High achieving DS - schools

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We've been on the expat route for some years. DS11 had been to a variety of schools and we're now in Europe where he has been assessed as being in top 1% nationally.

We're thinking about moving back to U.K. (Near London) in next couple of years and I'm clueless as to what to do for his education. Should he being applying for scholarships? How does it work? I have no familiarity with UK school system

Basically, you have two,options, state or private. You get good and bad schools,in both sectors.

State schools are free, so,you won't need scholarships. Some you need to live in the catchment areas to,get in. Some catchment areas of,popular schools are very small.

I don't know much about private schools except they offer bursaries and schlorships (never understood the difference between the two). They can be for academic, music sporting prowess, or due to financial reasons. It can be a small amount of reduced fees, or a much larger amount.

It may help.if supply more details,as to,where you,plan to live, and what age are your children. Then people can give more specific advice according to,your circumstances.

Just saw, you have put DS 11, so I presume he is 11. He will either just be going up,to senior school, in which case you may have a problem, as places have been allocated, or if he turns 12 before September, should already be in senior school, so you may have to approach schools directly. Different schools have different admissions policies.

What proof,have you for his ability?

Once you know the area you are moving to you can approach the local education authority as to which schools have spaces in the area.

Some private schools have an intake at 14. If you are going the private route then you are looking at finding one with space, I.e. Someone has left or if you don't have to come back for another year or so you can apply for starting at 14 in which case there will be scholarships offered to those that have the ability and need the money and every one starts together.

We'd go the private route - should have made that clear. I'm not sure how early I need to talk to schools and whether it might even make sense for him to go ahead and board.

In terms of "proof" they do national exams and the view is supplemented by his current teachers. I have a teenager and he is clearly well ahead of them academically.

If he is very bright and you are looking at private it might be worth finding a prep school for 2 years then going for a place at a top independent school age 13.
Look at Westminster under school then Westminster.
St Paul's Junior then St Paul's
Kings College Wimbledon.
Scholarships in many schools are for a tiny amount of cash only. They are more of an honour.
Bursaries are means tested and provided so families without lots of money can access private education if their child would benefit and the school would also benefit. The bursary pot is not bottomless so many schools can only help a few

Another Prep school to look at is The Hall Hampstead.
If you are coming back for this September you will find a lot of secondary schools are full .
If this is the case maybe also contact .Newton Prep. Newland House. Hill House international Junior School.

The obvious entry point for private schools would be at 13+. Some do 2 entries at 11 and 13+, others only at 13+ so he wouldn't be alone. There are occasional arrivals in between. For selective schools entry is competitive with exams and relatively few scholarships to places awarded, some of which have little or no monetary value. You may need to be registering and even pretesting now for 13+ entry as registrations can close up to two years ahead. State schools generally intake at 11 with occasional places later on.

Hi OP

I'm not sure how near London you would live. If it is in London, it might be worth getting hold of The Good Schools Guide for London (north and / or south). Some schools you have to apply for earlier than others.

Eton and Winchester offer scholarships but you need to look into it now. Call their admissions department because many top schools have a pre-test before they allow prospective pupils to enter the actual entrance exam.

Oundle is also academically focussed. Good luck.

You will need go get moving sharpish as most schools now pre-test in year 6 (age 11) for entry at 13. Some may take into account the overseas nature of a late application, but many schools are full already. E.g. I know that you would have no hope of a late application to KCS in Wimbledon,

Well, if you want your son to get anywhere in life you will either have to get him into a grammar (at age 11 or into a private school at age 13). Private is far better than grammar. It all depends on your means.

It does look as if you might be best aiming for a school with a 13+ entry point. Ideally one which is used to applicants from overseas.

You may have missed the boat for some schools which pre-test in year 6, but it's as well to make an enquiry anyhow as there may be some flexibility for those moving back from overseas.

Are you looking for advice on specific schools and their entrance procedures? Or still compliling a short list (if so how near London and which side of it?)

A scholarship isn't necessary to be in the top set, but securing one is an honour (and might lead to opportunities for enrichment activities depending on what sort of scholars programme the school has). They don't necessarily have monetary value at all. Some assess as part of the main entrance exam, others have separate (sometimes earlier) papers. You'd need to check procedures and dates with each possible school

( 228agreenend although a handful kfmschools use the terms differently, a scholarship is a merit award (which could just be the honour, but can include a %age off the fees) for academics, sport, music, drama, art, all-rounder. A bursary is a means-tested award to support families who would not otherwise be able to afford the fees, value of award can vary and can even exceed 100% as some schools include a uniform and transport to school grant).

