What age do girls move on from prep school??

[coffeeaddict]

DD is v young so this isn't an issue yet, but I am confused. I have looked at several prep schools which go up to 13, some all-girls, so it's not just the boys going up to 13. But all the girls' senior schools seem to start at 11. I know some take an entry at 13, but do these girls feel they have missed out at all? Anyone any experience of this?

As far as ai understand from friends With daughters some girls boarding schools have a large number joining at 13 e.g. Benenden and don't forget many girls will coed at 13 most big name coed boarding schools start at 13.

Senior day schools at 11; senior boarding schools at 13. The senior boarding schools pretty much all start at 13 (I can't think of any that start at 11 but wait to be corrected!).

I think all girls' day and most girls' boarding schools start at 11. The big ones - Downe House, Wycombe Abbey, Cheltenham Ladies, Benenden - all start at 11.
I think they will take a few extra at 13.

Most prep schools i know almost all girls leave at 11 and just a few keep going until 13 (probably to go to co-ed boarding schools like Wellington/Stowe/Marlborough which start at 13).

The schools Dalmation mentions have a boarding intake at 11 and then at least as many again at 13, sometimes more.

Benenden large intake at 13, Downe has largest intake at 11, few at 12 and some at 13. This latter number changes I believe depending how many joined the particular year group at 11 and also if many DD leave at 16.
If you are considering a girls' boarding school at 13 then do ask for specific numbers. Also check on what sports are offered eg a very sporty girl who has played hockey will find it hard to break into a lacrosse team when the other DDs have played since they were 11. Wycombe, CLC and Downe play hockey and lacrosse but they are known as lacrosse schools.

Some girls day schools do take a smallish but regular in take at 13. This is a relatively recent development as more girls stay at prep school until 13.

There can be a whole host of reasons that girls stay at their prep school until 13 (including putting off a longer daily commute until they are older).

Do ask the prep schools you are looking at about girls destinations and when they go.

We have some girls leave at 11+ and some at 13+, depends on whether they are going to a coed public school or an all girl day school which tend to take at 11 only.

At dc prep school about 1/3 of the pupils leave at 11. In ds' year about 2/3 of the girls left and in dd's year about half the girls so the trend atm is for more girls staying to 13, possibly to save money as prep fees are less. I have heard it is more tricky for girls to integrate socially at 13, even the more outgoing or sporty ones, as the number of joiners then is relatively small compared to boys. Normally at dc senior school it is fairly even girls to boys in Year 7 & 8 then 1:2 from Year 9. This year dd's peers will be taking 13+/CE so it will be interesting to see whether the number of girl joiners is larger than usual.

Thank you all. Seems to depend on the school in question. I think I will be torn wherever we choose because I love the idea of prolonging prep school for as long as possible but would hate DD to find it hard to integrate socially... It is so much simpler with boys!!!

The last 2 years of Prep schools are wonderful. The children get so many opportunities and so much responsibility. I believe that they go on to their senior schools with added maturity and ability to cope in a bigger, more intense environment.

Many senior schools (especially girls only ones) tell parents that they have few or no places available at 13. This often isn't true and the schools are saying that because they obviously want them for as long as possible from a financial point of view.