Take Putney high 7+ offer or try St Paul & Godolphin at 11+?

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DD has an offer for Putney high (7+) from waitlist. She didn't get an offer from Bute or LEH. We were hoping for a Bute place. Putney and LEH were initially just to see and still stay at her prep until 11.

She is doing well at her prep - top set and etc. But she is not the most academic one there, more like in top quarter. We wanted to try for St Paul Girls & Goldolphin&Latymer at 11+. But the 7+ outcome makes us reconsider the whole thing.

Having failed to get in Bute at LEH at 7 - is this an indication that she may not have a good chance at St Paul Girls and Godolphin&Latymer at 11? If likely, I now prefer to go for Putney now and bypass for the 11+ prep.

What I don't want to do is to go for Putney now and prep for 11+ outside of the school.

Realistically how much a child's ability change between 7+ and 11+..?

We live equidistant to Putney and the Hammersmith schools.

I am familiar with LEH at age 7, was your dd prepared for the exam? Ie does your prep prepare for 7plus by covering the KS1 curriculum by Christmas? Is she able to write a story and answer comprehension questions?
Did she have an opportunity to show her personality on the remote interview or was she rejected after the exam? Was her prep surprised by the rejection or not involved in the process?

DC change a lot between 7 and 11, especially if the teaching at the prep is focused on 11 plus and will prepare her well from Year 5.
But SPSG and G&L are looking for naturally bright and inquisitive dd who want to learn, it may be that they are not the right schools for her.
Putney High is a very good school and you will miss out on all the 11plus stress if you accept now. I wouldn't consider LEH at 11 due to where you live and because you have the Putney offer already.

Thank you for the reply

She was not offered an interview at LEH. Her prep school wasn't involved at all and frowned upon her sitting 7+. But DD had a tutor for about 6 months before exams.

Lockdown was tricky and we didn't over prep her. But I think that she was provided with resources for preparation in order to to show her potential at exams.

Is it fair to say that a strong candidate for SPGS and G&L at 11+ would likely get an offer from Bute and/or LEH at 7+? (Or Latymer 7+, as her friend who I thought was a bit more advanced than DD failed to get in)

I feel like dismissing her unrealised potential by accepting Putney now and closing doors for more academic schools later. But I also feel that she may actually not be SPGS or G&L girl based on this objective 7+ outcome..?

What did the tutor advise? If she didn't pass the exam it may mean that whilst she is familiar with the KS1 curriculum she wasn't able to adapt it in an exam setting. For example does she find telling the time comes naturally and she can answer a time related question without it being taught etc.
I can see you are in a tricky position but SPGS and G&L are very difficult schools to get into and will only accept dd who are suitable. Bute at 7plus is also very difficult.

You should probably speak to her prep about where she sits in the cohort and how they prepare for 11 plus. Perhaps speak to a year 6 parent at the prep who has selected Putney for their dd at age 11 and which other schools their dd also sat for. Gaining a place at Putney at age 11 has been tricky this year, much harder than LEH seniors that has extended its number of year 7 classes for this September.
If you have the patience you should read the SW London girl's indies 11+ thread on Secondary Education, there are 3 parts! (Ie over 2000 comments)

Skatingpark97's penultimate sentence (in the post above) is most pertinent.
Taking the Putney High option would seem very sensible.

Hello which school is your daughter going to at the moment? and what are the exit results of this school for these 2 schools? If only 1/2 from the school goes there at 11+ then that would mean that she would have to be in the very top of her cohort to stand a chance probably?
Other questions for you, why do you want your daughter to go to these schools? Our daughter is in year 4 and the only thing I know is that I want her to go to a school that is a good fit and that it is better to be in the first 1/4 of girls are a schoo that can appeared as in a lower league than to be at the bottom of SPGS or G/L... not great for a kids self confidence..

Hello. Thanks for all the comments - they are really helpful..

She goes to a non selective prep in Fulham. Of the girls going to London day schools, about 1/3 currently ends up in SPGS & G&L. We had those schools in mind (if it turns out to be the right school for her) because it's an easy commute and we thought she was very bright and academic, based on feedback from her school, tutor and etc. She is in top quarter for maths and English at the moment. But that doesn't mean too much in light of 11+ probably.

