Common Entrane Exams

but those are not really the tier below. Does it need to be boarding ? What about Christ's Hospital or Brighton College?

Tonbridge don't do CAS they set their own scholarship exam which is timetabled at roughly the same time or they take CE - is his T place therefore being assessed on the latter and you want him to sit CAS for another ? Unless he has done CAS syllabus work and practice essays I think you may find it demoralising for him to attempt to do so now and then have to sit CE. Eastbourne and Ardingly are perceived as lesser academically although there will be some pupils who excel and would seem an odd back up choice for a child who is also a Tonbridge candidate. He must have done well in the T pretest to be considered anyway.

You are totally correct milkshake people do chop and change up until the last minute as we see on this board but sadly at many of these schools you have to part with a registration fee to be able to do this. These registration fees are then taken over by confirming your place fees often in our experience 12 - 18 months out and they are serious money(or at least they were to us!!).

Re: W, I think the something else has to be pretty exceptional ( national sport, gr5++ music). They are (currently) so oversubscribed they can pick and choose. I second what goinggetstough said about pressure pressure pressure once you are there!

mollie you have lots of time. Your DS will change a lot between year 4-8 and so will the schools! Go and see them all and keep an open mind. People chop and change right up until the feb before common entrance ( and sometimes after)!

That should be pass mark not rate.

I think the pass rate is lower if you have something else to offer Wellington, eg music, sport etc.

We looked at Bradfield for our DS. It didn't suit our family as there were a lot of weekly boarders. One of its selling points that makes it different from some other schools is that all 13+entrants go into a mixed house Faulkners before moving onto the separate houses.

Marlborough is taking applications up until Sept 2015.

You mention that Wellington has a low CE pass mark, maybe they have flexibility but the DCs I know there were all 60% + candidates and once there, it seemed quite a lot of academic pressure was applied. This is second hand information but although I wouldn't expect it to have a pass mark similar to Winchester College I wouldn't have viewed it as a low pass mark either. Plus it may be affected by the fact that they have already selected via pre testing in year 7?

Time seems to fly by when they are at prep school .....

Ds is in yr 3. I think Radley would suit him. They said we'd stand a better chance via the Warden's List or scholarship. No idea about Bradfield other than it looks nice and is close. Wellington seems very London-centric although an option for a low CE pass (at least that is what Wellington head told our head, not sure I'd like to test that). Not thought about Marlborough. Fortunately we have lots of time to mull over possibles.

Mollie - is your DS year 4? You have lots of time! The Radley wait list will move so keep the faith! Radley and Bradfield are very different! Have you looked round Marlborough and Wellington. Could be 2 more coed options in a similar geographic area.

Radley or Bradfield are my current favourites. He's on the waiting list at Radley as I didn't register him early enough. According to the head Radley would be possible but not Eton (which is very local but I can't picture ds going there).

MolliO if your DS is joining in yr 4 then your head should have plenty of time to assess him especially if your looking for boarding. Ok you may have or about to have missed the registration for places like St Paul's boys but most of the super selective interview in yr 6 and registration can easily take place in yr 5 and if your DS has a late birthday as late as yr 6 for Eton. Most of the other schools selective or less selective have a much later registration. Also most heads are pretty good at assessing children and advising them about schools if not your in the wrong prep. Lets face it thats what they are there for; my DS for example joined his prep in yr 3 and within 8 weeks we were advised by the head to send him to Win Coll. It does help if you have some idea as to where you want to send him.

Ds is moving schools for yr 4 so his new head is going to have to make a fairly quick assessment of likely senior schools! His current school wouldn't have a clue as it's geared up for changing at 11 rather than 13.

Mollie O our discussions started in years 4/5. Epsom require registration 3 years prior to entry minimum (ie they closed 2014 entry in Autumn last year then pretested those kids in January of this) so would be surprised if they would consider a new application now and usually they require above 60% unless he has other talents (sports, drama etc). A C grade at CAS is still viewed as A at CE btw.

