Help deciding schools

[sadie3]

For the first time our school has put NC levels on reports , DC1 year 6 achieved level 6a in maths and DC2 year 4 achieved level 4a in maths and English. DC1 is top of the class while DC2 is at the bottom of the top set should I apply to a more academic independent school for both or should I be looking for a less academic school for DC1? Are their results in line with other children attending top independent schools? TIA

I should have mentioned that in our area we only have super duper selective independent schools with one or two much less academic schools but nothing in the middle.

are you in the 93% who have to take what the state offers - or the 7% who can afford fees?
It directly impacts on the answers you will get.

14% attend private school at some point in their lives, not 7%, and more still choose state schools over independent throughout for various reasons, so to say only 7% can afford private schools is misleading. It's proabably nearer 20%.

I thought from the OPs post it was quite clear she was considering (and thus could afford) independent schools in any case.

Theyre already in a prep school but both will be sitting 11+ and 13+ in a year. The schools near me are Habs, MTs and St Albans all of which are notoriously hard to get into. This is the first time we have got NC levels so I am trying to gauge what level a child should be working at to have a chance of getting a place at one of those schools ?

If your sons are attending a prep school near these schools I'm surprised that the prep school isn't advising you, it's partly what they are there for.

gelatinous
outside London the total private school percentage is nearer 4%
with all the sane parents round here going state for 6th form no matter how much cash they have

I would think your prep is the best place you will get advice. However, I would have thought MTs would be fine for both your DC. DH worked there until very recently and taught some extremely bright boys but also many with a slightly less fearsome intellect who did fine and the school copes perfectly well with.

How important is it to you that they both attend the same school? I don't know how hard it is to get places at those schools, but it may be that different schools will suit each dc best.

I have spoken to the school they said DC1 would be more suited to a less academic school but when I got their results I thought level 6A for a child who is still 10 was rather good, hence questioning what levels other children of the same age were working at.

Talkinpeace2 I have know quite a few children leaving to go to state 6th form, why is that?

gelatinous I would love for them to go to the same school as they are very close (and it would make life a lot easier)but I would consider seperate schools if needs be.

I think you should try for a single school then, but be prepared to be flexible. I do agree the same school gives lots of shared experiences etc as well as convenience, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

It's really difficult to know what school will suit a particular child in advance. Some bright children thrive best in the company of other similar children whereas others 'give up' in the face of competition and fare better as a bigger fish in a smaller pond - it's a personality thing. Some will genuinely do well anywhere reasonable but others have more particular requirements and sometimes it is the particular peer group they end up and how they gel together (which of course you can't possibly know in advance) with rather than the school itself that makes the biggest impact.

All you can do is look at all the schools and see which one your instinct tells you will work best for your children and then hope for the best. Good luck!