The Perse in Cambridge is a selective independent got 87% A*/A in their A level results today if Cambridge is of interest to you. They have intakes at year 7 and year 9. Entrance exams are in January but they do in year exams too to fill vacancies that arise through people moving out of the area.

Cambridge is a lovely place to work and live and only 45 mins to London direct train to King's Cross.

You are too late for the most academic 13+ entry schools ie westminster, St. Paul's, kings Wimbledon, Eton, Winchester by the normal route - they all assess in U.K. Year 6 (turning 11 between sept-August we are in now) for entry at year 9.

I would imagine it would be worth contacting your target asap pleading foreign arrival to see if there is any scope for wheedling on to a waitlist - if you have a compelling story that would clearly help.

At some schools (e.g. Westmisnter, eton, winchester) boys can sit the scholarship papers in the summer of year 9 without having a conditional place already, so this could be another route albeit that you would need other options in reserve.

Just went back I look at OP - if you aren't planning to come back for a year or two you don't need a prep school for the next couple of ears, although that would be the best route if you wanted to punt at the late scholarship route in mentioned in my last

Otherwise, I think scholarships per se are a bit of a red herring - you need to be focussing on the right school for him academically and leaving any scholarship issues to fall out from that. If you are seeking fee reductions, mists scholarships cone with only limited benefits, the money instead going to bursaries for those with financial need who have places

There are 13+ schools in the next but still good academic tier who select in year 7, mostly boarding eg Marlborough, charterhouse, Harrow, wellington, etc so you need to get going asap, either to register him with those or to contact the others to explore loopholes. (I am assuming he doesn't turn 12 this month )

Alternatively, you can try for occasional places at either 11+ or 13+ schools when you get here, although that could be a touch hair raising!

Summary - you need to get researching and calling asap!

As others have said, many academic private schools pre test in Y6 so you have missed the boat for some. Your only option for Eton, Winchester, and Westminster is the 13+ scholarship route. To do well at these exams you need a tutor or a UK prep with experience preparing students taking scholarship papers at these schools. Note that if you are looking for full boarding 13-16, Westminster is not an option. Eton will probably look for another outstanding talent in addition to academics. Winchester not great if your DS is very sporty.

There are other selective private schools - but I think you should be aware that the average ability range in these schools is no greater than that in state grammars. Often it is lower as parents only pay if their DC do not get into the grammars. So if your focus is just academic you may not be getting value for money.

If you want to go down the boarding prep route I assume you are looking for a place for this September. So you are cutting that fine - and it may be a shock for your DS. Why not phone some of tthose with a good track record with selective senior schools: Dragon, Papplewick, Summer Fields, Pilgrims spring to mind.

With the exception of the big boys schools already mentioned most UK boarding schools including Oundle etc will have a place for the right kind of student at 13+ just because many families change their plans at the last minute. Also 14+ is an option at some of the more selective day and boarding schools as some students leave after Y9.

Do you know where in UK you will be living?

A final point - the majority of clever children in UK including the majority of successful Oxbridge/RG entrants come from the state system.

I am sorry, but could somebody point me to a resource that states that "majority of successful Oxbridge entrants come from the state system"?

@hadenough

59% of entrants to Oxford last year from the state sysem.

www.bbc.com/news/education-37250916

62% of Cambridge entrants from state sector.

www.bbc.com/news/education-38842482

Dumbledore, but only 7% of kids in UK attend private schools, meaning much more applicants from private sector make it into top universities?

You are saying that "majority of clever kids come from the state sector" and then show the statistics that point to a fact that there are much more "clever kids" in private sector.

Actually the 7% figure is misleading as it covers the entire private sector from 3-18. About 20% of students are privately educated in 6th form.

Private schools do send a higher proportion of students to Oxbridge and RG universities but the majority still come from the state sector.

The state/private division is a pretty crude measure in any case. The biggest single determinant of which students will get into Oxbridge/RG is family background.

But I think it is still a misleading claim to say that more kids come from state sector, or that there is more "clever kids" in state sector when it is obvious more kids from private sector make it into top universities.

Also don't forget that most of those "state school kids" are ex grammar school students, which reduces the proportion of state educated kids that attended regulat state schools even further.

Sorry if you see the stats as misleading. They are very clear. And the statement that the majority of Oxbridge entrants are state educated is true. No room for interpretation.

Grammar schools are state schools.

The point I was making to the OP was that if you are just looking for an academically excellent peer group -as opposed to other offerings from the private sector- you are more likely to find this in state grammars for free than in the vast majority of selective private schools (Winchester, Westminster, Eton possible exceptions). So be very clear about what you are paying for.