"most have their own scholarship papers. Schools' own scholarship exams are taken early in the spring term, well ahead of CS."
Eton and Win Coll write their own scholarship papers and the boys sit it in May!!
I do agree with the above if you don't think you DS will pass CE for Tonbridge I don't quite understand why you think he would pass the CAS.
I think you will have to go for a school with a lower CE pass mark and vacancies in 7 years at prep I only know one who failed CE and that was for Tonbridge!
But you are right to be exceedingly cross with your prep head i'd be hopping.

Mollie I agree with cows seriously started looking by the end of year 4/ year 5. This is fine unless you are applying to a school which you have to be on the list earlier. We were not so that didn't apply. Prior to year 4 though I looked at friend's DCs who were at various schools as at the end the day it is the product that is important. We also went to the Independent Schools Show in London. This helped us cut down on our list for visiting. I know people have previously said that these shows can confuse but we found it useful. Our DC's headmaster was also very helpful in steering us in the right direction.

cogs started turning at my sons prep when he was in year 5 Mollie...
My DS has done his scholarship papers (not CS- schools own) for the senior he is going to in February and we have already accepted his scholarship and place before start of March. DS is still doing CE in summer, don't know why, I suppose just to tick the box, cross the t and dot the i!!
What has your ds's HM said about this to you? Its all very late to start looking isn't it? At DS's school all scholars are streamed in year 7 and 8 and taught away from the rest of the year. Just assumed this was how it is done in all schools.
wish you luck with your search. Sorry I'm not much help, I didn't know you could do CS and CE... Senior my son is going to set their own papers so we worked towards their level they had set.

Hope you don't mind me asking but how far ahead are you supposed to start visiting possible schools and drawing up a list? When will the prep head have a chat with you about which schools to apply to? I assume before year 6 but how long before year 6?

CS generally takes place about a month before the CE summer examination. This is administered by the senior school rather than the prep school.

It is a different set of papers from CE. Only a handful of schools use CS; most have their own scholarship papers. Schools' own scholarship exams are taken early in the spring term, well ahead of CS.

A scholarship candidate will need a very strong reference from the prep head.

I didn't realise there are different papers for CAS and CE until I read this thread! If the OP has listened to the head then, from what you say, this sort of experience must be pretty rare.

I think you still have to go through the Y6/7 pretest for CS. Basically, pass the pretest (which is generally VR/NVR), accept a conditional place, the register for scholarship via the prep school.

I really don't see the logic in applying for scholarship if the CE is in doubt. The more reasonable step would be to apply to a non-selective school.

It is extremely rare to fail CE to an appropriate school. The system is actually very good at matching up boys to the right schools. It falls down when parents insist on a particular school against the advice of their prep school head.

Iirc the OP's son has a conditional place but after his CE mocks the head doesn't think he'll get the required mark and I assume he doesn't think he can improve sufficiently between now and CE date.

OP (I think) is looking for alternatives that have space and may require lower than 60% for CE pass. I suppose her thought re CAS is those exams are sooner so if her ds doesn't do well enough to pass CAS but does well enough to get a pass equivalent to CE he will be offered a place without having to wait to sit CE proper in June.

Assuming the OP has followed the head's guidance in the original school selection I think she has every right to be disappointed with the head. I'd be livid to end up in that position.

I'm really, really confused about your situation, OP.

Does your DS already have a place at a senior school, conditional upon passing CE. Are you worried that he will not pass his CE? Did you follow the HM's advice re this school, or did he actively advise against it.

If your DS is dodgy with CE, why do you think he will pass CS?

Perhaps you could look for a place at a school where the majority of intake is at 11+. They may just go with their own exam as and when, rather than synching with traditional prep/senior schools.

Why are you disappointed with your HM?

Sorry I''m confused now . They will normally accept CAS in lieu of CE but not vice versa. Which has he been prepared for ? Are you being advised not to enter him for CAS at all, when the exams are just over a month away Epsom currently rely on CE although they have recently introduced a Year 6 pretest for entry in 2014, Hurst is also CE, Ardingly have their own exam so with the first 2 you still won't get a guaranteed place just yet.