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Original poster

Hockerill Anglo European Collage - entry via aptitude test

89 replies

rosemaryc · 06/05/2015 14:13

Just posting here too (put this on the main Education board a few days ago). Many thanks to anyone with any insight.

Hi, we are in the same county but a long way from the catchment area (1hr away). Anyone here's DC done this test, especially if applying from outside the catchment area? I know it's very competitive.
Thank you!

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MmeMorrible · 01/06/2015 23:30

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Badpups · 01/06/2015 22:42

Not sure if this is too late but thought I'd add to the conversation. DD sat the aptitude tests and got one of the places! Sorry if this is long winded but hopefully it will help someone.

There are 2 tests that are sat on the same day in September one after the other. The first is language aptitude and the second is music aptitude. There were no maths or English tests (I think that Dame Alice Owen test like this). Knowing other languages or playing instruments was no advantage - as already stated the test is purely looking at aptitude for languages and/or music. It wasn't possible to prepare for the tests in any way.

We were sent the test results in October - before the deadline for state school applications. The results only gave percentages; one for language, one for music and one combined. However, they didn't give any idea of ranking so although we knew that DD had got a higher mark than had been required the previous year we had no idea about how she ranked for the tests that she sat. I believe that over 300 children sat for the 12 places that are available (7 for language, 3 for music and 2 combined).

We applied for both a day and a boarding place but our preference was day so we put this first.

DD loves being at Hockerill. She has made loads of friends, both day pupils and boarders, and the school is stretching her academically.
Waiting for the email in February telling us the school that she'd been allocated was incredibly stressful but, as someone said to us after we found out, we feel as though we've won the lottery considering that a comparable education in the private sector would cost us over £100k.

One point - the closing date to apply to sit the tests is in July so before the end of Year 5.

MmeMorrible · 30/05/2015 20:44

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 30/05/2015 14:39

Mme Morrible, can I ask how you dealt with the boarding need issue if you were originally going for day boarding?
I think I'm right in thinking you at least find out the test scores soon after the test, so you can get a feeling for your chances at least against those min. scores.

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Riverside1 · 30/05/2015 12:53

Sorry meant to say I am looking at Hockerill too!! Looks like it might be best to hedge bets As you say Mme M as it is a risky plan and you need good back ups. The school website is good in that at least you know the odds up front.

Riverside1 · 30/05/2015 12:48

It is a lottery but of course it's advantage over, say a grammar school, is the sibling rule. It appears that siblings took more than half the day places this year. The problem is getting dd1 inHmm but she does at least have a hope re tests, whereas I don't think dd2 would!

MmeMorrible · 30/05/2015 12:38

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OVienna · 30/05/2015 12:06

Good lord.

Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 18:47

It also gives the lowest successful aptitude scores;
Language 93.8
Combined 90.1
Music 90.9
but of course no idea what this means :-) %?

Also says 7 out of 52 boarding places allocated to girls day boarding (15 total day boarding)

Furthest distance place allocated was 283m!

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 17:45

Omg :-( That's pretty tough!
DD also at a fee paying prep but due to my bad health and uncertain future earning capacity can't move DD2 there and can't continue through seniors with 2. If we'd known this was going to happen we might have started out in a different area!
If you apply for both a day place via aptitude and a day boarding place, are you able to rank which you prefer?

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OVienna · 29/05/2015 17:34

Mme, yes we're scared. We're very scared! Wink

I know - Herts sounds like a nightmare with the school allocation process. We are also trying for a school up north but will poss struggle to relocate. DD at a fee paying prep now but I am not impressed with the local privates in our area on terms of cost and quality. But that's another thread!!

MmeMorrible · 29/05/2015 16:51

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 16:08

also nowhere else that does the IB and gives some degree of a bilingual education (DH is French).

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 16:03

Any info much appreciated OVienna :-)
No not visited yet but will next school year. Trouble is we don't really have a plan B as though in Herts we are nowhere near any other selectives and only a 50% chance of getting into the ok school in our nearest town!

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OVienna · 29/05/2015 16:00

I'm meeting a friend next week and will find out more.

Have u visited? We haven't. The teachers love it there.

Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 14:40

Thank you OVienna. Please do let me know how it all goes later in the year (given that we are a year behind you)?

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OVienna · 29/05/2015 11:58

You can apply for a day boarding and a normal day place. This is what we are doing.

MmeMorrible · 29/05/2015 10:51

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 09:58

Do you know of any stats re how many normally take the aptitude tests MmeM? thanks again

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 09:47

Ah thank you MmeMorrible - I had missed that. So basically they are allocating 12 out of 68 day places (this year) on the basis of the aptitude tests.

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MmeMorrible · 29/05/2015 09:31

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 08:53

Can you apply for both a day boarding and a day place (with preference for the latter) via the aptitude tests?

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Original poster
rosemaryc · 29/05/2015 08:50

Thanks for all this insight MmeMorrible. Would be really appreciated if you do have any info from someone who sat the tests. Will look more at the day boarding option as well. We also have a younger DD too but my understanding is that siblings get priority so the issue is finding a way to get the oldest one a place!? As OVienna says, hard not to get hopes up, particularly if trying via the test route.

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MmeMorrible · 28/05/2015 20:21

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OVienna · 28/05/2015 19:51

To be honest that is JUST what I am looking for, what you've described. I have a younger DD to consider but it feels like we also have a chance of going au pair free sooner than I anticipated as well, if we go down this route. The whole thing might really work for our lifestyle. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though.