what to do if no 11+ offers?

Mount House is another one to try

I was going to suggest calling up Northbridge House

So sorry to hear this - can you say that they made the waiting list which is also a huge achievement (to ensure they don't feel bad about themselves)?

Feel your pain too. It’s been a brutal process and now we’re in a position where have no idea what to do. The schools we went for were ‘gentle selective’ and even though son is strong at maths is mildly dyslexic so Comprehension and creative writing isn’t his strong point. Got to interview stage as well, so must have ‘met’ their academic criteria to then not gets offers. I don’t think he cut the grade in the first place. 😕

Oh wow. I know this is an old thread, but thanks to the OP for posting. This is exactly where we are at today, and the guilt of putting my DS through this process is killing me! Wish I had never bothered. Passed two rounds of tests x3 but, in retrospect, he was never going to ‘be’ enough at interview I think.

Ah sorry the Radnor thing was another thread I think! I am getting all the 11+ threads confused....

Kew house make offers in mid February I think - I believe it's quite heavily subscribed these days and harder to get into than it used to be. It is also rumoured that Radnor House didn't even use its waiting list last year.

Mount House is non-selective and only heard good things from people with kids there. Might be worth a shot, although I don't know how popular they will be this year

Feeling for you Clevud, there seems a particular shortage of places for moderately bright boys. Kew House are opening a sister school in Maida Vale, because it’s new and ‘unproven’ it might have spaces available and they won’t have sibling demand yet - perhaps worth a try?

I think Kew sat exams last week, not sure how oversubscribed they are this year or whether they have started making offers, but they place a lot of emphasis on the interview which may suit your child better?

Best of luck.. it’s stressful!

Not exactly the same- DS was rejected from all 3 choices on allocation day, given an absolute sink school (worst 10 in Country). Don't give up we managed to get him a scolarship prep place, an "in year transfer" grammar place and eventually a place for his favoured school off the waiting list. It's early days stay calm. IME prep school registrars are lovely people and V.supportive.

Leeloo1 I've pm-ed you. Yogic calm is probably exactly what is required...

It sounds like you’ve decided not to apply for ‘banker’ schools as you’d prefer a state school? It sounds like you’ll be happy with the local comp if you have no success with the indies?

We are not far from you OP - in Westminster borough.

In the same bucket here. Ds did 8 schools which was a huge number but he is strong in maths and poor in literacy (some dyslexia) and I thought (and his primary ht thought) he might get in where his friends are going (some have already gone at 10+).

He’s been been rejected outright from the top four. The bottom four I would only feel comfortable about two of them - the bottom bottom two just don’t seem worth it in terms of facilities or stretch for his strong subjects (one is Northbridge House - interested to hear views on this).

I am somewhat panicking. Our state options are not at all good so although he’ll have a school to go to I have serious concerns about them.

Do I look for a prep school - do the prep heads really make a difference or is that all rubbish ?

Pm-ing! No yoga breathing required! 😂

@PatienceVirtue, do you mind saying (or om'ing) where your ds ended up? We're possibly going to be in a similar position to the one you and the op describe. My son was also hugely disheartened after the grammar school tests (3000 applicants! 😲) and we've had a no for 2 schools already - 1 was a stretch school, but 1 he should have at least got an interview. Now we're waiting to hear from another stretch school and our back up, but it's nerve wracking!

You could consider weekly boarding out of London.

OP I'm massively over-identifying with you as this was exactly how I felt with my eldest. He was top table (but not top of top table) in a pretty rough primary and is a very sweet boy but with no particular talents nor was he articulate. Seeing these swarms of children in shiny blazers with chess champion badges at the exams made me feel like I'd fed a lamb to the slaughter.

Private school turned from being just an option that we'd consider to something that I ended up craving (esp since we'd also been stupid enough to put him in for two state grammars, unsuccessfully). Only to boost his fragile self-esteem. Which had only been damaged by stupid decision to put him up for this ridiculous judgment.

Even now I feel quite angry about the whole thing. It feels like a bit of a con. And this is having had three children go through it, do really well, be at great schools where they're happy etc.

I really hope you're being unnecessarily pessimistic. Please keep us informed (like I say, I'm over-identifying!).

You’ll get a place. Honestly, apart from the topity top schools you’ll get a place for her. Look at Northbridge House, St Margaret’s Hampstead, St Margaret’s Bushey and Aldenham will always take girls because their girls numbers are so low. You might have to travel but any of the tier 2 schools have places even if it’s not until later in the process when the lists really move.

Only because if you are desperate for a school place on the 2 March you may get a place at PH. The last distance offered goes quite far at offer day and even further after. It gives marylebone and CSG a run for their money whilst being almost truly comprehensive (single sex).

If you haven’t already put Parliament Hill down I would do so as soon as you can after 2 March. Should you need it of course!

@clevud Another option is prep for Yrs 7 and 8, then look at 13+. A prep head will offer a lot of help with this - that’s their job.

I agree with QGMum about getting in touch with registrars if you get waiting list places - the ‘middle level’ schools have got a massive balancing job to do to fill their places accurately. A very keen waiting list child is an asset.

Contact your waiting list school as soon as the offers come out and then again after March 2nd when the state places are allocated. Lots of families will have applied to independent schools just in case they don’t get into their favoured state - those places are returned over the next few weeks, depending when deposits are due.

If you are not willing to pay for a ‘medium ranking’ school, then it’s important to keep that in mind and not get panicked into desperately hunting for a place - any place! Prep for 7 and 8 or decent state school with additional weekend sport/music/culture may be your best option.