About 2/3 of the girls ends up in Putney high or more academic secondary from her prep. So the initial plan (before sitting 7+) was that we wouldn't move for Putney at 7, as the chance of going there at 11 seemed high. Keeping her at her prep until 11 keeps our doors open to more academic schools (if they suit her) and its 10 minutes walk from where we live, as opposed to crossing Putney Bridge 4 times a day.

But the 7+ results makes me think that she may not be as academic and strong an 11+ candidate as we thought, therefore she's better off settling for and securing Putney High which is a great school anyway.

What prep is that? The prep I know in fulham ken prep Sinclair Roche parson green prep and fulham prep does not have 1/3 going to spgs / godolphin and 2/3 ie rest going at least to Putney high! At least not over a long period of time

@Lolakath19

I'm very sorry for the confusion. When I wrote 1|3 going to SPGS & G&L I meant the schools equivalent (in my own understanding) So I included some top boarding schools that we won't consider like Wycombe Abby and coed Latymer Upper that we won't consider. And you're right that some years it's more like 1|4 going to these schools and some other years more like 1/3.

Anyway, the same dilemma still stands :)

How much tutoring does your daughter have at the moment? How much/long did you tutor her? Why did you want to move to Bute? Putney high is an amazing school and you can always try other school at 11+ from there.

My two cents. Take Putney and enjoy the ride. You can prepare for other schools if you think you want to change / academic enough, a lot of girls do. You will still have the option, and great to have a backstop that is a good option already for secondary. It will only get tougher too, so better to not underestimate.

I agree with the last poster- if you take PH now it may be brilliant for her, and if it turns out not to be, you can look at other options at 11, but always with staying at PH as a great backup. It is a great luxury to take 11plus whilst at a really good school that goes to 18, although only if it's clear to her that staying put is just as valid an option, and in no way a fail. My best advice is to ask her what she feels - has she seen PH - what did she think of it? Would she like to leave to go there. What about the other schools? My kids had very strong reactions to some schools and thus really owned the process and were motivated to prep for exams (no tutors).

Putney is a great school I agree but doesn’t sound like your heart’s in it right now and her local prep sounds better for location and friends. So I would keep her where she is and try later. You may get a more academic school or maybe not but you will have a better idea of what suits her personality and where she will thrive rather than focusing solely on your perception of a ranking of “best” schools which you are doing right now.

Agree with posters saying take Putney. It really isn't much different to G&L and is a sought after, strong school. It sounds very unlikely your DD would get into SPGS - and SPGS is only right for a very specific type of girl.

Logically, about half of the Bute girls get into the 'Hammersmith three' (SPGS, G&L or LU). Someone did the stats on the 'Falkner House girls' thread going at the moment. Given 2/3 of Bute's intake is the 7+ selected girls, if your DD didn't get into Bute then it is probably less likely she will get into G&L. Unless the style of teaching and nature of the cohort at her current school is meaning she isn't getting as much from school as she could? I had one DD at Bute and one not. The one who was at Bute was not top of the pile but certainly progressed a huge amount and got lots just from being there as it is an ambitious school that supports them all really well. She didn't end up at SPGS but I think she was well equipped with confidence and an enjoyment of learning ...which I believe meant she did better than potentially at other prep schools due to the cohort and approach of the school- certainly when compared to my other DD's school. The same could be true for your DD if you consider her prep vs putney?

Of course, things click for different children at different ages, exam technique (especially this year with Bute's online exam) and maturity can all come into play. However, the fact you tutored and feel your DD is not at the absolute top of her prep school suggests that a Putney place was a great achievement and would be perfect for her.

PHS is brilliant and highly sought after. She probably would get in again at 11+ so you can rest in that knowledge so it comes down to whether you want to put her through the stressful 11+ and keep options open.

So that is why my main question, as I said above, would be whether you think her prep is helping her achieve her best her in the same way Putney would? Would a more academic school like Putney with higher expectations perhaps push her on more (even for you to then try for G&L if at the time you still feel that way, knowing you have PHS in the bag as a junior girl moving up to seniors)? Or do you love her prep, think she is happy there and being supported well and just want to wait and see at 11+?

Hope these rambles are helpful!