Cat scores and scholarships

[Bvop]

A couple of other posts refer to children having CAT scores suitable for this school or the other, or ones that would indicate a chance of a scholarship?

Sorry, didn’t include the question: what does a child need for top schools and scholarships?

Completely depends on the school, where in the country you are etc . If you take boys' schools, Westminster might be looking for an average CAT score of 135+ whilst a mixed ability school might offer a place for pupils with CAT scores less than 120 and may offer a scholarship (which isn't a bursary btw) to a pupil with CAT scores of 125.

Generally super selectives tend to be after 125+

CAT scores aren't the be all and end all though. Pupils still have to sit exams.

If you search Mumsnet there are previous threads that contain indicative CAT scores for a range of schools.

Scholarships are often a small reduction in fees for a particular talent - sport, music etc. So usually not related to CAT scores

If your child is at a prep school the head should guide you as to appropriate destinations, there is a hierarchy of typical entry levels. Scholarships can be academically competitive but of little financial value.

I think the advice on this will depend on what kind of school your child is at now. If they're at a prep, then yes, the school should be advising you on suitable destinations. If they're at a state primary, however, you're unlikely to get any guidance from the school, and it can be really hard to get a good idea of which schools will be a good fit. If that's the case, your best bet is to go to open days early and try to have a frank conversation with the schools about what they're looking for, and also to think really hard about what you're looking for - ie what your child is like and what kind of environment will suit them. Scholarships are a bit of a red herring, as others have said - sure, they're nice to have, but they usually offer very little financial discount unless they're accompanied by a bursary, and you should resist the temptation to be flattered into choosing a school just because they offer your child a scholarship. FWIW DS got a scholarship at an academic school (I guess top 20, maybe top 10, but not top 5?) with an average CAT score of 138. Out of interest, his SATs scores were excellent but not absolutely stellar - CATs can't tell you everything. The scholarship is nice to have, but very much a bonus - definitely not the reason for choosing the school.

My DD has a CAT score of 135 and the school is not confident of an academic scholarship. For girls it is a wait and see approach after 11+ offers. If they do well enough in the entry exam they may be invited for the scholarship exam.

Bursaries are different things entirely. Financially challenged parents should apply for bursaries in the application.

Also I was told in London for girls minimum distinction standard in Grade 6 in two instruments for music scholarships.

(unhelpful misunderstanding) - how would having a high scoring cat help with scholarships?!

@coachmylife

(unhelpful misunderstanding) - how would having a high scoring cat help with scholarships?!

It is an indicator of academic potential which may, or may not, be reflected in an exam/pretest situation.

Agreed LIZS. CATs are good predators of academic ability but not indicative of a scholarship. The hurdle is very high for scholarships particularly in London.

CATS of 135+ I'd say for the top schools but places like WUS only offer music scholarships for example.

Thank you - I think we’ll stick to plan A which is state secondary. Dd has 141/140/134 so probably high for her school but not tipping the balance to get us to look into scholarships at a private school.

Those are great scores, especially as they're across the board. It's worth sitting for the scholarship as long as expectations aren't raised too high.

It will depend on what schools you are looking at. You have little to lose by trying, you may also be able to apply for a bursary. A lot of the academic scholarships are of little financial value though.

If you do need a scholarship she would probably stand a better chance at a slightly less academically selective school than top tier which will be very competitive and more about performance on the day to choose between very similar level children. But even then it may only be of token value so do your research first. There is no point going through the process to find it is not enough, especially if you have other options such as state grammars or good comprehensives.

I would agree with the posters above - those are great scores, and suggest your DC could well secure a scholarship, possibly at one of the 'top' schools. But I'm unclear as to why this would make the difference between applying and not - an academic scholarship is only likely to be worth about 5% of the fee, maybe 10%, so if this is the financial deal breaker then that suggests that your affordability margins are too tight. But if you might get a bursary then that's a whole different kettle of fish. Some schools do offer more relaxed bursary rules for scholars I think - but in any case, you would need to do your homework around income levels etc. Are you looking at boarding or are you geographically focused on a local area?

For example at one popular day school in our area a scholarship is £1k pa, less than 10%.

I think that provided we send dd to a school which is basically good, she’ll do well. As long as there’s a critical mass of bright children who want to work hard, she’ll be set up to succeed. So that’s why state school is plan A: we’ve got a number of schools in the local area which are fine. The reason I asked about scholarships is that if dd could get into an independent school which gave her an order of magnitude more in terms of experience, teaching and life chances then we’d look at it. But I wouldn’t want to apply for an academically middling school as I’m not convinced that she’d get a better education and she’d possibly end up with a reduced chance of going to the best universities.

This thread has made me think that the scholarship isn’t the issue necessarily, unless I’ve left it too late to apply via a normal route, as they aren’t substantial. So the question is whether it’s worth looking at a really good private school and comparing that with what she’d get from one of our local schools.

The issue of whether it's worth it is a whole other question, and you'll find plenty of bunfights discussions about that on here already. I think your instinct is right, that an average independent is not worth it over a good state. Whether an outstanding independent is worth it over a good state is a matter of opinion. (FWIW we decided that it was, and we're still very comfortable with that decision - but we're not paying full fees, and it still certainly wasn't a 'no-brainer'. You'd need to think carefully about what your daughter would gain, and set that against what the financial impact on your family would be.)

In terms of practical issues, I don't think the timing for scholarship applications are different than the norm, generally? Maybe they are in some schools, I don't know. As to whether you've left it too late, if your daughter's Year 5 then you haven't necessarily (you'd still be within the application deadline for our school, not sure if they all work similarly). From everything you've said, I'm guessing your DD is at a state primary at the moment. What I would say is, you are likely to find that certainly some schools will look particularly kindly on a state application from a very bright child, if you do go down that route.

If you are looking in London, G&L and SHHS may offer up to 20% with some means testing. Camden School for Girls is a great state school.
Gone are the days of big scholarships even at boarding schools which are dear.

Those scores are definitely scholarship material. 141 is where the scale tops out! With those scores she'd likely be admitted to any school she applied to if her innate ability translated to performance on the entrance exam which will still require some test preparation.

Alleyns and JAGs offer scholarships that are worth about 25-30% of the fees. I'm sure there are other examples of London schools where the scholarships are more than just a token as well.

If you aren't on a 6-figure household income, you may also qualify for some bursary support in addition to a scholarship award. Personally, I'd do some research on the school's near you and have a go.

The scholarships I mentioned above I should add aren't means tested.

Anyhow, I do think an academically gifted child would do better in an academically selective school. I also agree that a very good state school often is as good or better than some private options.

However, as I mentioned above, your daughter's test scores suggests she has the innate ability to get into even the most selective London schools so your choice will be between top private (if you can afford it) and your local state options.