Eltham College Blackheath Prep Merger

[TJsAunt]

Just announced. So many questions - they claim both schools will remain as they are but surely there will be changes? Worrying...

Where has this been announced?

What are your worries about it? The main change seems to be the process around the automatic place allocation for EC junior school pupils. Are you an EC parent or Blackheath Prep?

The worry is what this really means for the future of both schools. The 2 prep departments are in direct competition - so will they amalgamate long term? With less parental choice, the scope to hike fees is also concerning.

For state school parents it's worrying because (per the graphic on the BP site) they only think c 25% 11+ entrants will now come from outside the junior school/BP

It's worrying for those kids in BP who fail to get a "priority" place in EC in Y5 - they'll feel like failures before the 11+ process even starts.

How will BP manage the 11+ process if half the year are already guaranteed spots at EC?

It's a big change - it's natural that there should be concerns?

All interesting points/questions.

I am way past the 11+ but my kids came from a prep (not Blackheath) where the reality was that kids started moving at various random times between Y3 - Y6 so I guess the idea of a protracted process around moving schools and school having to manage that is fairly familiar.

I agree about the Y5 spots for BH pupils and what that means for the "others" but I think the whole 11+ system is rubbish for kids from a self-esteem perspective so I'm not sure this is that different. It's just another aspect of it.

It's an interesting development for sure - and like most business changes it will suit some and not others. BTW I didn't mean you were unreasonable to have worries about it - I was just interested what they were!

Here you go...

https://www.blackheathprep.co.uk/blackheath-prep-eltham-college-to-merge/

Absolutely ridiculous and will put an insane amount of pressure on parents at B Prep, with tutoring now starting at Y2/3 instead of Y4. What is wrong with these schools that the mental health of young children is not a priority, only ranking is?

Also as PP mentioned, less choice now available at 11+ to state schools and non-competitive-entry schools in the area.

St Dunstan's and Rosemead Prep merged this year too. Why all the mergers? What do they get out of it?

I thought there were now places in most state primaries in London? Blackheath has good state primaries. If you are not happy, can you not just insist that it is a substantial change of contract/policy after the notice period so you withhold the right to withdraw your child because the school failed to give you adequate notice? Surely there are some astute lawyers amongst the parent group?

Parents in private schools pay a huge amount and just take all these ill thought through changes from senior management. Most of the kids at Blackheath Prep are bright? You don’t need the private school, put them in a local school and save some money. Get tutors instead or use online resources. If enough parents do that these heads won’t keep getting away with substantial changes without consulting parents.

I’m very surprised at this. Blackheath Prep has always sold themselves as being independent and providing parents with a real choice of schools at 11. I wonder what has caused them to change their mind.

@Beetle11 so true!

It's quite simple - too much competition for too few places in the area.

If you look at the past five years of leaving results, Blackheath Prep, Pointers and Heath House all have similar numbers going to Eltham, Colfes and St Dunstans. A handful to grammar and some of the Dulwich schools, but really the target destinations are mainly just these three schools. Pointers being non-selective in the early years pulls in a lot of parents who don't like the ethos of 3+ assessments at Blackheath Prep. I think Blackheath Prep and Eltham are dealing with heavy, heavy competition in the area and this is one way to ensure an advantage in the 11+ entry process. This is similar to why Westminster and SPJ run 7+ exams - a few years ago, they decided earlier assessments at 7+ instead of 11+ give them the choice of the best students and thus the best results.

Profitability is a major issue in the sector too. Will be interesting to see which SE London school will turn co-ed or start an even earlier assessment next!

I'm not surprised. For the reasons other posters have listed, and because EC went co-ed a few years ago (6 iirc) but is still very much a boys school that admits girls compared to its local competitors.

Yes, BP's independence (ie no senior school) was/is attractive but fostered near-hysteria in most parents from the beginning of y5 over secondary school admission. If you met them and asked about the kids they would talk about literally nothing else. I know parents who had their kids sitting 6-8 lots of entrance exams. Someone will jump in and justify that as normal or necessary but I'd respond that for ten-year olds it really isn't. Most kids that age will do KS3 SATs and that's it.

The nature of the area it serves also meant fairly high turnover in the cohort - 20-25% wasn't unusual pre-pandemic. People moving in and out of area mostly but sometimes to other schools they saw as better feeders to their destination of choice. So although BP popular a constant need to fill places which relies completely on the current rep of the school.

Bit sad they are only aiming for 25% from other schools including the state sector at 11+. This would massively put me off!

“It's quite simple - too much competition for too few places in the area.”

For now? That trend is meant to reverse drastically in the next few years.

I think this is all hype and a marketing ploy. Try and make those places at Eltham College Senior School to appear more sought after and exclusive. To create parental angst and frenzy so the applications keep coming. To create an exclusive brand. So people keep signing up to the primary bit and Blackheath prep to get those places.

All against a backdrop of Colfe’s outperforming Eltham College in exam results last year? And a backdrop of a scandal in the press about grade inflation during Covid by Eltham?

