Gaining a place at an Independent School for the start of Year 5

[LouiseInLondon]

Does anyone have any experience of gaining entry to selective girls prep schools for the start of year 5, especially London. I am interested to know how they selected, what levels were expected for maths and english, the level of competition, and anything else they took into account.

Thanks

If this is an adhoc admission as opposed to 10+ then it is all down to timing - the selection is rarely a competitive process for the child, though the children have to show that they can hold their own in class. DS moved at this point - there was a waiting list which we seemed to jump partly as a result of phoning at the right time, and presumably being the sort of fit that they were looking for. The assessment day seemed to comprise of CAT tests, an English written piece (down in the context of a lesson with his peers), and a maths paper.

There are some schools which hold competitive 9+ exams, but relatively few of these ime. Usually the school will indicate what is expected to be covered by the maths paper.

Thanks Ladymuck,

Yes, we would be needing a chance vacancy to arise at the schools we are interested in, hence it's hard to work out what level they expect and there wouldn't be much time to do any prep.

Thanks for your help.

Depends on the school.
Massive difference in entry criteria for different schools.
Talk to the ones you are interested in

Thanks pagwatch. I guess I felt I couldn't ask about entry criteria for vacancies that have not yet arisen
It's the more selective schools I'm thinking about.

You may be surprised that schools have more vacancies than you think. LEH juniors often has spaces because they will not give a place to a child they think will struggle (girls are often "removed" if they can't cope, which is traumatic for everyone). When we looked there were only 17 girls in each year 3 class and they can go up to 25.
Ask around, you may be surprised.

Thanks Anne, that's encouraging.

I have made a couple of phone calls already, there are another 2 or 3 schools I can contact.

Yes, timing is key. Being lucky and persistent can just get your call in the day someone said they were leaving. The next few weeks are of course key because most schools need notice by the start of next term for leaving in Sept to avoid paying a term's notice. As such, some schools will look at children ahead of time to bank candidates, although far from all of them. I think you can be pretty explicit in your questions about what the schools expect - after all they don't want to spend time dealing with your repeated inquiries, or testing your child, if it can be easily clear that the she and the school aren't a good fit. If it is academic they are going to want to be sure that she will peform well at 11+ (I assume you are looking at a school that only goes to class 6, as most of the academic independent preps do for girls), so a squint ahead at that might give you an idea.

Lots of luck - whereabouts are you looking?

Hi Louise
My daughter is about to start a south london independent school after Easter, in year 5. We had originally planned for seniors but were very taken with the school and aware they are oversubscribed so were looking at yr6. For various reasons we have decided to move her now as it works out best.

Prior to this she attended a trial day where they gave her assessment tests in literacy ,numeracy and non verbal reasoning. She did fine in these and they offered her a place verbally when we collected her that day and formally in writing a few days after. They were very open about the fact her particular year group had spaces but only when asked. I did not get the impression DD would have just walked into a place and do think she was put through her paces with the assessment, although she told me she enjoyed it

If things work out and we wish her to go up to Seniors,she will sit an entrance test for this in a years time.

So i agree with others, definatly phone up and ask as you never know your luck

Thanks all.

Dobby2001, do you know what NC levels your daughter was working at before she was assessed?

Anne, my DD is just coming to the end of her time in LEH juniors and I have never heard of a girl being "removed" from the juniors for not making the grade. Certainly not in her year, and other parents I know with DDs in other years and those with girls who have now gone into the senior school tell me they have not heard of this happening either.

They certainly do have the practice of not filling all available places if there are not enough candidates of the right calibre at 7+ though, and this happened in my DD's class. Subsequently two girls joined the class in year 4 to take up the available places.

They do also have the guaranteed places system for junior school girls, which means they are continually assessed during their time in the juniors and will be offered a place in the senior school without having to take the senior school entrance exam if they reach the standard required.

The vast majority of junior girls are offered a guaranteed place but there are certainly a handful of girls in each year who do not get offered the guarantee - there was one in DDs class. They can still take the entrance exam if they wish.

However, those not offered a guaranteed place are certainly NOT told to leave the junior school midway through. They are told well ahead of time that they won't get a guaranteed place - first consultations are at the beginning of y5, final decisions made end of y5.

dc had 2 children join her Year 5 at prep school this year. I'd say their strengths were sporty rather than strongly academic but they would have sat English and Maths tests and spent the day in class to assess that they were well within the ability range of their peers and they could gain good entrance scores at 11+/13+ entrance to a senior school. The school don't do NC/Sats so it would be hard to give an equivalent level.

Thanks all for sharing your experiences. Having called various schools the message I'm getting is that I should give them a call at the very start of next term as people may give notice on the first day of term that they intend to leave at the end of the academic year.

Hi Louise
if you asked me that question a week ago I wouldn't have had a clue! But luckily we have just had parents evening so I know

She is at 5b for reading, 4b for Numeracy and 4b for writing( although teacher said she could be 5b for that but is a lazy madam!). Hope that makes sense. I asked teacher what anticipated level at her age is (9yrs 7mths) and she told me by end of year all should have reached level 3?

Dobby, thanks for sharing your daughters levels it sounds like she is doing well and you have done a smart thing avoiding the 11+ scrum.