Help - Year 1 or 7+ or 11+

[itsmehere1]

Posting here for traffic!

We’re trying to decide what’s best for our DD who is currently in reception at an outstanding-rated state school with a class size of 24. She’s happy there, though we feel she could be more challenged.

Our original plan was to move her to a private school at 7+, but we’ve now received an in-year offer for Year 1. The cost would be around extra £2k per month, not a financial strain, but a significant amount that could instead be saved for her future.

Our main reason for considering private school was to avoid the intense 11+ pressure. We’ve heard a lot about how stressful the process can be, and we’d prefer to bypass that if possible.
Given our situation, what would you do?

1. Accept the Year 1 offer now.
2. Stick with the plan and try for 7+, seeing if she gets an offer.
3. Keep her in state school and prepare for 11+.

Anyone please?

How competitive is the school for 7plus? Is it a through school that you would want her to stay at?

If so - I would move now.

I’m confused by your post…you feel an independent may provide more challenge but don’t want the eleven plus pressure?

in my opinion, if you are in an eleven plus area the most able kids will end up in the grammar schools, with wealthy, well supported but less academically spectacular ones filling up the independents (often getting similar results) and the surrounding comprehensives becoming sinks.

I speak as a teacher and survivor of the grammar system. I suspect a number of kids at the prep schools near you will give the eleven plus a try to see if they can save their parents money at secondary. You need to have a think your dds needs and best use of your investment in her education.

Ie is she more likely to get into a grammar if you pay for her primary education or do you want a secondary independent place lined up in case she fails the eleven plus? Could you afford private for both if she didn’t get a grammar place?

Yes it’s a competitive selective through school and the kind of school we would want her to be in based on feedback i.e academic but not too pushy with great results.

If you are happy with her current primary (not withstanding the fact you think she isn’t being stretched), honestly, don’t switch to private. Use the money you save to give her experiences and activities outside of school.
I’m guessing you are in London, which I don’t have personal experience of, but where we are (Home Counties) I don’t actually think an able child gets more stretch at a private vs a state school. (Though perhaps that is just my narrow experience).
Also, just because she seems to be “ahead” now, in reception, won’t necessarily still be the case in a couple of years - kids develop at vastly different rates in these early years. I guess I’m saying don’t get fixated at this early stage on her needing to be stretched more at school - instead consider what you could be doing at home to widen her horizons.

Good point. Yes that’s the case we want a secondary independent place lined up in case she is unable to clear the 11+ noting we anrr not near many grammar schools and the secondary state schools are not great either so probably we will have to go private unless we move.

we can afford private for both primary and secondary but ideally would have wanted to avoid both but the prep and potential emotional impact on dd is scaring us.

Good point. Yes we are in London.