Help! Dulwich College JS at 9+ (year 5) OR CLSB, Westminster at 10+,11+

[tiredmom43]

Sorry for the long post!
My son is from an excellent state primary school. He is in the top sets in his school academically. We are planning to apply for private school for secondary.
However, I know the competition at 11+. Hence to gauge his academic level, we applied for DCJS and Alleyns at Year 5 (9+) with very minimal preparation.
He got an offer from DCJS [Dulwich College Junior School] and now we are thinking

1. Should we accept it now? OR
2. Reject it and try for 10+ and 11+ for more academic schools like Westminster, St. Pauls, CLSB, Trinity etc.

Any helpful pointers please? I do not want to be in a place where we reject this offer and do not get an offer from the academic schools at later stage.

I know DC is a very good school; however it is not in the top league tables. So, I am worried whether my DS will be stretched academically at DCJS and thereafter in DC.
Does anyone have any recent experience at Dulwich College Junior School?
Please help! I need to respond by next Thursday!

Thank you!!!

Can someone please let me know your thoughts? Anyone?

When you signed the registration form & paid the fee how did you imagine you would feel if you got offered a place? Where you always planning to decline it? How does your ds feel about not going to the prep school?

Perhaps focus on how you will feel in your ds continues at his primary school and you have to do more tutoring / visit more schools/ more registration fees etc.

You can always move schools for year 7. Weigh up the money spent (if that's a consideration) and whether your child will be better off academically at state school with extra tutoring/ time to work at home towards 11plus, or at prep school (which being the Junior school of a College is mostly interested in prepping for the school's college).
I suspect he'll get a better education at DCJS compared to his state primary, however he may be involved in after school activities at the college and have less time for 11plus prep.
Then you've got to think of the emotional upheaval of changing schools. I know children that went through three schools in their secondary years and were not fazed at all. I also know children who would find the changes very difficult. You know your child best in this regard.

Sorry don’t have specific experience of Dulwich but do appreciate your dilemma.

I’d say: Accept only if it takes away 11+ pressure, and you want to stay at Dulwich until 18, otherwise I think too disrupting.

Things to think about, that I hadn’t realised before going through similar (we stuck with state): Year 6 at their old state primary is great fun for the kids.
The fact that your DS passed at this stage suggests he will pass at 11+.

In your shoes, I would not accept, I’d reapply at 11+, but with careful prep (don’t sit on laurels, it’s very competitive at 11!).

Apply to one or two from the big 3 - kings Wimbledon, St. Paul’s boys, Westminster.
Be aware that City throws out some 11+ curve balls!
I know DS who didn’t get an offer there, despite scholarships from the big 3.

Then I’d include one or two easier schools e.g. trinity, dulwich, Whitgift.

I’d be amazed if he didn’t get offers at 11+!

On the other hand, it can be tough going to one of the very top academic schools from state (it’s quite full on in y7, as the state kids need to catch up! Also state kids are not used to the level/speed of work. I had not appreciated that!).

That said, while year 7 may then be quite a tough adjustment for your child (or at least not as easy as for the prep school kids who have - in our case - already covered much of the syllabus e.g. Latin, the sciences) worth saying that my child enjoys the academics and is doing just fine. Not top of class tho (something he used to enjoy, I reckon!). But I am confident he will start flying ahead as he catches up! Your boy sounds the same.

One last thing before you turn down dulwich and go for one of the super-super academic schools: think about whether your son will be ok NOT being top of the class (something he’s prob always been without much effort). Will it be demotivating for him to suddenly get lower scores in tests than some of his friends? (& omg there is constant testing!)

Bottom line- join dulwich now if you can see him being there for the duration (& it’s obvs a very good school). Or go for one of the top academic schools next year = enjoy year 6 (not to be underestimated!) and potential of a more fast paced school for secondary. All the kids who passed 10+ seemed to get into top academic schools at 11 (anecdote!).

Apologies you say 9+… must read better! That changes things slightly. I may be more inclined to accept since he still gets to settle in new school and then enjoy the top of the school feeling at y6.
Bottom line, he’s very very likely to get offers at 10+, also 11+

Now you know where your DS stands (he seems to be quite academically strong), you can just focus on your top priority schools and aim for 10+/11+! There's no point moving to DCJS for a few years if it's not your top school. I am saying this as someone who rejected a 7+ offer at DCJS!

Thank you all! I really appreciate that you took out time to reply.
@sunshineclouds24 - Well when we signed up our intention was more for a practice run and didn't hope to get a place. Our idea was to see where he stands academically amongst the prep crowd and prepare him for 10+/11+.

@Pollypocket81 - Emotional upheaval is what I am thinking about. Year 5 is a very crucial year and he loves his state primary school. However, what I fear of is the competition at 10+/11+.
At Alleyns, he was selected for interview stage but did not clear the interview round (though he said it was good). It was for 4 places (2 for boys) and competition was fierce (around 60 to 70 candidates applied for 4 places)! Being from a state school, they are not prepped for interview stage. So now I am thinking, even if he clears academic rounds at 10+/11+, what if he doesn't clear the interview?
Academics can be taught but how do state school students prepare for interview and compete against prep students at 10+/11+?

