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All schools rejected at 11+. What now?

187 replies

lirik · 13/02/2023 13:57

Apologies for the wall of text and a clickbaity title. One school, The Leys in Cambridge, put our daughter on waiting list with final answer due March 8th, and 10 others rejected.

We are based overseas, planning to move to UK this summer. Daughter is currently at NLCS (Singapore).

We have hired education consultants to help navigate UK schooling landscape, aid with school selection, applications, etc. We have also engaged tutors to help prep for 11+ over past year or so.

Now that most schools rejected, consultants are proposing to consider Fulham till 13+ and try again after two years, or just stay at Fulham senior till sixth form.
Another option is to try apply to few schools that haven't done their tests yet. Namely we currently have on our radar Eaton Square Senior School and Radnor House.
A good friend recommends to settle in area with good and outstanding schools only and hire tutors aiming for 13+ or sixth-form.
Locationwise we'd prefer London but can entertain outside London commutable to city. In a pinch if need be can consider pretty much anywhere in UK. I recon I can reach an agreement with the employer.

OP posts:
HawaiiWake · 13/02/2023 14:58

Enter Fulham Prep and apply to other places.
11+ consortium is an adaptive, Atom tests which is new this year.
I suggest you look at schools with other exams styles, maybe paper and pen types.
Get Good school guide online subscriptions to review options.
London secondary schools at 11+ is just fierce but you could enter DD to less selective and move at 13+. I know it is a worry but we knew HK family whose DD failing at 11+ and 13+ but gone to non super selective school and ended at sixth form, A Levels Westminster school with Oxbridge and Ivy offers.

Pipsquiggle · 13/02/2023 14:57

OP - are you looking for both state and private options?

Are you open to boarding schools?

The problem with state schools is that they won't process anything until you are physically in the country with a verified address (there are a few exceptions e.g. military & foreign office)

SheilaFentiman · 13/02/2023 14:57

lirik · 13/02/2023 14:44

Ugh. So what happens in this situation? Kids just don't get into any school? Pardon my ignorance. I haven't explored state school option at all. My bad.

You will be given a place in a school that’s as close as is available to where you end up living. But it may not be your first or second choice! It will be a case of which school can take an extra pupil. All allocations are made soon and then there will be waiting lists for full schools. But you need to apply from the address where yin will be living.

TimeForMeToF1y · 13/02/2023 14:55

lirik · 13/02/2023 14:48

I don't mind. I finished state school. My daughter can manage too.

I'm trying to find best option available to me in this situation. I know there are good state schools. I haven't explored this mostly because they are likely more competitive than independent. At least that was my assumption.

I think you may be misundrstanding the term state school, the poster is saying to send your daughter to a regular freely provded school like 90% of the UK school aged population

lirik · 13/02/2023 14:54

Trickleg · 13/02/2023 14:15

NLCS London is one of the most selective schools in the country!

Indeed. NLCS Singapore however opened just recently and are still expanding. It is easy to get a spot here. The teachers are great. The environment is not very competitive. Maybe we should just stick around here till uni, eh?

OP posts:
Gertrudegraduate · 13/02/2023 14:54

You mention Radnor. Will they be able to offer a place (are offers not out already?) and if they can, what assurances can they give that the new building will be ready? Would you consider living that far out, or having a long commute for your DD?

DD was a pupil there in the current building and loved it.

lirik · 13/02/2023 14:52

ItsTrueLou · 13/02/2023 14:15

With that many rejections for a child with private tutors and seemingly unlimited resources to attain educational goals, I suggest you look at less academic, private schools and focus on her receiving good pastoral care and allowing her to enjoy her school days. Nothing is worse than being bottom of the class all the time in an overachieving environment. Not all private schools are for high achievers.

I appreciate this sentiment. Thank you for voicing this. It is indeed something we think about a lot. In the end of the day our goal is to make sure our daughter grows up happy.

OP posts:
lirik · 13/02/2023 14:48

TallulahBetty · 13/02/2023 14:13

You'll have to slum it in a state school with the rest of the great unwashed.

I don't mind. I finished state school. My daughter can manage too.

I'm trying to find best option available to me in this situation. I know there are good state schools. I haven't explored this mostly because they are likely more competitive than independent. At least that was my assumption.

OP posts:
lirik · 13/02/2023 14:45

Trickleg · 13/02/2023 14:12

Try Ewell Castle or Hall School Wimbledon - both accept applications outside the usual cycle.

Thank you.

OP posts:
woohooho · 13/02/2023 14:45

Fulham Senior does stay at y9 and has been open a few years now. Know happy children there.

lirik · 13/02/2023 14:44

SheilaFentiman · 13/02/2023 14:10

If you move in the summer, I don’t think state schools will get back to you before the start of term.

Ugh. So what happens in this situation? Kids just don't get into any school? Pardon my ignorance. I haven't explored state school option at all. My bad.

OP posts:
lirik · 13/02/2023 14:42

HawaiiWake · 13/02/2023 14:14

NCLS Singapore, any chance for NCLS London?
Fulham Senior, and apply for 13+, also check for occasional places since London you have family relocation for work.
Get a list of places you want to apply or reapply. London ones, which ones did you apply for? Others on MN can maybe help with suggestions that you didn’t have on your initial list.

