Help Please? Anyone's D got into Haberdashers or NLCS at 4+?

[funkychic]

My D is will be going for the 4+ 'play group' asesssment at Habs and NLCS. I'm desparate to know what they ask them to do. Really need advise from all mums whose child are already in these schools. Pleeeeeeaaaassse help!!!

BUMP!!!!

YEAH - WE DID IT. Got the offer letters in on the 8th of Feb (the day it snowed.

My Darling Daughter got offered a place at both NLCS AND HABS!!!! YIPEE!!

Don't mean to gloat, but I am soo proud of her. I am living testimony that those born in August DO get in.

I now need to make a choice as to which school I prefer. Suggestions are most welcomed from parents in both schools - deadline to accept both offers is at the end of the month. Thanks again to all those who contributed to this thread.

Well done funkychiclette !

Well done. I should ask my daughters who went to one of each of those right up to age 18 and they'd both pick their own school. On that basis I think either would be great. Over the last 13 years I have often been asked which I preferred and I usually say they are much more similar than different, even the work in the class and my daughters are different anyway so that has an effect too.

I marginally preferred NLCS because of its history, because of the fact it gets slightly better A level results, because it's closer to Central London. Habs girls would say they were better at sports but my most sporty child made sport her things at NLCS above everything else and well above work so I can hardly run down its sport. And they got school coaches to both so neither was easier or harder to get to for us. NLCS I think now does the IB if the girl chooses and they seem to have got massively more girls into Oxbridge those schools which have done IB so I suspect there's some advantage there but that will be ironed out anyway by the time your daughter is at that age.

BUMP after all this time. Have a daughter sitting for Habs and NLCS in January. Any ideas of what I should make sure she knows and what I can go over at home?

Funkychic, which school did you go for in the end?

Hopeful Bump

I'm not even involved with these schools (but know of them) and I want to know what school she picked!

I suppose they are looking out for anyone who sits in a corner and won't interact with anyone or thumps everyone else... not good signs. May be you can you pick your name out of a pile of names. Perhaps check if you know how to hold a pencil. If you can concentrate.
Mine who went to NLCS and failed to get into habs at 4 they couldn't find book she couldn't read at 4 at Habs and she didn't get in so don't assume the academics matter.

Can they concentrate. Can they work with others in groups.

Main thing is keep her happy, make it seem like a game that doesn't matter, no pressure.

God, don't send her to NLCS. Dreadful school

Thanks Xenia, she can write numbers and her name, draw a fair bit, is reading quite a bit and just turned 4 in December. She can do all you mentioned but I am so neurotic. She went to the NLCS Open day and loved all the space. Incidentally, she sat for the Holland House assessment and got a place but she says it's too small. Some 4 year olds!! She tells everyone she is going to North London! She is shy but warms up really well after a while.

Tenlords. We are nearer NLCS about 10 minutes walk so prefer it. I hear Habs is more nuturing than NLCS. What do you think?

"Will not obsess" has become my new mantra but it's not working.

No difference on nurturing. Depends on the personality of your class teacher.
Most people who apply to either don't get in so it's best to do it on spec and not worry if they don't because the chances are you won't. Our second didn't get into Hab although passed the play stage bit. In thought in part because triplets got in and took 3 places! but who knows. She may just not havebeen her best on the day one to one. And she was really happy at NLCS anyway - very similar schools. Both brilliant in all ways

MaLopez,jus wanted to know which nursery your DD is going to?My 8yr old DD is at Habs and has been since 4+.I have a second DD aged 3 but no guarantee she will get in!!Trying to find a good nursery for her.

Xenia, I wonder what they ask on the one to one. Oh to be a fly on the wall. Off to pray that no twins or triplets turn up on the day.

Rinol. DD is at home at the moment, she used to go to Primary Steps which closed down and so we are taking December and January off and I am working from home and juggling the days. Will try Leapfrog in Mill Hill as it's nearer and I need to go back to full time work for my sanity!

Hoping that time passes quickly and she gets in. The schools in Edgware are quite dire for some reason.

