Could home educated child get rejected by cetrain secondary schoold?

[Leo12345]

Hello!
If a child is home educated (9yrs old now), and the plans are to go to a secondary with high demand, like LEH or Kingston Grammar, would the fact that she was on home education and not in a primary school, somehow cause the school not to accept her?
I.e. are there any formal or informal policies, when a child could have less chances to enter a good secondary school if he/she has been home educated? For example, lack of school reports from primary school?
(This is of course regardless to the 11+ exam results).
Thanks in advance...

[itsstillgood]

A home educated child should be treated exactly the same as any other child applying when it comes to state school applications. Schools will list their application criteria on their website.

For private schools they can set their own criteria and have no obligation to accept anyone. Check the criteria of the school that you want, and speak to the school to get an idea of what evidence they'd require - portfolio of work rather than school reports perhaps.

[Overrunwithlego]

I'll put a disclaimer here that I haven't been through the system yet. But where I live (Cambridgeshire) I checked the offer details and criteria for our local school. Children who live in catchment and go to a designated feeder school do get higher priority than those who live in catchment but don't go to a designated feeder school. So by that criteria I would say being home school would be a child in a lower criterion and may affect their chances of being offered a place??

[Overrunwithlego]

Place not be.

[steppemum]

assuming the schools are not independent.

1. the form you fill in states your address and your choice of schools. The primary they go to (or home ed) may be on there, but it is totally irrelevant in terms of allocating a school.
   

2.Each Local Authority has a set of criteria for applications, eg those with siblings come first, then those living in catchment then those out of catchment, sorted by the closest children first. Or whatever. If the school is an academy, they will have a similar set of criteria published on their website.

1. The LA has to follow this set of criteria, to the letter. If they don't it is grounds for an appeal.
   

So if you fulfill the criteria you get a place and if you don't you don't. The big unknown usually is when you may or may not be close enough to the school, and don't know how many other closer children have applied.

If it is a grammar school which requires the 11+, then you need to apply to take it, usually details of how to do that are on school's website. The results will then be part of that application process.

So, the school/home ed etc they are receiving now is irrelevant in terms of application, EXCEPT if they are in a school which is a feeder school and the criteria states that children going to that school will receive priority.

[steppemum]

I should add that it is very variable as to whether secondary schools have feeder schools written onto their criteria or not.

[BertrandRussell]

State schools- the admissions criteria apply to everyone.
Private schools- law unto themselves.

[IdaJones]

Those schools op mentioned are private

[BertrandRussell]

Ah. If they're private then you are taking a gamble.

[AnotherNewt]

I've also commented on your thread in Secondary Education.

Independent schools all do their admissions differently, and you need to visit the ones on your short list and, whilst you are there, ask how they deal with candidates who come from routes other than private prep (well tailored reference) or state primary (generic reference if any supplied at all). It will be a well-trodden route in those schools which attract a high number of international families (some of whom return specifically at this point for schools).

It will however all come down to how well your DD performs at the exam. References/interviews are used more to sort out borderline candidates (upwards for scholarships, or whether offer or waiting list if just above the cut off). If your DD scores a solid 'pass' they really won't care where her education to date has been conducted.

[Leo12345]

Many thanks!
Currently we are more inclined to get prepared very well to 11+ and to go private schools like LEH, Kingston Grammar and also try to scholarship (music).
We are also considering to move right to the walls of Waldergrave School (but we still need to know if it is considerably worse that LEH or Kingston grammar).

[Leo12345]

(Or maybe Waldegrave is not worse at all)

[ChalkHearts]

I think at a private school it's highly likely to affect your chances.

Because they are interviewing you,the parent, as well as the child. And if you're home educating now they might wonder how supportive of the school you will be in the future.

That's just my guess though.

[Whatdoidohelp]

The private schools (some of the best in the uk) around me put a huge emphasis on social skills, team work, team sports etc. I think they would have concerns about how a HE child would manage.

I have friends who have applied for secondary private school after HE for primary school and despite an excellent academic record and being a clearly very bright boy they were rejected due to "concerns over ability to fit in in a group structure in both academia and extra curricular activities".

[Leo12345]

That's sounds reasonable. This is a reason why we are thinking of going for just one year before the secondary to a private primary (if we find place).

[mary21]

I certainly know of one child who started an independent prep school close to the schools you mention at age 11. The school highlighted how advanced his maths was.
I think you need to contact the schools in question and ask them. Both schools have Avery competative entry. Schools usually request a reference from the current school. You would need to ask the schools what sort of reference they would need for a home ed child.

[mary21]

Waldegrave is a very good school and does very well by most of its pupils. However it is a state school so does have a comprehensive intake. So it will have pupils with learning difficulties, behavioral problems etc which will have been weeded out by the private schools you are considering. Depends what you want really. I know people turn down LEH and KGS for Waldegrave and vice versa