boarding school test at age 13; how to prepare for a non common entrance exam

[Suki2]

I live abroad, and am considering sending my son to boarding school from year 9. The school we're considering, Shrewsbury, is very competitive. he's only year 6 now, but I like to plan in advance! He's a very bright boy.

His school does not prepare for the common entrance exam so he'll be asked to sit the school's own paper in May of year 9. I'd like to prepare for this, but am clueless about how to go about it. Do you think buying common entrance books from WH Smiths would help? I've no idea how the non CE exam would be different from the CE exam. I'd like to start preparing him now by spending half an hour a week.

First ask the school about what they would expect from a child who is not currently at a trad prep school. Your son will not be the only one.

Second you might look at the Galore Park series of books. They are used as text books in many independent schools preparing for Common Entrance, but are also suitable for home study with quite a lot of guidance and you can buy answer books.

Two points Shrewsbury is not that selective so the exams will not be impossibly difficult and most schools will let you have past papers especially if you explain your situation. I'm assuming you've already been offered a place and stumped up a sizeable deposit so they should be keen to help. Agree with above posting re galore park book.

Sorry relooked at your OP you probably haven't paid a sizeable deposit yet as your only year 6 you won't be asked till yr 7. You' ve got plenty of time most prep school start really preparing for CE in year 7 but I would still ask Shrewsbury for some old exam papers so that you and you DS current school can get some idea of what is expected. Shrewsbury has a new head gossip is that he's going to up the academic standard so if I was you I'd also find out if in two years time the entrence exams will be harder.

Yes, use the Bond books (as every prep school child seems to at least have them in the house). And perhaps try some of the others (if they go up to 13+). You might also want to consider getting KS3 Revision guides - CE (particularly the higher tier papers) is close to GCSE standard. Even though your DC won't be doing CE, he will be assessed with other children of that standard.

But the best thing to do is ask the school for past papers.

And remember the importance of the current Head's report for any candidate.

Thanks for the tips re Galore park, Bond books and KS3 revision. I've got a couple of Bond books and think they're fantastic. I'm still wondering if he'll be tested mainly in maths and English; verbal and non verbal reasoning say, or if I should be extending into French, geography and history etc.

It is a sensible idea to contact the school,and I will do that; I'm a little reluctant the moment as it seems too early. I just like knowing what to expect!

I believe most boarding schools will give their own test at age 13 to students who haven't been to a prep school. Would be great to hear from someone who's got experience of this.

It's not too early. Many schools have already offered conditional places in Y6 for Y9 entry. Why don't you just send him to a prep school for the next couple of years. They will prepare him and senior school won't be such a culture shock!

Shrewsbury doesn't pretext in year 6, but (according to the website) they make conditional offers about 22 months before entry.

Have you actually registered him? If not, I'd get on to that sharpish. And once in dialogue with the registrar it will be easy to request past papers.

have posted under related subjects under another name but from our experience (not going for Shrewsbury but for another, from a school which makes no preparation for either CE nor any other 13+exam because they assume that boys will simply transfer to their middle school+)

talk to the school's admissions office - they will be quite used to this sort of conversation
agree get the former exam papers - in our case available from the bookshop next door
agree Galore park
consider using a top tutor to brush up those areas where you think it is especially needed. Because DS was going for an academic school (rated by both happygardening and colleger...) we did about an extra 1-2 hours per week in the final year pre exam and save for the Latin and French which were a stretch, it really wasn't bad and in fact DS even enjoyed it! but quite a lot of that was preparing him for the way the school thinks. Even though you live abroad, you can get tutors to come out to you - ours left supporting our DS for quite a while to tutor another boy in a very far flung part of the world.

PS - didn't mean to imply Shrewsbury wasn't academic - just that the one DS and we were considering is known to be exceptionally so.

spendthrift thank you, good idea to talk to the admissions officer. I definitely need some past papers, so that I can prepare him.

Agree by the way that Shrewsbury is not the most academic; they still seem to get fantastic results though and have a fair number getting to the top Universities. The only reason I'm considering boarding is because DS is so bright, I think he should be given a fair chance of getting to Oxbridge.

Suki, sending you a pm

We are considering Shrewsbury for our son.

Absolutely recommend Galore Park material over Bond. Have used both but completely switched to GP as the material is also good for filling in curriculum gaps. As you are abroad, you can purchase GP either through Amazon or directly from their own website.

Shrewsbury only get Oxbridge candidates from the pupils that enter the sixth form. Namely girls or foreign students. It is not an academic school.

There is more to education than Oxbridge, and there is more to choice of boarding school, especially for overseas families than a narrow focus on the academic results (proximity of extended family, for example). But OP - you might be wise to investigate a potential fall back school as well.

I emphasise the comment above; you are not too early. Perhaps not Shrewsbury but many schools start pre-testing in year 6 so, so for many you are late (v helpful of me :-))
Get in contact with Shrewsbury sharpish. Register (will likely cost £50-100) to show you are serious and talk to them asap. I have noticed that some schools set a narrow range of papers (english, maths, reasoning, rather like the 11+ CE) for children from abroad, recognising that they will not have been prepared on the full 13+CE curriculum (off the top of my head, and varies a little, I think this normal covers english, maths, science, french, geography, history, religion, Latin, but am sure that there are other mumsnetters with more detailed knowledge). Shrewsbury website is unusually unhelpful on admissions, so can understand your confusion.
And definitely chose one or two other options to avoid eggs and baskets.

North London International school - I am new to the discussion Board live in North London, and wondered if anyone had any experience of the school. My daughter is 12 at the moment and goes to a state boarding school in Surrey and emotionally we are not happy - she has been there since Yr 6. Thinking of moving as I am keen to do the IB, which they do - but still lots of questions of an Interntional school - having said that her boarding was very internatioanal. Any advice is appreciated.

Lots of boarding schools do the IB the Good Scools Guide will probably tell you. Although take their descriptions of the schools with a large pinch of salt I dont recognise DS2 prep from their description! As you're unhappy with your current school I would look at least a couple before deciding which one to move her too after all you dont want to make another mistake.