If your kids go to a good grammar school, please come talk to me about admissions

glad to get replies . not very good at logging on with young baby here and being fairly new to MN too..

just went to have a chat with a private primary, get the impression that the happinest of children is their main priority and main ingredient to lead a happy successful life in the future. their Yr 6 is working on level 3, not quite sure what that really means. 1 year in advance may be?? anyone know if this has any impact on secondary school performance or it doesn't really matter anyway if one is ahead in primary?

Lincolnshire eh.. hmm prob too far.. but thanks will have a look anyway...

Move to Lincolnshire! Cheap(ish) housing, commutable to London-on a good day, grammar schools in many towns both mixed and single sex, straightforward 11+ What more could you ask for?

Not a case of fighting like mad to get them into grammar- it's them having the aptitude as well! You may have 2 children who are just not cut out for the academic selectives,and it's just too early to make any kind of judgement about ability.
Know nothing about where you live (have been to Ironbridge and that's about it!)
Remember, in a few years there'll be a new secondary in North Kingston too.

to all in the RBK, my ds is still a baby and dd is 3 but I am starting to worry about their secondary schools. as my husband job takes him around the country, we are not sure if we should move back down to London (from Shropshire) for her to go to an outstanding, often oversubscribed state primary (still not sure if can get into this faith school although only 5 mins walk down the road) then fight like mad to get into nonsuch secondary (for dd) and tiffin (for ds). if fail, would other state secondary schools be better than upnorth? or send them to private secondary in RBK? whereas in Shropshire, we can afford for both to go to a very good (in our opinion anyway) private primary, then hope they get into Thomas Telford/Adams Grammar/Newport Girl later on under the coaching within the school plus parental guidance at home. Of course we are looking at two different lifestyles too (north - open space/country living vs south - barbican/tate/muscial and kingston's shopping!!!!!oh I am truly deprived here). which route would you choose if you are in my shoes?

The prep schools mostly dont like the boys leaving at 11 because they miss 2 years worth of senior fees and it damages their relationship with private 13+ schools.

both very good as well

C hill and c girls

where is your ds and dd?

Lovely school- know it well.

he is at cc in surbiton and we could get ds2 in there but it depends whether it goes 3 form or not too small really as we have extra classes now and it is definitely a squash and a squeeze
excellent school though

Some great primaries though...as long as you can get in.They all seem to be taking more this year. Where is ds?

the primary situation is awful too I have a 2 year old and we are thining of sending him private from the start as he will start when all the new permanent places are supposed to have been sorted

Such a bunfight here in RBK- thank goodness my dd is sorted.

yes I am ds1 is going into yr5 in sept and we are going to go private for secondary as we can't face the other options and I am not prepared to go through the tiffin process
but we still have to get a place!

Andiem- are you RBK?

Exactly gianthaystacks....I think if your child struggles once there, it's the worst thing for them. My son is going into yr 6, and yes, will be sitting 2 grammar school tests....but I am now reconsidering options (I have posted this on another thread)
What I think IS important, is that any child sitting 11 plus knows that if they don't get a place -IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT, THE SKY WILL NOT FALL IN AND IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.
Their parents may (and some do) feel like it has, but my son knows if he did not get in- so what.He knows the odds.
I have seen a few children very very distressed because they didn't get in and been made to feel that they have let their parents down. One child actually said to me "now I've got to go where all the crap boys end up".
Why don't prep schools like their boys going to Tiffin? I would have thought they'd be most impressed!

last year for tiffin over 2000 boys sat the exam for 120 places
I have a friend whose ds was at prep school did the exam got 98 and came 210th on the list
we are not bothering to even attempt it
and daeddi is right about tiffin girls there are 6x the referrals for self harm and eating disorders from there compared to the other girl's schools in the borough

I just meant that lots of prep school boys get in and that Rokeby don't seem to mind - unlike lots of other prep schools.

Anecdotally from staff a lot of the boys are over tutored to get in and then struggle once they're there.

Independent boys school on the leafy Coombe estate- not sure why Giantkatestacks mentioned it specifically! I know it has a bit of an eyecandy head.....
Many boys go from state schools too- lots of Korean/Indian/Sri Lankan boys seem to get places.Burlington school sent quite a few this year I heard.(a state school in New Malden)

Many come further away than Clapham!

Tiffin has no catchment area at all (hence lots of dcs getting the train from Clapham)...and lots of the boys come from schools like Rokeby...

Tiffin schools are super selective and very difficult to get into.

In parts of Kent (not all) it is definitely easier to get into a grammar school. Bucks may be another option.

You do have to be a particular type for Tiffin girls especially- you either love it or hate it! Very academic, very high achieving- and has its fair share of girls who have emotional problems as a result.(like all schools)