Should I push my CAT4 138 DD to SPGS open day?

I was curious about the GCSE English and English Literature results at SPGS and NLCS. They hit nearly 100% Grade 9s, but Godolphin or GDST schools are just around 50% 9s. The gap is too wide to attribute only to selection and teaching quality. With deeper research, I found that SPGS and NLCS use iGCSE with coursework essays, which allows for much more controlled outcomes compared to the 100% exam-based GCSE. Very tricky indeed！

Most (not all) UK schools now only allow students to sit 3 A levels @WW3

You can sit as many A-levels as you want, mostly at external centres of course, just like the girl who famously took 28 A levels!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-68282659

Actually, you don’t need to be enrolled in a Sixth Form to sit your A-levels. You can take them entirely through self-study at home as a private candidate. By doing this, you'd still have an equal chance of getting into Oxbridge, if you are strong enough in all the other requirements.

as intrinsic motivation is key to everything

Probably. But motivation without the underlying ability to back it up rarely leads to success. She has a real passion for drawing and says she wants to be an artist and make a living by selling her paintings. But to be honest, her drawing skill is ordinary at best, so I wouldn't want to over-encourage her in that specific direction. Instead, I’ve suggested she consider publishing a non-fiction book illustrated by herself, or perhaps becoming a game designer—roles where she can channel her interest in drawing and design into a more logic-driven framework.

Yes, I don't need a CAT4 score to tell me if my DD has a future in STEM; I’ve gathered plenty of first-hand evidence myself. She has preferred non-fiction since a very young age, solved logic puzzles that baffle even adults, and picked up chess very fast. For me, the CAT4 score simply confirms what I already know. Still, the gap between her Verbal Reasoning (associated with the Humanities) and the other three categories (associated with STEM) is remarkable—placing in the top 5% versus the top 0.5%. Surely, aiming for STEM is a safe bet?

The CAT4 measures developed ability, which isn't necessarily the same as innate ability. Think of a standard maths exam: it tests both the curriculum you’ve learned and your raw mathematical flair. The CAT4 is meant to isolate and measure the latter. Whether this talent is purely down to the 'gene lottery' or shaped by early exposure, music, or chess training doesn't really matter—it is still an ability that can be honed through training. The only time we could call the CAT4 flawed or useless is, for example, if a student's CAT4 quantitative score improved without any actual growth in their underlying mathematical ability.

Dance and instrument skills correlate positively with maths ability. Ability and interest are different, but both are a mix of nature and nurture that can be cultivated.

I should add that DD's CAT4 138 is the mean score; she achieved 141—the maximum possible—in Non-verbal, Spatial, and Quantitative reasoning. Her Verbal score was 128, likely because she is bilingual and hasn't yet developed a vast English vocabulary through extensive reading (though her combined vocabulary across both languages is substantial). These results clearly point to a significant aptitude for STEM, especially maths and physics.

@Ubertomusic

Actually, I was very into the humanities myself. However, having been brought up in a different culture with no formal training beyond my own reading, I found them nearly impossible to grasp—it’s exactly like your quicksand metaphor.

Completely agree. I’ve secretly been ruminating on the idea of her choosing Maths, Further Maths, and Physics A-levels. My daughter is so laid-back, and I predict it would take very little effort for her to ace them all in sixth form. This would leave her plenty of time for her social life or more advanced projects.

She will visit the Westminster open day like a tourist. Maybe SPGS as well—and who knows, she might even sit the exams, precisely because she might never go there again. After some helpful discussions here, I just feel it is no big deal at all. Let’s wait and see if the weather is good that day.

the opinions of many parents that STEM subjects are more important and harder

Interestingly, I thought Humanities are harder. STEM is easier for my DD so that it suits her.

@isspringaspringing

To be clear, my daughter has shown no interest in the humanities for years. The fact that she is interested in STEM and has a natural aptitude for it is the primary reason behind my planning. I admit there are also.practical concerns like job prospects, but everything in the end is.based on her own ability and interest.

On that note, you should not choose any subject for your kid, whether STEM over humanities or vice versa. I am just reasonably predicting her future trajectory based on her current ability and interest. I will not force her to do anything! A bit of a nudge and some resource bias from me, yes.

You missed the point. No one is against the arts and humanities. People view an elite school like SPGS as a ‘buffet provider’; even if few people choose certain dishes, you should still provide them. The lack of strong STEM provision fails to meet the expectations of many parents. You might be a happy customer, but the 'restaurant' (whether SPGS or UK girls' schools in general) is being viewed as inadequate.

Organ installed much earlier than science block @Ubertomusic

That's evidence enough for your theory. And when I looked into their alumni, I was surprised to find it dominated by non-scientists.