Not going to be Oxbridge material

Load of rubbish- I wouldn't have been assessed as Oxbridge material at that age (had reasonably conclusive proof in how well I did in entrance exam). But got in - as copthall says its a decision for down the line.

DDs school was quite rightly ruthless with any parents who mentioned the word Oxbridge before well into Year 12. They would rightly say that they would be supporting their DCs to make the choice that was right for them from amongst the many excellent options. DCs that cope well until GCSE can find the work at the higher level difficult whilst some that did not shine can come into their own.

Also to emphasise what others have said before, just think about the impact of widening access, to women, to schools that didn't traditionally send candidates, to overseas students and those with SLDs and ASD to Oxbridge and top unis. There are many many more able candidates applying and it is more difficult to get into top universities now than it once was to get into Oxbridge. The academics there find it increasingly difficult to select from so many able candidates and certainly in DDs cohort there were very able, 4A*students that did not get in and some not expected to that did, but some of those are doing courses that, if they actually wanted to go on to postgraduate research rather than just have Oxford on their CV, would not have been the best option. Do you really want your son to be aiming for such a narrow, uncertain and possibly even misguided, margin for success and huge chance of percieved failure?

I would facilitate him to indulge his interests, and focus his goals on excellence in those, exposing him to what is going on at other universities, so that he develops a perception of what he wants to aim for that is more aligned with reality. As someone with two DCs with SLDs I would also be focusing on ensuring that being below average in a very able cohort doesn't affect his confidence and that he appreciates he is within the top quartile of the population.

a) it's nuts to be worrying about it this early.

b) it would be even more nuts to move him from a school where he's really, really happy.

c) the school need have next to nothing to do with his application. The reference is the only point at which it cuts in and the exam results he gets in the next five to six years and the ability he shows in any aptitude tests are still going to weigh far more than any school reference. Apart from which the school will give him a glowing reference, certainly if he deserves it and almost certainly even if he doesn't :)

Should have said, it wasn't a school that sends 50% to oxbridge either. Think ca. 15 a 100+ 6th form went, some of whom had come from other schools for sixth form. Not boasting, just illustrating that the kind of test your DS did have their limitations - as does any such process.

While I agree with the above that it's early days, I'll answer your question. Yes we've been there. One DD went to what I think is called on MN a super-selective. 1st-term assessment put her in the bottom handful (horrid tutor waggled fingers of one hand at me) of the 90-something in the year. [Aside: leave you to imagine how I felt - hadn't had her coached, just did test papers at home, this was never meant to happen].

Guess where she ended up? She had no thoughts of oxbridge at that stage and it only really emerged slightly after GCSE and became a real possibility when AS's followed same trend.

We were told the test results would be used to flag anyone not meeting expectations. I guess DD couldn't do worse than expected, but we were never aware later on that anyone remembered or referred to them. They judged her on how she did during the term and in school exams. Your DS's school may be different, but hope not. Stay strong - he'll get a brilliant education with like-minded souls.

I agree that it is may be a bit soon to be worrying about this...

But I do think that there is a concerted effort out there to disadvtange kids who have parents who actually care about their education. As you allude to, if someone goes to a grammar/private/otherwise successful school, they have that counted against them for university admissions. It makes me sick to be honest. Just today on the BBC website there is Alan Milburn talking about lower offers for poor kids and other much nonsense! Your DS goes to a good school that gets lots of kids into Oxbridge...personally I think that should count in their favour when applying as the school obviously prepares its pupils well. Us parents should not have to move our kids to worse schools, and as you say your DS is happy, just because the government fancies a try at social engineering.

Best of luck to your DS, some kids take longer to develop and who is top at 11 is not the same as who is top at 16/17. Let him try stuff he enjoys and instill the value of hard work in him and he will probably surprise even himself.

However bright your child, it's probably wise to make sure they don't set all their hopes on Oxbridge. For every place there are 4 very able and enthusiastic candidates. Most of them won't get in. There's a strong element of luck involved in getting in, as well as ability. As a goal, it's a bit risky.

