Guildford area - state primary and private secondary - anyone done it?

[TuttiFrutti]

Ds, aged 5, is in year 1 in a state primary in the Guildford area (don't want to say which one for fear of identifying myself). We are intending to send him to private school at secondary level, but various people have recently made comments about how difficult this will be.

Has anyone successfully done this?

Do we need to send him to a private prep school for him to have a good chance of passing the entrance exams at 11?

I know that most of the academic private schools in Surrey have a significant intake from state schools (I think at least 40% though I don't know where I got that number from). It's worth looking on their websites, or even calling the admissions person. I'm sure what you're describing is a rumour that the junior schools don't mind perpetuating - and those people with children at private junior schools must believe that they're getting some advantage or added value for their £10k+ a year on fees.

I'm not in Guildford but N Surrey, and I have three children. I simply can't afford to send them all private, but I might be able to manage from 11+ esp with scholarships. I'm just planning on a year of tutoring from Yr 5. DS1 is in year 1 too, but he's so far ahead of his peers that I'm not really worrying about entrance exams. If he was a bit less academic, I might be a bit more concerned.

Thanks LittleCheesy, that is very interesting. Yes, I will ring the sdmissions people at the senior schools we are thinking of.

We're in the same position as you re finances - would LOVE to send them private but definitely can't afford it all the way through, just might be able to scrape the senior bit only.

Ho tuttifrutti, in a similar situation, just can't afford private throughout but may be able to scrape it for secondary (local comp has terrible results).

Am new to surrey and don't have any contacts at any schools.

Suspect that there may be some advantage for privately educated kids in transfer to private secondaries. some private schools go straight through so they get almost automatic admission. In transferring to other private secondaries, they get reports from the headteAcher and heads of private schools prob know each other. And the prep schools will prep for certain admissions tests/interviews etc.

Think that lots of kids here go from private primary to the state "super-selectives" too.

The good schools guide has some info on intake. Have seen posts on 11 plis forum independent schools section from people that managed it.

Some people must manage it!

What is a 'superselective' - state grammar with no catchment like Tiffin??

Thanks Dozer, hadn't thought of the Good Schools Guide (can you tell I am new to this??!). What is the 11 plus forum, is it a website? Will Google it.

I don't think there are any "super-selective" state schools in Surrey, at least not apart from catchment areas. Some like George Abbot and Howard of Effingham are very popular, but not hard to get into if you live in the right area - they are not allowed to "select" on other criteria.

I know, am similarly new to this!

There are a few "superselective" state grammars in Sutton and Kingston, e.g. Tiffin, Nonsuch (these are girls ones, there are different ones for boys). Some have a kind of catchment area at present, although from within the area they select on test scores, but for some the top X places are reserved for those with the highest scores on the tests, wherever they apply from.

Yes, the eleven plus forum is a website, there is a Surrey section and an independent schools section.

Think they're called "super-selective" because of the very high number of applications vs places, there is much less chance of entry than in counties like Kent and Bucks that have full grammar systems.

Have heard that it's harder to get into these schools than most selective private secondaries.

DS1 did it with a year's tutoring (1hr a week) and so did lots of his friends. I think the prep schools like to perpetuate the myth that they have some sort of control over the process but I think the senior schools are more concerned about their league table results now and just want to take the brightest kids they can from wherever.

Ds did it with no outside tutoring, although we did lots of exam papers with him so he knew what to expect, and we encouraged his musical ability. He ended up with music and academic scholarships at the RGS in Guildford, coming from a very ordinary state primary in the area around Guildford.

What helped: DS is very able and the primary school worked fairly hard with us to meet his needs, accelerating maths, etc. they also let us home-school himone day a week for the last two years so the first year he did extension work and lots of music and the firstvterm of the second year we did past papers and covered any gaps.

Quite a few of his friends have also come from the state system, so I don't think it is unusual. But obviously it helps to be bright!

Hi tuttifrutti - it should be absolutely no problem at all, even without a special programme of work.

Admittedly my DS went to RGS from a prep school but my girls went to a girls school from a state primary, and the intake standard is about the same. For DD1 I did some resaoning practice appers with her but with DD2 did absolutely nothing extra.

At RGS - which we are assuming you are talking about! - they have an intake at 11 which is always about half of boys from state schools (maybe more?) and then an intake at 13, mostly from prep schools. They know how to spot talent which hasnt been coached - if a boy is bright, they spot that.

Another option would be at 11 to send him to Lanesborough for 2 years til he's 13, then move up to RGS (not automatic but is a good option, especially is you feel at 11 he's not ready for a massive secondary school)

I did it, attended a bog standard state primary then got an assisted place for Guildford High School. My mum did some practice papers with me to get me used to the style of questions asked but no tutoring or anything like that. A fair proportion of the pupils there were from state schools (some on bursaries, some whose parents could afford full fees but not for prep as well)

Thanks for your replies everyone, that is very reassuring. Stillfeel18inside (love the name, btw) and LadyPeterWimsey, can you hint at which senior schools your dc got into?

Dozer, I see what you mean re Tiffin and Nonsuch. Hadn't really considered them as they are so far away from us - but they are our nearest state grammars.

You are right, it is much harder to get into them than private secondaries. I have friends in London whose dc at state primaries have taken entrance exams for both types of schools, and most have been accepted into the private (schools like Dulwich and Alleyns) but failed to get into Tiffin/Sutton Grammar. I knew that was the case in London, but didn't know whether it was harder in Guildford - it seems not, or at least I know now it is possible!

I am just assuming your kids aren't at HT? Because up to 20% of HT kids go private every year. To a huge!!!! range of Private schools.

But some primaries don't send so many on to private.

No, not HT. That's interesting Mummytime - and again, quite reassuring.

Ladypeter, think that even though no outside tutor was involved, home schooling a day a week etc definitely falls under tutoring! (though don't mean that in a nasty way, well done to you/your ds). Suspect that primary school teacher/heads' attitudes vary on preparation for exams, whether for state or privat selective secondaries.

You do have to be realistic. If you are looking at RGS it is useful to have a back up plan. Maybe Salesian in Farnborough or a Prep for a couple of years, or if he might just miss, then Reeds or St George's. For girls there is a much broader range of schools. Do also look at the State schools some of which are fab and have ex-private/prep pupils.
A bit of tutoring, or looking at past papers/Bond papers won't go amiss either. But if you are fortunate and the fall back position is George Abbot then I wouldn't stress too much.

Mummytime, yes we would definitely have a back up plan! What it would be is another story, and probably way too early to say at the moment, but we would look at lots of schools.

Not necessarily looking at RGS, as ds is only 5 so it's hard to know at this stage how academic he will be. I'm not sure we would be guaranteed George Abbot either, so that's another factor.

George Abbot admission have just changed again! I'm so glad I'm not involved in admission this year. If he is only 5 you have years. And everything could change.

(If he is musical you could think about a Choristership to Lanesborough at 7.)

Dozer - agree re tutoring! Was trying to make the point that it didn't have to be paid for. Having said that, the main difference that home-schooling made was that he was able to speed ahead with music as we teally didn't do that many past papers.