Academic scholar potential but where to go?!

[nappyqueen]

My ds 11 is currently at prep school and now we are looking for a senior school. He is very bright and easily academic scholarship material, loves sport and throws himself into it all. Very gentle natured, loved by all, genuine and cheeky character, real personality and loves learning, really making the most of being at a great prep school.

We need the scholarship and will also need bursary top up.

Not fussed by co-ed or all boys, not overly fussed by location as we are used to travelling though prob not looking as far as Dorset/Devon area.

Been to Oundle and due at Uppingham, just from gut instinct but wondering are there any good academic schools we may have overlooked?
Please be nice I am just genuinely wanting advice and info to help give us a clue!
We are unfortunately too late for the likes of Eton, Winchester and Radley as prob felt we were having ideas above our station! Looking at Sept 2017.

Where does the prep head suggest? Part of their role is to profile and shortlist potential secondaries. If he's already 11 is he year 6 or 7. Some pretest in year 7 but close registrations earlier.

He is middle of year 6. The head has been a little hard to pin down on options, I don't know whether it's because of the bursary situation as another Mum has also tried and felt it was because of this. Just had parents evening and some teachers were pleased to hear Oundle mentioned, others pulled faces at Oundle but then said it was prefereable to Uppingham but only because they were the 2 we had lined up to see.

Just feeling a bit at a loss and not wanting to miss out as deadlines draw nearer, especially for bursary applications!

Where do they regularly send children ? You need some guidance , our prep senior manage bet team started conversations in year 4 about destinations. Tbh you need to be aware that academic scholarships often aren't worth more than a token amount and bursaries far from a given. If he is taking CE you will need to make a firm choice by mid year 8.

Have you checked out your state options? What will you do if you don't get offered a bursary? (As LIZS said scholarships are often not worth very much in monetary terms). Tbh if he's that bright he'll do well academically wherever he goes and it would be wise to have a plan B if the only way you can make a school like Oundle affordable is with a (presumably big) bursary

Technically you are not too late for a scholarship into Eton Win Coll Radley etc because the actual scholarship exam is sta when your DS is in yr 8 usually as in the spring/summer term before admission in September.
Having said this certainly for Win Coll most boys who get a scholarship already have a place at the school which was offered to them in yr 6 but I believe it's not essential you would have to check this with any you were interested in.
As already said certainly for Win Coll the scholarship has no financial reward attached to it but you can of course apply for a bursary I believe it's a similar situation for Eton I can't comment on Radley but ring the admission dept.
For a scholarship into either Win Coll or a Eton your DS is going have to be exceedingly bright, I understand Eton want boys who are exceedingly bright at everything, Win Coll I think might accept the very bright and complete genius ability in math one area again check with the schools.
Thirdly your chances of bring successful will require enormous preparation it's very verycompetitive, some preps have an outstanding track record e.g. Summer Field if you prep doesn't regularly give either the KS (Eton) or the Election (Win Coll) a go and preferably succeed go you are going to find it very difficult although of course nothing is impossible.
I would have a long chat with you head most preps start separating scholars from non scholars for yr 9 entry either in yr 7 especially if it's a big prep or year 8 although usually by yr 6 staff a starting to mention "scholarship material etc. your head should advise you if a scholarship is realistic and where too.
Bursary application are also usually do he in the spring term before admission in September a few schools might give you an indication of what they will offer before that.
Lastly scholarships are not just about bring very clever your DC has to be prepared to put in the extra work, my DS decided he didn't want too.
Good luck.

Sorry don't know why it's highlighted all that stuff! Bloody ipad.
Just one more comment, IME no head worth his salts will say a pupil is "easily academic scholarship material" especially not for the academic schools like Oundle and definitely not for Eton Win Coll etc.

Not to blow my own (or his) trumpet, but he really is that bright and talk has been about scholarship for some time. He is extremely gifted and hard working and keen to carry on that way. He is keen to carry on in the indi sector and very keen to board, he genuinely loves every aspect of school. (it's why we've even started down this road when he was 7)

I am aware about scholarship values and bursaries (been down this road dd 14 is in receipt) so do know what I'm talking about and yes decisions are finalised year of entry but some schools require applications in year 6/7.

Really I'm just trying to put feelers out for what schools are really like - ie known for being academic or the opposite, ideal for sporty more than anything else etc. Also his school feeds to the biggies in England and Scotland so not sure if anyone may know of less well known that may suit just in case? As I say really fact finding and info gathering to be making an informed decision. I think we are looking at one of the big ones but probably covering myself thinking they're too out of our league even though he is probably in line for them, it's a bit scary to be honest! Need a bit of guidance and hand holding!

Oh and thank you for help so far :-)

Win Coll appears to require registration in the March before you sit the exam in May, <a class="break-all" href="//iwww.etoncollege.com/KingsScholars.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eton don't exactly say but I suspect the timing will be pretty similar, here is Radley's dates for scholarship applicant for this year again it would appear you don't have to register for scholarship exam until yr 8 so you've plenty of time. Of course if he's unsuccessful then you wouldn't have non scholarship place to fall back onto but you could also try for a stand alone bursary somewhere else as well. I know of someone who's recently got a very generous stand alone bursary out of Oundle, someone told me Uppingham do stand alone bursaries, or what about Christ's Hospital they definitely do.