As a parent I'd be trying hard to show them alternatives. Oxbridge isn't the be all and end all. I did go to Oxford and enjoyed it, but it's not the best for every subject and every student, there are fantastic courses elsewhere in very good unversities.

Can I just say, it's very early to be worrying about Oxbridge entrance? Your son's still only 11 and a huge amount can happen in the seven years or so till university starts. While he has Aspergers and some 'rigidly fixed' life aims at the moment, there are still a few years yet to learn that there are other ways of achieving, that Oxford and Cambridge aren't the be-all and end-all, and that volunteering for a wide range of activities is just as important, if not more so, than grades. Even being a little bit 'odd' (if you'll excuse the word) can be a positive thing, if you know what you're good at.

For the record, I went to Nonsuch in the sixth form, and my feeling about it back then (about 25 years ago) was just like yours about your son's school. I got the feeling that they stratified you, and for a long time I wondered how many others in my year might have got into Oxbridge if they'd had a more supportive attitude. However, I can also add that my brother failed to get into Cambridge. When he got three A's at A-level, another Cambridge college offered him a place. He rejected it and went to Imperial.

HTH.

No experience (but an Oxbridge girl myself!) However moving school seems to me a bit drastic - even if he becomes top of the class elsewhere doesn't mean he will be any cleverer IYSWIM. And he's only 11 FGS - who knows how he will develop and blossom in the next many years? I have a 15 year old who was VERY average at 10/11 but now showing signs of being an A grade student at GCSE and maybe even beyond. Do you think his rigid aim is to do with the fact that he wants to follow in your footsteps? He can't actually know much about a particular Uni surely far less what he wants to study?

FWIW I think you need to explain that having aims is one thing (to be applauded) but sometimes for many reasons you can't always tick everything on the list and things change and he will change and you just need to go with the flow a bit in life generally. Obvs don't have experience with SN as to how easy this might actually be!

I think you are applying autistic thinking to this. Your ds may have different ambitions and want to change schools at year 11.

The makers of CATS tests don't even think that their test are accurate enough to predict who will be Oxbridge material in year 7. There is lots of evidence that shows that children's brains mature at different rates. CATs are designed to help pick up learning difficulties like dyslexia. Ie. if a child comes into a state school with level 3s and the CATs tests show the child has an IQ 150 then its possible the child has seriously unachieved due to undiagnosed specific learning difficulites.

CATS tests also test the entire range of intelligence, ie if your child's literacy/verbal ablities have let him down due to autism it could bring down his overal IQ score. He might be able to read maths at Oxbridge, but should avoid doing A-level English.

I imagine that most sensible schools will look at the child rather than CATs results after a few terms. Has your son been put in lower sets? Why don't you ask the school.

i think you should chill a bit. he's 11 - it's far too early to know which university will suit him - and given the pace of change in education and employment it might not be his best option anyway. i appreciate that the school may identify cohorts, but this is unlikely to be as rigid as you feel - although i can absolutely appreciate how it feels. all children, but particularly boys I think, develop at different paces so determining their future at 11 just isn't possible or sensible (and the rationale behind a lot of hostility to grammar schools)

and do bear in mind that getting in to Oxbridge requires an element of luck, even for the best candidates from schools wiht the best preparation. I can appreciate that Aspergers makes dealing with uncertainty harder but i think the best you can do for him is help him see that there are many many options for him and he should keep as many open for as long as possible.

Are you really sure that at the age of 11, the school has made a final decision on who will apply for Oxbridge? Have you spoken to the school about it?

My school decided in the latter years. At 11 how can they tell who will have a love of politics, of theology, of physics, chemistry etc....

I think he's very young for you to be worrying. Encourage him to work hard at school, see if he'll get involved in extra curricular activities, point out life beyond Oxbridge - dentistry, accounting, other subjects that they don't offer. Ultimately the school cannot stop him applying to whatever uni he wants & by the time he turns 17, they might have a different philosophy or a different opinion of him post 16 when he gets his exam results.