4 rejections from senior schools - options?

Really feel for you. My DD is going through the same process at the moment. I echo some comments re the tutor advice though - all 5 of the schools you mention are super tough. I would have chosen a couple of slightly less competitive ones such as Surbiton High and Ibstock Place. Both those exams have been done now (Ibstock was today) so they won’t be able to commit immediately. I think the prep suggestion is a great one as indeed many girls will be leaving now. Good luck for Putney. That is super tough too though so please ensure your DD doesn’t get too disheartened if she doesn’t make it.

Also worth calling Christ’s once results out on 1 March to make sure you are on the waitlist and to ask when last year a child on your road/immediate area gained a place. Your head might also know. If you PM me I have a pretty good idea from previous years!!

Hi john249, I really feel for you. If it’s any consolation I also have a child going through it now (3 exams. 3 rejections!) and having been through twice with my elder two this year seems to be tough, lots of disappointment. I fear Ibstock and NHE are hugely competitive- esp NHE- and ibstock’s exam was I believe today. I have had friends in similar situations. They had late offers from st Catherine’s and St james girls
, and one I believe had an offer from Surbiton but that was two or three years ago. Your tutor should be able to advise. St Benedicts said that they’ve had 40% more applications than two years ago (new head) but I would be surprised if it’s as competitive yet as Putney/NHE/KGS. You may well get Christ’s but perhaps not in the first round- you might need to wait until June /July or so- unfortunately the state school waiting lists are comparatively slow to the indie sector

It is still worth keeping in touch with admissions people at schools likely to be many families’ banker choices. They go a long way down the waitlist (and even beyond) and so do other schools. I know people offered places right up to the end of August and these are more sought after schools. Some people do have more money than sense and sit on 2 places and also circumstances change. I would call once the initial acceptances are in and be clear you are very keen. Good luck. Your tutor has done a disservice by suggesting KGS as a back up which is a hugely popular coed school. I’m sure you will end up somewhere your DD is happy with even if it is a challenging process now. (Extra good luck with PHS).

St Catherine’s had approx 180 girls sitting for 60/80 places and some of the girls coming through from juniors. Obviously not all 180 will have it as first choice but I’m not sure how accommodating it will be at this late stage I’m afraid.

Just another thing - depending on where you live, St John’s in Leatherhead have a bus from Putney. It is a fantastic school but in an area with lots of fantastic schools so it may have places.

I’m a teacher in a west London prep school. Kew House is very oversubscribed now and there will little chance of a place there. I wouldn’t bother with Ibstock either. Radnor and St Catherine’s in Twickenham are definitely worth calling though. Until the consortium results are out they probably won’t be able to do much to help.

I feel your pain as I am dealing with senior schools for work and also have an 11+ age daughter who has just had a no from one school already. This year is a bumper year and LEH for example had record numbers apply for only 60 places. Horrible horrible process.

Have the schools given any feedback? It might be worth asking which area she was weaker in eg maths/English and see if it corresponds with the other schools. If she was weak in maths in one school but weak in English in another you could try contacting the schools she has been rejected from to explain this or havevthis information at hand to discuss with other heads you might approach. I’m not sure if all the schools give this feedback though. Good luck. Rejection is horrible but remember lots selected to go through to the interview stage won’t actually be offered a place in the end.

I’m sorry that your dd is in this position. 11+ process for London day schools is brutal. I was in a similar position to you a few years ago. Hopefully PHS will work out and she will get a place there. If that doesn’t happen and you don’t have state school option that you are ok with then either

A) find a prep place for 2 years and try again at 13+ for a day school or a boarding school place. There is always some movement at Y9 in London day schools. If you are in a prep you will have support for the process that you didn’t have this time being at a state school. I think finding a prep place should be easy.

Or

B) target less selective day schools as suggested by pp but be realistic. Make a list and phone round the registrars. Consider recent results of each school as a guide to how selective they are. Notting Hill and Ealing is very similar to PHS and so I don’t think your dd has a good chance of an offer there if she doesn’t get offered PHS. In addition to other schools already mentioned I would try St James School for girls. Registrar there was lovely to me and very helpful when I was in a similar position. Also try Queen’s Gate School. They have a lot of bilingual girls. There is St Benedicts and St Augustine in Ealing too.

Feltonfleet for two years would be a fantastic choice if you’re considering 13+ boarding. Their ethos is brilliant, more rounded than other schools.

There are quite a few girls preps in Battersea that go to 13 but lose a lot of girls at 11+ so they might well have spaces for yeard 7 and 8 if not too far away.

Another one suggesting Feltonfleet for 7 and 8.

Less selective schools may well have a second sitting once initial results for other schools are out.

A friend of mine was in a similar situation. Her DD now thriving at Notting Hill and Ealing School. I don’t think that’s been mentioned yet but might be worth adding to your list. Good luck.

Sorry to be negative but Ibstock is also a very popular school. However you may have more luck with some of the others mentioned above.

Are they outright rejections or wait-listed? There is often movement on the lists due to the same girls all getting offers at all schools.

Don't know London schools well at all, but other boarding options would be St Catherines in Bramley, or Priorsfield in Godalming.

KGS is no longer a back up school. It might have been 5+ years ago but it has become extremely competitive since then.

I'd speak to Ibstock. I know children who have been offered places there post 11+ after failing to get into other schools. Being bilingual will be to her advantage too.

Also, St Catherine's in Twickenham. Again, I know girls who have sat and been offered places there after 11+ results have gone out.

I can recommend Godstowe Prep in High Wycombe. Most leave at 13. This might suit you but there will be others nearer you. Prep schools will have taught separate subjects for two years prior to y7, but a bright child would thrive there. As a few leave at 11 to go to local Grammars, they usually have spaces.

We got the rejection letters this week too and it is just the worst when you know that you have a bright, wonderful child & they still don’t make the cut.
I would look again at schools that you may not have considered in the first round of applying and go through the process of phoning them to find out at what point they would typically look to their waiting list and how you might go about joining it.
It’s a horrible time!

Agree re Kew House. Also try Ibstock Place. If you do look at Portland Place also look at Queens College.

If you are considering girls boarding Prep schools speak to Feltonfleet in Cobham, they have a large number of girls from 11 and weekly boarding, you can ring them on Monday and take a tour before 1st March. Feltonfleet is used by the more central London preps for girls who don't get offers from Common Entrance exams.

Have you thought of Portland Place? It would be a journey from Kew, but worth looking/enquiring about late applications?

I know girls in similar positions who have sat late for Surbiton High and Radnor House and got places- worth a try?