How does it make business sense to “merge” with a primary school when the forecasts seem to be saying that there will be a shortage of primary pupils across London in the next few years.

I think I would have done the opposite. Expanded the secondary school to create more spaces for state school pupils. Most people will only be paying for secondary school at most in the future. You can see it in all the Mumsnet threads about school fees at private schools increasingly exponentially.

What is the state secondary school like in Blackheath/Greenwich? That is where people should be putting their angst into. It is largely a good catchment and they could have great schools surely.

The mergers are the shore up their financial position. All schools the especially preps in London are gearing up for a fall in demand.

The demographic bulge that happened with soaring birth rates after 2010 is now working its way through secondary school. There is a dramatic fall of in primary age school pupils that's already started and is going to get worse. This is due to lower birth rates over the last 5 years but also families moving out of London.

State schools are also affected-- mergers and closures are planned for about 20% of primary schools in Southwark to reduce vacancies in the system and shore up school finances.

The demand problem is more acute for private preps because of the cost of living crisis and the looming VAT charge when labour comes into power. A number of London preps have already closed-- there is a thread on this in the primary school section...

You are 100% right. Westminster is also now starting a 4+ admission and is going fully co-ed from reception. The scramble for bums on seats is real even for the top schools.

Wimbledon High is moving away from an assessed 4+ entry to a lottery-- again to appeal to parents who don't like the idea of assessment at that age to widen their appeal. They are also moving out of synch with Putney and the other academic through schools to offer in October instead of January again to secure acceptances early.

Schools are clearly in a panic...

Please could I just ask - are these two schools merging in financial trouble? Are they worried about financial trouble down the road?

I have now heard rumours that the Eltham Junior kids are not given a guaranteed place in Year 7 anymore if they even apply for another Year 7 school (so no more trying for grammar etc). So basically if you join Eltham in Year 3 you have to be sure you want to stay long term.

How do Colfe’s and St Dunstan’s handle this? The GDST schools (Blackheath High etc) are through schools but don’t take deposits before state school places are allocated on 1 March in Year 6 and don’t seem that upset if you go to e.g. JAGS or even Eltham instead.

When do Colfe’s take the deposit? What about St Dunstan’s? What if children decide to go to another school? Do parents at Blackheath Prep realise that if they sign up to Eltham in Year 5 they can’t really change their minds?

Reading the announcement page it sounds more like what the state sector would call a multi-academy trust (MAT)? It states

While each school will retain its distinct individual identity, we will build on our shared educational vision, ethos and values to the benefit of both communities

I have been seeing a lot in the news about thousands fewer children needing school places in coming years and London is even worse hot and independent sector won’t be immune. I wonder if they are trying to get ahead of that curve.

Not heard the rumours at EC but as a BP parent I know the EC early entrance exam is at beginning of Y6 not Y5. As I understand it if we decide to put DD forward for the early exam and get offered a place we dont have to take it if we decide we want to go for the 11+ after all. But why would you want to turn it down anyway? If you don't want to make EC your only choice don't sit the early entrance exam.

@Millie465 - parents at Eltham Junior are used to being offered a guaranteed place in the Senior School without sitting an exam. Now they have been told if they sit for another school (state or private) then they don’t have a guaranteed place anymore. They can still sit for Eltham Senior but they have to then compete with external applicants.

As they joined originally thinking they have a guaranteed place and might also just try for a grammar in Kent or Bromley or Bexley go to a top private school like Alleyns, JAGs or Westminster, they are now annoyed.
There are many kids at through schools using the schools as a back up to wait and see what happens. GDST schools still allow this and I think Colfe’s as well (not sure). St Dunstan’s I don’t know.

I guess you cannot tell with a young child at 6 what Senior school will be best for them so some people went for a backup option. And then when it changes because the school change the policy, they are annoyed.

To be honest, I think if a school changed the policy half way through then it is a bit unfair, no?

parents at Eltham Junior are used to being offered a guaranteed place in the Senior School without sitting an exam. Now they have been told if they sit for another school (state or private) then they don’t have a guaranteed place anymore. They can still sit for Eltham Senior but they have to then compete with external applicants.

OMG! is that true?

Well the source it has come from is reliable and pretty annoyed… because they think they didn’t contract on that basis originally. It is a sudden policy change from the top.

There will be new children starting in Year 3 in September, whether they were told this information before signing the parent contract or not, I don’t know. I don’t know if they can back out now or not, might require legal advice.

I would think a contract clause preventing alternative choice would be in breach of the Competition Act or similar?

This has been slightly misrepresented.

EC kids have automatic transfer to the senior school if they choose to take it.

If they decide to try for multiple schools then they sit the 11+ entry exam for EC same as everyone else and have no priority. Guess they were fed up holding places for kids who then gave one term's notice in year 6?

I don't think it breaches any contracts -if you still want the guaranteed place it's still there. But not to be used as an insurance policy.