Channing - how smart to pass the 11+

Hi, OP. We used Atom for just under a year and found it quite helpful for rote test practice

• nothing fun, tbh, but it really helped my DD who has ADHD to plan her time and maintain focus. The platform also helped a lot with some typical questions and gave us an idea where she was compared to other kids using Atom and applying to similar schools. (In terms of SAS)

I would recommend their exam prep plus because of the unlimited tests, and also access to printable papers ( as we tried for Grammar schools too) . DD got into al her top choice schools, and found most tests were at around the same level ( some were understandably harder) However, although the platform is good, I wouldn’t advise to use their tutors ,which they will certainly try to sign you up for. We gave up after trying to work with four different tutors from atom. . Not saying they don’t have any good ones, they probably do.. but it was always a miss for us..

good luck!

Channing and st Margaret's are both lovely chilled out schools that are not super selective. SHHS is much more selective

Although people talk about these schools having 6x, 8x, 10x the number of candidates as places, it is worth bearing in mind that people also apply to multiple schools - particularly those in the consortium (as it is one set of exams where the results are sent out to all the schools).

Even the most academic schools have to take someone - if they only took children who were geniuses, they would have about four in each year.

To add that being properly prepared for all exams is necessary but this doesn’t mean endless tutoring. However, some of these schools are highly academically selective and parents will tutor. It’s a vicious cycle though as over the years the tests have had to get harder because more were passing due to tutoring. You are also slap bang in the middle of motivated middle class territory in north London. It would be a brave parent who didn’t properly prepare.

They do need to be familiar with verbal and non verbal reasoning. If you have the time and patience and work well with your children then this can be done at home with books or Atom Learning.

If they are at a state school then maths might need some top up. The highest sets in prep schools are often 18 months to 2 years ahead of the national curriculum.

Otherwise just make sure they are reading widely and extensively. Let them choose their own books - there’s no need to be reading “War & Peace” and schools would see right through that 😂😂😂

Exam technique is crucial and it needs to be tailored to the specific entrance tests. If it’s online then practice online. Is accuracy more important I.e. the test is adaptive so getting questions right is more important than the number of questions answered? Can they go back and review questions or miss them out etc.

If it’s pen and paper then teach about missing a question out and going back to it, making sure workings are clear, looking at the number of marks available for a question - three marks meaning you need to be provide three points etc.

Timings and being used to sitting an exam is also important.

The biggest piece of advice is being realistic about your child’s abilities. I see children tutored for years to get into these top academic schools and then not get in, or just about scrape through and then struggle whilst there. Sounds like your daughter stands a decent chance but there are fewer places than at a standalone 11+ only school due to children coming up through their prep schools. I would consider adding in FHRP and somewhere like Queenswood to your list as a result. Lots of girls from north London at both.

We have never formally tutored our DC. Of course we did stuff at home. We started in Y5 and it was just books and Atom Learning at home. Honestly no more than half an hour a day, some days none at all. In the summer they did some full exam papers but otherwise kept it short and sweet like we had been.

Offers included NLCS, City Girls and UCS.

I would add Queenswood to your list. There’s door to door transport and lots of girls come from Hampstead / Highgate areas.

Clever girls do very well there but it’s nowhere near as academically selective. Sometimes it better to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

Sport is exceptional there, as are all their extra curriculars to be fair.

Definitely worth a look.

These schools typically have 50 places for external applicants and 200 applicants. So your child needs to be performing within the top 25% of the top set in her current school.

Is she already at the top of the top set?

Hi OP

The schools in the consortium (SHHS, Channing and St Margaret’s) have the exam run by Atom Learning so it is worth getting a subscription to Atom. We also had one hour of tutoring once a week (one week English, the next Maths) from midway through the Spring term of year 5.

Highgate is a different exam and I understand that it is in a different format to the other schools’ papers (but we didn’t apply for my daughter as she wanted a girls’ school).

Does your child do any standardised testing at school? Like CATs or Progress tests? As that usually can give you an indication of where to aim.

From what I understand SHHS and Highgate have a much higher bar academically than Channing and St Margaret’s. I don’t think that you need to be exceptional for any of these schools (well not as exceptional as you need to be for the north London grammars)

I only have experience of Channing myself with an offer this year (we didn’t apply to those other schools you named). My daughter is v strong at maths (134 in testing) but only above average in England (117) . The only tutoring we did was additional atom work weekly, mock tests though atom in summer and then start of Y6 and then about 3 months of specific English face to face tutoring get our heads around the creative comprehension element of the consortium testing.

I honestly don’t think you can get away with no tutoring at all - even if it’s do in your self style and just to focus on the testing they do if you don’t go to a prep school but definitely in our experience at least for Channing you don’t need to do weekly prep with an external tutor on both English and maths for years to pass!