state schools but its not certain that we will get any of them.

The grandparents have offered private schools and I think it would be quite rude for me to say "no thanks but can we have the cold, hard cash equivalent to invest in property."! Also we could release equity for our own house when the kids are older and move out. Its now that we are most cash strapped with four kids at home.

[Guest55]

I'm sure they would agree to support through university though ... and they don't have to 'hand over the cash' now.

[Daogroupie]

So they have offered to pay for your eldest dd, what about the other three?

Which consortium paper did you do? Did you do creative writing and persuasive writing as is now the format.

The papers have a lot of hidden meaning that you might have missed and the writing has to be very focused and not just "Creative" DG