Frankly in your shoes I'd really wanted/needed a scholarship go for somewhere you current prep has a high rate of success at. Our old prep sent it's pupils to the big names all over the UK but there was one big name up the road (relatively speaking) that lots went to and every year they get more scholarships (art academic music sport) into there than anywhere else. Ive since noticed this is not uncommon we've moved miles away now but our nearest prep again feeding into big names all over the UK sends lots to one big name in the same county and again gets more scholarships there than anywhere else.
Successful breeds success prep schools get used to what these schools are looking for, the senior schools like them etc.
Where does your current prep send lots of pupils too? Where have they got the most scholarships into on recent years. This data is usually readily available. Have they a good track record at the Election or KS?
As your on bursary one would hope that your head might know of otter schools with generous bursary policies

I'm very disappointed in your HM ...

And (fervently hoping it's not anywhere I know) it's not a great prep if you're floundering without a plan in yr 6!

Bearing in mind that well run preps that I know host meetings with public school heads etc for parents of yrs 4 and 5 ... How did you miss out on all that? Were you not there at the time or did you hang back feeling it wasn't relevant to you? Who felt you had ideas above your station?

They should be extra keen to help you find the right school for a child who is "scholarship material". And it's their job to know where scholarships and bursaries should be a strong possibility. (I'm just ranting now without being any help.)

Seriously - go back to the head and prompt him to earn his living.

I should have asked why you chose this particular prep.

Surely it was in large part because they send children to the school(s) you had in mind for your DS?

Couldn't agree with Zero more knowing you need a bursary and that your DS is "that bright" and "scholarship material" I'm surprised your head didn't encourage you to register in time for Eton and Win Coll pre tests as both have generous bursary funds. Most preps are desperate keen for pupils to get non scholarship places at either of these two as it looks good let alone a scholarship. Eton also used to and I'm assuming still does hold regular talks at prep schools explaining their admission procedure, heads are usually keen to meet with parents with children likely to be good candidates for schools like Eton and Win Coll late year 4 early yr 5 to encourage them to go and look and in Win Coll's case choose a house to register with.
Go and shake his tree and get some good advise ASAP.
What about Harrow; sporty and academic I think registration for a non scholarship place is a year latter i.e. before yr 7 rather than yr 6.
Kings Canterbury is a very academically respectable happy school I think registration is latter least it used to be.

"The head has been a little hard to pin down on options,"

This is unacceptable- you should be getting clear and helpful feedback and qdvice for th future now. Don't be put off- remember that's one of the things you are paying for.

With Radley you can apply for a scholarship place as late as year 8. You do not need to be registered or anything. Gaining a scholarship will then open up the bursary fund there too.

OP I'm quite sure you already know that scholarships can generally be applied for comparitively late. But an un-backed-up scholarship attempt (without an existing conditional place) is such a long shot and so stressful. It shouldn't be the default position for anyone who is at a prep.

I obviously don't know what's normal for your school but from what I've seen children gain quite a lot of confidence in year 6 as it becomes clear where they're likely to be going. Are your DS's classmates also still looking?

I come back to what your purpose was in choosing this prep. Has your DS suddenly blossomed and surprised you into a change of plan? Where did you originally think he might go next?

Bit of a long shot but if your DS has a very end of August birthday you might still have time register for Eton as you register before your DS is 10 years and 6 months.
The problem with sitting the scholarship exam into very oversubscribed schools like Radley/Eton etc that without one of their non scholarship place under his belt if her DS doesn't get a scholarship then he doesn't have any place at the school. So the OP will realistically need a non scholarship place with a bursary somewhere else as a fall back. If the OP's DS was sitting CE for this fall back school then he will have to have committed himself to it probably stumping up some kind of deposit by the end of Feb 2017 at the latest.
Therefore the OP needs to find a school that offers large bursaries to non scholars who don't have early registration dates and don't pre test in yr 6 as I suspect she's probably missed that boat.

X posted with zero. :)

Shocked that the head hasn't been more helpful!

I'd say Oundle is an excellent choice. Uppingham also good.

Have you looked at Rugby? St Edward's Oxford? Abingdon? Cheltenham College? Marlborough? Magdalen? Canford? Bradfield? Christ's Hospital? Stowe?

Just throwing out all the names I've been preparing children for academic scholarships in recently.

Still time to register for a non scholarship place at Harrow but unfortunately there are few bursaries available for non scholars so that's not much help.

You still have time to register for Marlborough. But they appear to only give bursaries up to 85% is that sufficient? On a positive note nothing mentioned about bursaries only going to scholars. St Edwards only offers bursaries to scholars but its a nice happy sporty school results are improving year on year it's sporty and the scholarship won't be as hard as the KS or Election by any stretch of the imagination. The OP is too late for Magdalen but not Abingdon who do offer bursaries.
Hope this helps.

manic Are your scholarship exam tutees generally preparing from state schools or prep schools?

I'm curious because prep school staff invariably say that a child shouldn't need additional tuition - but I wonder how many parents believe this.

I'm a teacher in a prep school Zero . Sorry if that was unclear.

We have a separate scholarship class for Y7 and 8 so prepare that class for scholarship as oppose to common entrance.

You wrote with perfect clarity manic - I just read stupidly. (Was about to congratulate HG for her at-this-time-of-night efficiency.)

"Our" prep is organised in exactly that way. I cannot understand why the OP's school would not be making the most of her DS.

I suffer from the same problem as manic and perhaps you as well zero?
OP Christ's is the obvious choice that's assuming you can cope with meaningless ritual and ridiculous outdated uniform.