Very bright 9 year old

[ColaFizz]

My daughter is 9 and is currently achieving L4 in english (11 year old average). Is it worth me pursuing a scholarship to a school which is more apt at her high achievments or am i just being a bias mum? (Most private schools take bright children for free, as long as they fall within the top 25% ability range and pass an entrance exam)

[sitdownpleasegeorge]

Free places at most private schools you say for the top 25 % ability range ?

I fear your maths and economics are a little rusty (as well as English) - they wouldn't be able to make their schools pay if this was true.

[LynetteScavo]

Do most private schools take bright children for free? The top 25%??

DS1 was L4 for maths aged 9, so were a couple of other boys in his class. Don't get too excited, but take a look at private schools if you want to.

[ShowOfBloodyStumps]

L4 in English at aged 9 is good but it's not anything out of the ordinary or anything a state school shouldn't be able to cater for.

Can't you just continue to foster an enjoyment of the subject?

And that's not true of any private school round here.

[MollieO]

I don't know any private schools that take bright children for free. If they pass the scholarship exams they may be eligible for a means tested bursary. Scholarships in themselves aren't worth much, usually 10% - 25% max.

[Hullygully]

(Most private schools take bright children for free, as long as they fall within the top 25% ability range and pass an entrance exam)


Oh no they don't. These days competition for scholarships is really, really tough and if you get 10-15% you're doing well.

Bursaries are different, they are means tested, but equally hard to get.

[ColaFizz]

We have a free private school for top 25% based on ability, and other private schools which just go on an entrance exam, so presuming it depends on how bright the child, its called a scholarship, and I know they don't take a lot of children. I'm not too excited, she's not gifted or anything, but I want her to get the best out of what she's good at.

[Hullygully]

What is the school?

[LynetteScavo]

I know of one top public schools that offers 100% scholarship, but then I expect they would offer it to a good all rounder.

[ColaFizz]

Oh, and one of them offers between 25% and 75% of fees. Don't know where you've been looking.

[ColaFizz]

It's Heckmondwike grammar school, checked their admissions policy so it's got to be right

[LynetteScavo]

Which school are you considering, colafizz?

[Hullygully]

It's a state-maintained grammar school, it's free.

[ColaFizz]

The free one, and another one closer to me, Huddersfield grammer school, e-mailed them asking if it was worth it and they said to pop along to their open day for some more information. Free school only does an exam for mathematics and verbal reasoning only though, so don't think it would work for my daughter

[ColaFizz]

Oh well, if you have to do an exam to get in, it's different to a normal school :) too many different names for different types of schools to get your head round!!!

[ColaFizz]

Need to start checking my own spelling!!! HAHA grammar

[ShowOfBloodyStumps]

Where's your child in all this? What does she like? Reading? Writing? Story telling? What? Does she want this much academic focus heaped on her? Does she want to leave her friends behind just because she's slightly ahead in one subject? Why is her current school not suitable?

[Hullygully]

All that aside, it's well worth having a chat with your dd's current teachers and asking their opinions. If they think she's bright enough, get some practice papers and put her in for the exam. You can get practice papers from their site, or WHSmiths, and I would also suggest the 11plus.co website which is really helpful.

Good luck!

[IndigoBell]

Level 4 at 9 is not outstandingly good - all it means is she's on track to get a level 5 in KS2 - along with %25 of the nation....

[Hullygully]

Not all SOBS' aside, the names for different schools bit.

[LynetteScavo]

So you want your daughter to go to a selective grammar school? Or a fee paying school?

You'll still need to be in the catchment area for a grammar.

I'm totally confused.

[bigfootbeliever]

I work at a state middle school (9-13) and many of our Y5 intake are already on Level 4 when they come to us for both Maths and English (as well as some Foundation subjects).

As has been said above, many indie schools offer academic scholarships, but usually only as a % of the fees.

[ColaFizz]

show of bloody stumps you're a very angry person!!!! I am on here to ask advice, which everyone else is very kindly giving and which you are not helping matters. My daughter loves school work, and moving school is not the end of the world, what if i happened to move house???? and she wouldn't move until secondary age either.

[Hullygully]

You don't always need to be in a catchment area. Some grammars are academic selection only.

[LynetteScavo]

ColaFizz Tue 12-Oct-10 15:59:11

"Oh well, if you have to do an exam to get in, it's different to a normal school"

Not around here.

And oh how I wish the grammar schools here took the top 25%.

It's more like the top 2% here.

[GrimmaTheNome]

If your DD is 9 now, its about the right age to start getting your head round secondaries

Sadly 'most' private schools don't take bright kids for free, as others have said.

If you're in catchment for a state grammar and your child is in the top 25% overall then go for it! If you're out of catchment they have to do even better than that (as a guide, working at level 5 in all areas by end of year 5)