Alleyns

[LondonGirl83]

Hi all-- I was wondering if anyone knows what CAT scores prep schools generally recommend you need to apply to Alleyns? Also, if anyone knows how many academic scholarships are awarded and how well the students have to do / what CAT they usually have to be scholarship candidates (top 5%, top 1%) that would be great to know.

TIA

[DarlingOscar]

I have no idea on the CAT scores, but all the scholarship kids we know were top 3 of their class (at a selective prep). Make of that what you will!

This year they had about 900 applicants and typically they end up awarding about 25 scholarships. Some will turn down scholarship offers - so maybe about 35-45 offers? Which would be the top 4-5% of those who apply.

[LondonGirl83]

25 scholarships for an intake of 130 is pretty high. Were those total scholarships (music, sport etc) or just academic?

I've seen on good school guides that on average 6 of the 48 junior school class have gotten scholarships the last 2 years which seems pretty good ratio.

Thanks for your help.

[DarlingOscar]

25 academic scholarships - but some major and some minor.

[LondonGirl83]

Thanks -- do you know the value range? I saw that on the website they were worth circa 4k but it sounds like there are some larger ones and smaller ones as well.

[DarlingOscar]

£4k is the max. I don't know what the minimum is? Am guessing some may even be honorary with no reduction in fees?

They're definitely trying to prioritise bursaries so perhaps the funding is more focused there?

[89fomveg]

I have heard it’s good to have CAT scores of 125 and up to have a good chance. I think 120 and above are probably needed.

[LondonGirl83]

Is that 125 for a scholarship or for admission?

Many thanks

[JCDaddy]

My DS just went through the academic scholarship interview this week. 38 children have been invited for the academic scholarship interview out of 930 applicants.

I think the scholarship will be awarded within those 38 children (if some of them declined the offer, and it may be awarded to others but still within the interviewed group).

Not sure CAT, but the CAT format is totally different from the Alleyn's entry exam which contains much more English writing and Maths work out. From that point, I think CAT only gives you an idea how your children would perform in Verbal & non-verbal reasoning paper.
Just my personal opinion.

[MrsPatmore]

There is a thread running currently entitled Alleyns 2019 which has a lot of info on. Generally the scholarship is worth a terms fees but I guess additional scholarships for sports, music etc can be added on. They also have the Saddlers Scholars (not sure if this was any e xtra money) and you only know about this particular scholarship when you accept the place.

[MrsPatmore]

Re; CATS scores - children we know offered scholarships were getting 130-141 in CATS tests from Year 4 across the board but as a pp has pointed out, the exams for Alleyns are a different format.

[LondonGirl83]

Mrs Patmore, that's really helpful and makes sense.

130 to 140 for CATs makes sense too as its basically top 1%. Also it seems like just under 20% of kids are awarded scholarships.

[89fomveg]

I think the prep Head meant CAT scores of 125 and above suggested the child was bright enough to do very well in the entrance exam and keep up with the school’s academic pace. I agree though that CAT scores only show an aspect of a child's ability so shouldn’t mean too much. Being hardworking, an avid reader and doing well in their current school work should be very good predictors too IMO.

[TrevorSq]

Apologies but I don't know about CAT scores.
As far as academic-level for scholarship (not bursary) our daughter, who was offered scholarships both CLSG and at SPGS, had already passed two sample GCSE maths papers at grade A* and her English paper was described as 'superlative' (100%) by SPGS

• which is where we sent her in 2018.
  

My understanding is that if you need help with fees, you must look to the bursaries, for which your child might not be expected to achieve so highly, especially if she's coming from the state sector.

Very best.

[LondonGirl83]

89fomveg that's helpful

MrsPatmore I've done a search but can't find the Alleyns thread. If you have a link that would be amazing

Trevor we don't need help with fees and wouldn't qualify for need based support. I'm asking about scholarships in part to get a sense of the intake and level of the students at the school.

[LondonGirl83]

Trevor did your child apply and get a scholarship to Alleyns as well? If not, I'm not sure that all schools have the same requirements to be a scholar unless you know otherwise.

[89fomveg]

Hi, the other thread is in this section but a couple of pages along called Alleyns 11+ 2019.

My DC was invited for an academic scholarship interview at Alleyns this year and had a CAT nonVR of 122 and VR of 137 this year. Last year her NonVR was above 130 and VR in the 120s. We were surprised she had done so well. We were just hoping for a normal Saturday interview.

[LondonGirl83]

89fomveg that's great, thanks

[DarlingOscar]

Just a clarification on the discount - Alleyns max scholarship is £4k, not a term's fees as describe above.

38 candidates suggests that they will offer a scholarship to all of those they believed really wanted Alleyns? That will then allow them to achieve a take up of about 24.

CAT scores probably aren't relevant here as there is no VR/NVR element to the Alleyns exam?

[DarlingOscar]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3477319-Alleyns-11-2019?pg=3

link to the other thread

[89fomveg]

For 11+ the assessment at Alleyns includes a Maths paper, an English paper and a Reasoning paper which includes VR, nonVR and Spatial Reasoning.

[Icouldprobablygetaplace]

Alleyns basically need the child to be consistently good across the board, as they will only interview the top 250. There isn't much room for 'potential' and if they have a bad day on one paper, it will bring them down. My personal opinion is that the exam isn't quite 'tutor-proof'.

[DarlingOscar]

No 11+ exam is tutor proof though really? But that doesn't mean that untutored kids can't do well too.

Apologies, the reasoning element must be newish, or perhaps I'm blanking out the details from when dc went through this!

[Icouldprobablygetaplace]

'No 11+ exam is tutor proof though really? But that doesn't mean that untutored kids can't do well too.'

I agree - but a tutored child is less likely to stumble, unlike a child who is facing the types of questions for the first time. In addition, there is no weighting for V /NVR at Alleyns, it is equal to the maths and English, therefore the supposedly 'not tutorable' part bears no more significance.

[FlumePlume]

Trevor Do you mean an academic scholarship at SPGS? I’m sure that I’ve read on their website that they only do music scholarships at Y7 entry, not academic.