Has anyone managed to get into a top school after homeEd?

Don’t prep them for interviews! The senior schools can spot that a mile off and they don’t like it. Be natural and able to cg at about what they like and enjoy etc. Not about what they are told to say. My DD1 went to senior boarding from a pretty average state school. The DC in her year contained several high flyers though. Oxbridge grads now. Don’t judge a state school book by its cover and if you can help your DC learn and add to their school experience you can get into a decent senior school at age 11. If you want 13, I think a prep is best from 11-13.

@pinkducklings dd is now in year 11, so not that long ago! Our home Ed stint was with ds’s now year 9.

Are you now planning to settle down? 'A few' schools by Year 1 is an awful lot. Transitioning between schools frequently is detrimental to achievement, that is why forces premium exists and there are special services to support traveller children.

If you are going to move at that rate going forward it might be worth home schooling until Y5 or 6 and then looking at weekly boarding at a prep to 13+ so they can settle down with a peer group.

That’s right, no interviews for my son’s grammar. However my daughter’s independent school do some interviews but I think only for scholarships. At 11+ it was just Maths and English exams.

For 11+ entry to independent schools there’s no benefit in having been to a prep school from what I can see. Of course, you might want a prep school for other reasons - extra curricular, languages etc. You could do all these things though if you were home educating or as extras if you used state school. I know a lot of people find it easier to have it all in one place.

I don’t really believe this thing about prep schools being two years ahead. I think it’s just that their intakes are usually higher ability - but in our experience the higher ability kids were pushed to the same level at state primary. Dd had no problem keeping up with the girls from prep schools.

@ChateauMyself are you talking about year 9 entry to independent schools? I guess this is quite a different kettle of fish as they examine other subjects. In our experience with year 7 entry, it was just English and Maths and it made no difference whether they'd been to state school, prep school or been home educated. There was certainly no need for extra tutoring - although most people do it, so they would tell you it was necessary! Dd came out of the exams and said it was just like normal school work.

Gosh they're very young. I thought you were about to say they were years 5 and 6!

Chill. HE for a bit till you move, then check out local schools.

1. Have a look at the admissions section of the schools websites that you’re interested in. They won’t have section for home ed but should have details for state school entries.

1. The date for putting DCs names down for application are different for each school ie some are end yr 5, other much later. Check with each school. Some can be sticklers for this, others have a bit of flex if you’re not coming from a prep school.

1. Within the admissions pathway some schools use a pre-test. This will either be an internally compiled paper by the school or an external one ie ISEB Pre Test. This can be as early as autumn yr 6.

1. CE exams. Some schools use these in yr 8, others don’t or write their own. Usually used for setting rather than entry. Old papers can be bought. The CE scholarship papers are useful.

Whatever your route be sure to get in writing the school’s policy and entry requirements. Esp regarding the testing. If you don’t have access to the SATS/CATS and Pre Test, this is for the schools to work around. You should not be penalised.
The entry requirements should guide you on the academic level needed by D.C.
Others may disagree but I’ve found the prep system to be academically ahead of state. My DS goes to an academic senior school and could have a good punt at the higher level maths GCSE papers now. He’s not the exception. Similarly, there’s not much left of the curriculum in Latin and Greek to learn. CE was a big push point. He’s yr9.

You’d get more help/support via state but not necessarily enough curriculum push needed for some of the more academic senior schools. State are not obliged to help you prep for the independent sector. You’d need to top up / use tutors.
If you home ed, you’re going to have to be very organised and push the academics, music and sport yourself. It’s a big ask.

Oh, forgot to add. Kids who are H.ed are still able to access all the extra curricular activities that the LA manage.
Obviously you can't join those that the actual school run for its pupils, but county ones even if held in a school are open to H.ed, if that makes sense.
My dd went to county orchestra, county drama, art groups etc.

Yes, my dd has done. However, the top school in question is a specialist school so not the normal ss private school, but still very selective.

My dd was H.ed for primary, but academic education wasn't the main focus.
I do know of H.ed kids who went on to Oxford, and it wasn't just one family, I've known a few and read about others.
I think with H.ed you have the advantage of being able to go as in depth with certain subjects that interest them, rather than just the coverage that the nc requires.
You have far more time to pursue extra curricular activities and hobbies.
I say go for it, you can always send them to school if it doesn't work out.

We home educated from last term of year 4 until the end of primary. Ds got into a grammar school - not sure how you’re defining a ‘top’ school?

Home educating through primary is fine, there’s loads of resources online and to be honest, the curriculum doesn’t get that challenging.

Depending on your area, you might find there are loads of home edders around and lots of activities going on - we did, but we’re in a large city.

However given they’re so little I wouldn’t rule out a local school when you move either. They will be there for at least four years so not particularly disruptive.

What secondary schools are you looking at? My dd got into what would probably be considered a top independent school (top 10 nationally if you’re going on results). She wasn’t home Ed, but she went to an Ofsted special measures primary in a very deprived area (two thirds of the pupils on free school meals). She wasn’t tutored. The entrance exams to these schools are based on national curriculum Maths and English, so There’s no need for prep school or special preparation. Obviously I understand there might be other benefits to prep school.

Well the third option is surely to be a SAHM, home ed until you move and then put in the local school?
Like PP, your DC are very young to be assuming you will home ed them for the next few years!

I'm not sure where you are defining top, but DD got into a selective day school after being HE'd for the last year of primary, and it wasn't an issue at all. All they were concerned about was her exam results and whether she seemed interesting and personable at interview.

However, I am not sure I would HE for that long - the main reason being that there aren't that many 'academic' HE families, and so you could find it a very lonely experience. We did. Matters less now, but does come year 5/6 when they want friends and more academic stimulation.