Is my friend correct

[Prettybutdumb]

I was speaking to a friend earlier this week about 11+ examinations and where our children might apply. (Her DCs go to an independent school, mine are in the local state). When asked, I said that in an ideal world I would like mine to go to a very well regarded nearby secondary which has a rigorous set of entrance examinations and interviews, but at the moment I don’t know if they’re up to the challenge - they’re still quite young. She said ‘Oh, I bet they’ll get in, they have a much better chance than mine do, as they’ll be applying from a state school and they’ll have to take them’.

I was a little shocked at her comment as I can’t see why it would matter. Is there any truth in what she said or is it nonsense?

It depends on the admissions criteria.

There is a grammar school in my area for example where apart from having to obtain a certain score on the entry examination other criteria include attending a feeder primary school. Independent schools cannot be named as a feeder primary.

However there are other grammar schools where admission is purely done on the basis of who gets the highest marks in the entry test.

Incidentally they are not allowed to interview children or their parents (except for 6th form and even then only to determine the most suitable subjects/course)

Sorry do you mean the secondary is a state school? They don't "have" to take any child - that child just has to qualify under their admissions conditions. So for a Grammar school (if that's what this is) the child will have to pass the 11+ but then I assume the rest is the same as any other schools - distance from the school etc. It won't make any difference if the child is coming from a state or private primary.

Yes, I am assuming that the secondary school is state.

The secondary is independent, the state secondary is pretty appalling and have heard some horror stories about both staff and students.
We are saving like mad to make sure the independent can happen, but there are a LOT of children fighting over a handful of places. Not linked to our state school in any shape or form.

If the secondary is independent then they can admit however they see fit. They may very well allow children from state schools to have a place despite scoring lower than those from private to account for the fact that local state schools don't prepare their students for the entry exam and to make themselves look better.

But then again they might not.

Yes agree with others - since it is a private school it can do what it wants I guess (tho I imagine if what it wanted was in some way blatantly discriminatory it would say it in a different way).

I have never heard of private schools being more keen to admit children from state primary as such but I guess it may happen. But equally it may not.

OP I would caution that if you are having to "save like mad" to afford the private school, make sure that you are planning in for hefty fee rises and possible VAT if Labour does as it says it will. I mean you may have this covered in which case ignore me.

Well we don’t know the school’s admissions policy. They could have more places reserved for state school, or a lower pass mark on the exam. I doubt it though. More likely your friend’s kids at the prep are at an advantage because they’re getting help from the school with exam prep and interview technique.

The admissions criteria should be on the school website. I have never heard of a private school giving priority to state school kids-but it might happen.

She may also be saying this to use as a defence in case your kids get in and hers don’t so she can tell herself it’s not because your kids are smarter it’s because of the criteria.

So she's saying independent secondary schools are mandated to take state school kids, but not those coming from private primary? Cobblers.