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Original poster

what are they looking for at assessment for entry at 4 to a private school?

62 replies

olivo · 16/09/2009 17:59

We are thinking of putting DD down forthe local private primary, and were sent some info, saying that the admissions assessment process would be starting soon. what kind of things are they looking for? DD has only just turned 3 so seems very young compared to some of her fellow year group. do they take things like that into account? presumably they wouldn't want a year group full of september birthdays!

OP posts:
pyjamalama · 16/09/2009 21:00

Olivo - I have a suggestion. Rather than listen to hearsay and gossip, either her or at the school gate, phone the school, speak to the registrar/admissions secretary, and ask them what they do.

You are far more likely to get a clear idea of what is required, and what the school is like, and much less likely to go mad having been whipped into an anxious frenzy by the school gate mob.

pyjamalama · 16/09/2009 21:01

either here or at the school gate ... sorry

TheHappyCat · 16/09/2009 21:14

Thanks for posting - am about to go through the exact same thing (or rather DD is) so all v interesting.
Don't believe it's about the cash here either as know quite a few wealthy people (with wealthy addresses/obvious email addresses to match, gs.com and all that) whose daughters didn't get in.
That said I think it's all totally random. In sixth form when we went for Oxbridge interviews a significant minority who should have got in didn't. And if they can't tell at 18 how can they tell at 3?!
My DD is summer-born and they assess the summer-borns together. I haven't helped matters by booking a holiday so she has to be assessed with the winter girls. But what will be will be...

Hulababy · 16/09/2009 22:30

DH and I were not interviewed. We had a very informal chat with the head about the school.

There was never any mention of whether we could not afford the fees. The fee information was sent out previously so I assume it was taken as granted if you were attending the assessment you could afford it.

Hulababy · 16/09/2009 22:32

olivio - teaching would definitely been seen as acceptable!

In DDs school the parents have all manner of occupations from professionals, academics, medics, teachers, self employed, manual labourers, sat at home parents, etc.

Hulababy · 16/09/2009 22:34

olivio - 1K a year for a private school! Where are you? That seems an amaxingingly low price!

MarmadukeScarlet · 16/09/2009 22:57

My DH wrote Serial Entrepreneur for his occupation which I didn't notice until just before I haded the forms to the head, I still blanch and think of Arthur Daly when I think of it .

1K per yr? Even the cheapest preprep here is £2,100 per term in reception, that seems very cheap.

And yes, for the doubters, my friend was really asked to put down on an application form which school and uni she and her DH went to - it was 12 years ago, so perhaps schools could afford to be a little picky then?

My DC's last school (now both removed from) the admissions sec said to me, "Don't worry about not fitting in Mrs Scarlet, we have all types of parents here even the man that runs the alloy wheel refurbishment place in the town." I was ed at the time and now realise that is a little like saying, "some of my best friends are gay but..." as it was the snobbiest and most unpleasant environment full of Nouveaux.

messalina · 16/09/2009 23:05

I think if I were a headteacher, I would weed out children of any mothers who didn't work. They spend their whole time fussing, esp. those in the independent sector. I know the type well.

MarmadukeScarlet · 17/09/2009 01:03

But messalina, who would run the PA to raise money for the latest whiteboards/minibus but for the frustrated ex lawyers with too much Time On Their Hands?

Original poster
olivo · 17/09/2009 08:30

thank you pyjama, that is a good idea. best from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

sorry,it's 1K a term, not a year. still way cheaper than my nursery bills at the moment!

they do ask if you or DP went to that school or the senior ones it feeds to as tere is a vague priority for that. we didn't!!

i have to say, this school seems the most down to earth of the privates locally.

OP posts:
dilemma456 · 17/09/2009 09:20

Message withdrawn

dilemma456 · 17/09/2009 09:25

Message withdrawn

gladders · 17/09/2009 09:57

still - 1k a term? in reception? that is v cheap...

there is so much variety in these answers, your only way of knowing is to speak to other parents who've been through the process at the same school?

FWIW - someone said they would avoid a school where the parents were interviewed/scrutinised - agree whole heartedly with that. ds did his test (lots of little tasks like jigsaws, drawing, memory, letters, numbers etc) and we watched. we were encourage to praise him but had no other interaction with the teacher.

hope all goes well!

MarmadukeScarlet · 17/09/2009 10:30

Thank you dilemma for confiming that it does happen, I felt that I wasn't believed

gladders · 17/09/2009 11:29

oh it definitely happens alright - my friend and her husband were interviewed for a school in clapham before their ds was assessed... - it's just that it'snot for me. any school that is concerned about my social/professional status (or that wants to put my son into knickerbockers) is just not for me.