@Jumpalicious - Thank you so much for such a detailed reply. Yes its 9+. Thank you so much for giving me the confidence that my DS will make it at 10+/11+ stage. Congratulations to you and your DS for getting a place at academic school as I know how I hard it is to move from state school to these top independent academic schools. Well done!
Well we can take the place for 2 years but we are pondering on the thought as to what value will DCJS add for those 2 years which we can't do being in a state school?
I know facilties are there but will he really use those facilities in this last 2 crucial years of school where he is prepping for 11+.
Also I need to think about the interview stages at 10+/11+. State school students are not prepped for these. How did you prep your DS for the Interview round?
However at the same time, I need to think about what you said that he might be in the middle or bottom sets at the academic school as state school students need to catch up with that pace. Maybe DCJS will help him to get accustomed to that pace? I am not sure of that!
I think I have a lot to think about. This weekend will be the longest of my life!

@TypsTrycks May I please ask why did you reject the offer? Which school did your DS go in the end?
It would be great to hear how did you come to that decision. We are thinking of trying for 10+ - City, King's 10+ deferred, Hampton- 10+ deferred, Trinity and Whitgift. OR 11+ all academic schools, if we don't accept the offer.

Not sure what will happen but I like to believe that he will get in the right school at the end. It could be just my fear about the crazy competition 10+/11+ stage.

I really don't think you can prep for interviews at the age of 7 or 8 or even 10 or 11. I'm sure you talk to your child anyway. Ask them their opinion on things. Get a subscription to First News. Ask them to tell you what they liked about school X or what they are looking forward to at secondary. I don't think if they answer "school dinners" or "football" that's the wrong answer, it's more so that they feel confident talking.

Competition was fierce at Alleyns, that's all.

OP you are aware that WUS does send some of their 13+ to Dulwich. They go for several reasons - not managed out-, WUS actually rates them same as they do Eton, Harrow, Winchester etc. as Future Destination schools.

So a lot of people would love to get a place there.

You also say your DS did not get into Alleyns. These things are unpredictable, I also know DC who did not even get interviews at Hamptons, Kings, but got in at WUS and St Pauls.

I would urge you to take this place for your DC for a number of reasons.

• The school has the same level as top tier Preps.
• Small things like using the Science lab, DT lab, art studio, music room, sport facilities etc. will boost his confidence massively (some state DC get flustered and may find it hard to pick up, so the quicker you get them in the better I say).
• No worries, Dulwich will push your DS academically
• You can still apply for the other schools you want later at 11+ or 13+, he will be well prepared at Dulwich.

I also know DC who have moved from City(10+) to Westminster and St Pauls at 11+, as well as those. who moved from Whitgift (10+) to Kings or DC 11+. Different reasons, mostly for convenience and family reasons.

Of my own DC, I have some who moved from a popular London boys senior to boarding at 13+. They also had a few friends who moved at 13+ to either full boarding or grammar.

A couple of things I would consider:

• 11+ is very stressful even with a guaranteed place at a through school so consider whether you'd like to have your place at DC secured now by accepting the year 5 place. If it's a school you would consider at 11+, even as more of a back up then entry at this stage gives you the chance to try before you commit to the senior school.

• If you really favour a more selective school at 11+, you might gain better preparation from a prep with no through school as they are more focused on getting pupils to their next destination.

My child went to Alleyn's at 9+ and we were fairly sure we would want them to stay there for secondary. I would say though that it would have prepared them poorly for going somewhere else at 11+ compared to other local prep-only schools and further work would still be required.

I can't comment on DC but it might be worth thinking about whether their focus would be to help your child go somewhere else for 11+.

I wouldn't worry too much about the interviews, particularly if your son is very academically strong. You have plenty of time to prepare for 11+ and it's more about making sure he is not too shy to have a sensible chat with adults and you can get tutors to give you pointers, without over preparing.

Final thought is to consider how you will feel if things don't go so well at 11+ . It's so unlikely but the last couple of years has taught us to expect the unexpected. Families went through a lot more 11+ uncertainty due to covid and many made choices about schools they had never even visited.

Good luck to your son with whatever you decide.

Hi there,

We did this same thing and started our son at DCJS in year 5. He benefitted enormously and had a fabulous time. He decided to stay on for secondary school, but you can't lose by having a solid option that is local and is so well regarded. He could always swap if you want to try the 11+ exams elsewhere, but you also know that you're well placed if those don't work out.

Another thing to consider is the location of friends - friends at DC will generally be around SE London with some coming from SW. For the central London schools, boys could commute in from all around London and the Home Counties.
Friendships are hugely important during teenage years and it would really benefit your son if he could travel easily to see friends or they were a short drive away.