My girls are 23 and 21 now so a bit long since their entrance tests to be useful - both at university one at Habs one at NLCS until 18. One had to kick a ball at the Hab interview she said - hand and eye co-ordination presumably. Second one is quieter so may be she just didn't speak at hers. She was upset at the time not to go to Habs but got into NLCS at 7 (after 2 years at a GPDST school in Kensington - K Girls Prep which was lovely anyway) and actually in the end as they both got the school coach from near our house - we both worked full time from when they were babies always - it didn't work out too badly and neither was in the shadow of the other.

Haven't read all the posts but the reason I have chosen a competitive some might say elitist prep (not Habs or NLCS - we live too far away) is because I don't want MY child's education disrupppted by 'adhd' or 'dyslexic' children. I know its awful to say this but I want my children in a classroom where I know the teacher(s) won't be spending 90% off the time asking other kids to sit still. Its wrong that any children have to deal with this but if I don't look out for my children who will?

As an ex-Habs girl, we had several girls with dyslexia in my year - I don't recall feeling that we received less attention because they were there! Maybe our teachers were more sympathetic and enlightened than you seem to be.

Belladonna. You may find that those who are able to pass the selection may yet have such "issues" (maybe even your own dc) but that anyway there is a Learning Support system that gives opportunities to help such children on a one to one or small group basis outside the classroom as well as part of the class, to everyone's mutual benefit.

Well lets just hope that you child don't turn into those annoying little brats who can't keep still or maybe don't ace all their exams. Defective children are just so disappointing.

But seriously I would choose state education every time because I think that education is not just about exams and results but also learning to deal with people from all spectrums of life. The school that my son goes to has a girl who has severe CP, they have had to go out of their way to accomadate her, she plays hockey in a special contraption. The school wanted her to go there, they believe in inclusion not exclusion. Those are important issues to learn and if you don't learn them at school where else do you learn them??

Nice attitude, Belladonna.

My ds's primary class has two kids with one to one SN, one has ADHD, the other has a specific language problem. Both are kids from impeccable middle-class families -- yes, it can happen to any of us. Because of the more challenging make-up of the class, their class has consistently been allocated the more experienced and better teacher than the parallel class, and all the parents are thrilled their kids are in that class rather than the other one. And the SN kids have come on very well too.

So my child gets to achieve well at a level well above average for his age, and learns to be understanding and accepting of children who may not find things as easy as he does. And he can talk to kids with no.1 haircuts and diamond earstuds without making them want to beat him up. AND it's free. What's not to like?

Having re-read my original post I am talking about children who are disruptive, attention seeking and a hinderance to other children's learning, if a teacher has to spend lots of time with 1 child they can spend less time concentrating on all the others.
I know when I was at school it upset me that I'd get ignored for sitting quietly and working all lesson while when a child with 'behavioural difficulties' sat still/didn't shout out/hit another child for 5 mins they had praise lavished on them! I want my children in classes with other nice, well behaved, reasonably intelligent children who won't jeopardise their learning.
As for experiancing all sorts of people they go to swimming, ballet, drama, riding, gymnastics and mandarin outside of school so they do mix with all sorts of children.

I hope Belladonna your words don't come back to haunt you one day and you find your own children aren't quite as perfect as you think. What a dreadfully sad attitude you have.

Some children with adhd or dyslexia can be quite nice you know...

hahahahahahahaha wait until your children go to school with the incredibly spoiled children of very very wealthy parents who have always utterly indulged them. Disruptive? attention-seeking? noisy? oh yes.

Normal children who do mandarin . Let me guess you live in south west london?

Do you ever feel like you are a monty python sketch?

Oh yes, because of course "swimming, ballet, drama, riding, gymnastics and mandarin" are populated with a representative cross-section of the population, aren't they? Arf.

Look love, you make your educational choices as you see fit, but please spare the rest of us the justifications and special pleading. It's just annoying.

Belladonna, I personally wouldn't want my children going to school with other children who have parents with attitudes like your towards children with sen.