No. NLCS London is out of question. We did apply, mostly because daughter wanted to try and we wanted to encourage her will to take up the challenge. Predictably got rejected. Very few manage to move from NLCS (something) to NLCS London.

In London we applied to Highgate, and 11+ consortium (Channing, Queen's college, Francis Holland).

For Fulham, my understanding Fulham senior starts at year 9 and it is a very new school opened just recently. So proposal is to enter Fulham primary till 13+ at which point either go for Fulham senior or some other school.

OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 13/02/2023 14:33

Have you considered moving to a local authority area that doesn't have the 11 plus? Bristol doesn't.

lirik · 13/02/2023 14:31

SheilaFentiman · 13/02/2023 14:09

Do you have a uk address?

No. We are currently in Singapore, waiting for work visa, aiming to move this summer.

OP posts:
RudsyFarmer · 13/02/2023 14:30

I enjoy these threads. It’s just watching privilege play out. Nice.

ghislaine · 13/02/2023 14:28

A couple of options:

Hill House in Chelsea: hillhouseschool.co.uk/admissions. Traditional prep that goes to 13, co-ed.
London Park School in Clapham: www.londonparkschools.com/. New senior school (11-18), co-ed. Admissions process still running but you need to register by 22 Feb.
Portland Place in central London near Regent's park: www.portland-place.co.uk/. Senior school that goes from 10-16, co-ed. Has a reputation for not being very selective. I'm not sure about their admissions cycle.

Another potential track is to look at the international schools which may well be more flexible in their admissions and are catering to a different market: eg

halcyonschool.com/. IB curriculum. Senior school (11-18), co-ed. Rolling admissions.
www.southbank.org/. IB curriculum. All-through school (3-18), co-ed. Rolling admissions.

There are also a couple of American schools if that appeals - one in Cobham, Surrey and one in St John's Wood on the edge of Regent's Park.

If you have any feedback from the schools your daughter didn't get into that might help with decisions.

Good luck - you should be pushing your educational consultants to help more. Clearly their advice was not good if she was put forward for so many schools which have proved unsuitable.

PrincessW11 · 13/02/2023 14:21

If your daughter was turned down for NLCS & other similar super selective London day schools, these are all highly competitive schools with 9/10 applicants for each place. DM me for more info, Yr 8 daughter

PatriciaHolm · 13/02/2023 14:20

From your OP, it sounds as if you do have an offer, from Fulham School?

At this point, given the stress your daughter has already been under and the existing list of (presumably the most sort after private schools in London, but it would help if you said which) that sounds like the best idea. Then you can reassess in 2 years depending on how she settles.

Fulham is a good school. It's not one of the top academic ones and doesn't pretend to be, but it will give her a good education.

GU24Mum · 13/02/2023 14:19

Did your current school guide you about what sort of schools your daughter was likely to get in to or was it just the education consultant?

Are you willing to say which schools your applied to so people can see if they were all very academic and what the next level "down" might be. At the moment it's a bit of a scrum as offers are only just out but in a couple of weeks, things will settle down and some schools will definitely still have places and will offer to test your daughter.

SamPoodle123 · 13/02/2023 14:18

Also, I am curious what these consultants advised you on. It sounds like they were not doing their job. They could have given better direction on what schools to apply to based on your dd ability. Also, advice on how to prepare for the 11+. As pp suggested, check out Fulham Prep. Or also Thomas's Senior.

HawaiiWake · 13/02/2023 14:17

TallulahBetty · 13/02/2023 14:13

You'll have to slum it in a state school with the rest of the great unwashed.

Not as easy to get into state schools if there is no UK address and maybe non UK passport with work visa pending.

SaltyGod · 13/02/2023 14:16

It sounds as if your daughter wasn't suited to the type of school that you applied for, but without knowing which ones it's hard to advise. My assumption is that you might have gone for bigger name academic ones.

Spaces do open up at The Leys so that might be an option. If you're happy with Cambridge you might get a last minute spot at St Mary's or perhaps Kings Ely. Kimbolton might be another option if you don't mind commuting to London from St Neots area and living rurally. And there are similar schools the other side of Cambridge too. Do post on a local board for advice if you want area specific info.

There are lots of 'good' private schools that will offer an all round education but aren't hugely academic and will likely have open places once the dust has settled. It's easier that you have just one child to find a space for.

Perhaps this all round school is a better option for you if moving from abroad, but again, hard to tell without knowing where you applied.

Wishing you and your daughter good luck in finding the right place.

Trickleg · 13/02/2023 14:15

NLCS London is one of the most selective schools in the country!

ItsTrueLou · 13/02/2023 14:15

With that many rejections for a child with private tutors and seemingly unlimited resources to attain educational goals, I suggest you look at less academic, private schools and focus on her receiving good pastoral care and allowing her to enjoy her school days. Nothing is worse than being bottom of the class all the time in an overachieving environment. Not all private schools are for high achievers.

HawaiiWake · 13/02/2023 14:14

NCLS Singapore, any chance for NCLS London?
Fulham Senior, and apply for 13+, also check for occasional places since London you have family relocation for work.
Get a list of places you want to apply or reapply. London ones, which ones did you apply for? Others on MN can maybe help with suggestions that you didn’t have on your initial list.

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