Prep school years 7 and 8

[MrPickles73]

For prep school years 7 and 8 is it typical to have 2 streams? Common Entrance and Scholarship? Is the latter for those doing academic scholarships and the former 'just' common Entrance. Can anyone tell me how this works please. dC1 is in year 6 and we are looking at prep schools for years 7 and 8.

Surely it depends on the school?

The prep I know best had more than two streams - with the top one being the scholarship stream.

What are your intentions for senior school? I'd suggest it's more important to choose a prep that regularly feeds into your preferred senior schools than to worry overmuch about which stream your child goes into now. A good prep will ensure they're only entered for senior schools they're likely to get into.

But I'm not sure I've understood your question.

Ours had a scholars stream and all others were doing common entrance. The Scholars stream was obviously just for academics. Some of the kids doing common entrance were also looking at senior school scholarships but perhaps in music, sport, art or drama.

Are you asking how it is decided who goes in what class? If so, then my experience was that the destination school was looked at for each child and then their predicted ability to secure a scholarship at that particular school going on past papers and experience of the headmaster. Most DC know their destination school (and many have their places secured, passing common entrance dependant) before heading into Form 7.

Thanks that helps. I've heard people talk about scholars and common entrance streams and I hadn't twigged what they were talking about thankyou. That helps. Preps schools near us are mostly quite small so typically have 2 streams but I can understand other preps would have more.

OP if you're taking this route you need to be not shy about establishing exactly what you want for your child, and what each prep can offer. The two things need to be in perfect alignment.

You may already be on top of all this - but far too often on MN I've read posts by disgruntled parents who find that the expensive up to 13+ prep they're paying for won't help with 11+ exams, or only sends to the day school down the road when they were hoping for a scholarship to Eton - or vice versa. Just don't be afraid to ask them directly about anything you're unsure of. And always be aware of what your child is realistically capable of

Here's my missing full stop.

Ds was in the scholarship set for some subjects but not others. His secondary did not use CE for entry but its own entrance papers and interviews instead, like many now, and awarded scholarships on the basis of performance in those. These have now also introduced pretests at year6/7 for deferred year 9 entry. Unless you need the CE curriculum for the next school, or it only starts at year 9, it may be worth considering moving there sooner.

The school we are considering has its on own exam at 13+. No pre test.

But I just wondered whether schools typically offer 2 speeds in years 7 and 8.

Schools normally differentiate depending on the children they’ve got. So even if there’s a class of 18 at different ability and skill levels, the teacher should provide appropriate work for everyone. Often that entails the same work at 3-4 different levels. I’d be best to speak to the schools you’re considering to see how they go about it.

My son's prep was quite small, one class, and only split the scholarship set off in year 8. (I still remember the look on his French teacher's face at parents' evening early in year 7, the first point I thought to ask about the scholarship class. "ah there might be a problem" territory as his French was not at the level of everything else and we both knew it!) They must have been doing a fairly good job of differentiating across their ability range in year 6 and 7 though. Some years boys might join the scholarship class just for one subject eg maths I believe. And I think boys preparing for tougher non-CE entrance tests eg Winchester could be catered for that way.

My daughter's prep didn't routinely make a scholarship set but teachers did extra 1-1 or 1-2 work with some of them. They tended to generate proportionally more music and sports scholars I think. In a different school my daugher might have also achieved an academic scholarship at a selective school, but actually her senior school preference was non-selective and has done well by her.

The major need for a separate scholarship class is that they are working to much earlier deadlines, often Feb or March in yr 8, so their work and assessments need to target a peak at that point when the rest of the yeargroup should be working steadily towards summer exams or assessments. And of course they may have a more extensive curriculum to cover. Some subjects (eg Latin) can probably cover scholarship syllabus much more effectively if they've got the students separately from year 7.

Some have 3 streams, depends on size of school.

Not prep schools I've known @JoJoSM2 . If they work to CE they will fastrack to CAS those seeking academic scholarships to public schools ie. Higher level Latin, possibly Greek , the content taught may differ to those taking CE and there may be cocurricular opportunities. These schools will usually have specific subject teachers. If the prep predominantly serves local day school with 13+ entry option the curriculum taught will orientate more towards their entrance tests and levels, often setting by ability. Op you need to choose one based upon its record of getting pupils into your intended destination, but perhaps with a back up plan.

But I would agree the split CE/CAS is normally towards end of year 7, even if likely candidates tend to be obvious earlier.

Your description doesn't resemble any prep school I've known, either JoJoSM2! My (at one remove) experience has been exactly as LIZS has outlined.

But I still don't really understand your question, OP. Surely you need to concentrate on what specific schools do, rather than worrying about what's 'typical'?

Will you only be applying to one senior school?

Ours has three English and maths sets in year 7 and two streams. Then in year 8, three maths and English sets and three streams. They have 36 boys in each year.

I’ve seen schools with a separate stream and with extra work for potential scholars. At DCs old school it depended on how many were considered capable if and / or wanted to try for scholarships

I think most have two or three streams. CE, Scholarships and senior non selective schools.

jojosm2 I think this is likely to be the situation. The year will have 14-24 students so 1 or 2 sets / streams.

I had one dc at prep and a child the year below at a state grammar. We found the quality of education much better at the state school, despite the classes being twice as big.

But to your question, most schools will have some separate or additional lessons in Y8 for scholarship.

bvop the only grammar school in the county is over 30 miles away so whilst that may be the case it's not an option for us..