Litchick · 17/09/2009 12:20

I've got a reg form for an independent secondary school in front of me and it does ask the parents' occuapations.
But whilst that may give a vague indication as to levels of education it doesn't tell the school how much cash we have.

DH has put lawyer. He could just as easily work for the CPS as in the city.
Similarly I've put writer. But since I write under a pen name I could as easily be an unpublished author of fly fishing text books as I could be JKR.

Original poster
olivo · 17/09/2009 12:29

i agree- interviewing me and dh is not good (unless they have job going for me ) so will see what they ask for...
LOL at knickerbockers

OP posts:
pagwatch · 17/09/2009 12:34

messsalina
thanks for dismissing my whole life in a total cliche. I am a SAHM. I have my reasons which are not really relevent but I am totally NOT a fussy over involved parent. Thanks.
Close to the opposite actually ....
I know the type you mean but we are not all like that. And many of my WOHM do appreciate that I can help out with pick up etc sometimes when they are pushed....

frakkinpannikin · 17/09/2009 12:38

I've 'prepared' children for private school assessments (several of them!) and have worked out that schools are assessing:

  • can they follow instructions
  • can they play nicely with other children or do they bite/hit/kick
  • can they use scissors and cut in a straight line (test of fine motor skills?)
  • can they recognise shapes (square, circle and triangle)
  • do they remember things

The best one I've been asked to prepare for was drawing a house - to make sure the windows and doors are in the right place and that it has a chimney. Which of course the child was familiar with given that they lived in a city centre flat

These were all parents with an open cheque book (they paid an undergraduate student with some childcare qualifications to 'tutor' their 3 year old) and high flying careers. One school asked about willingness to get involved in the PTA, IIRC, which the parents came home and asked me whether it would be acceptable to ask the nanny to do that. They had a FT nanny BTW - I was the 'specialist' brought in to prepare for the assessment. I owe at least a year of uni tuition to the woman I babysat for who happened to mention at her law firm she had a babysitter who was a nanny-turned-student!

If you really want to prepare your child then the above, IMO, is what you're looking at doing but, equally IMO, it's not really worth getting in a tutor!

pagwatch · 17/09/2009 12:40

Marmaduke

I wasn't trying to insinuate your weren't telling the truth - I did say I was sure it did happen at times - just that it isn't universal as DCs have applied at ( between them ) about 8 different prep and senior schools and we have never been asked about our education.

I do think that sometimes these threads become competetive horror stories which is not what a lot of anxious pre assessment parents want to hear.

People seem to want to paint all independents as the same when ALL schools are different.

Genuine apologies though - I didn't disbelieve you and I'm sorry I let it read like that!
( I was a bit snappy yesterday)

dilemma456 · 17/09/2009 13:25

Message withdrawn

MarmadukeScarlet · 17/09/2009 14:18

pag no problem am a little touchy meself atm ('Reasons For Appeal' for DS' Statement have be in tommorrow = me stressed to the eyeballs)

pagwatch · 17/09/2009 14:26

oh good luck Marmaduke
(statement, IEP meetings, DLA - all bring me out in a rash)

LetsEscape · 17/09/2009 14:54

The best preparation is a good night's sleep and a good breakfast! You just want your child to be itself. If the school don't like that, then it probably isn't the school for your child or you.

I think in reality they are looking for school readiness and a child who is inquisitive. they also want to eliminate any tricky parents and certainly any obvious learning difficulties or behaviour problems. Near us most schools send offer letters dependent on a ballot or registration order. One school does to assessment but it's a parent interview and I know a fair few parents who have failed!

mumsydoodle · 17/09/2009 19:51

I have done entrance testing for a London day school for this age group. The children had a lot of specific tasks to complete e.g. a jigsaw puzzle, they had to draw a picture of a person and have a go at writing their name, they shared a book with someone who was looking for very basic skills e.g. knowing that print was read L - R, prediction skills, talking about what was happening in the picture. One activity involved them making something with play-dough but at the same time being asked about things they liked doing etc. There were some basic numeral and letter recognition type activities, and some early non verbal reasoning type activities. There was a very precise (so equally fair) scoring system for all activities, which the children were totally unaware of.

It sounds awful but the children who came all thought it was like nursery school and loved playing the games etc. It was the parents who were most fraught for sure. All the people from the school involved in the process were so very very kind and friendly, and really wanted to get the best out of every individual. They had a mad number of children taking the tests for a handful of places, but do bear in mind it was for a selective, very academic school.

What tickled me was that some children were so washed and brushed up and dressed in their finery that they looked like they should be going to a wedding! That held for nothing in the testing process fortunately!!

I think re asking for occupations is just the school being nosy and wanting to know who to target for donations!