Entry to Leys

[NewTownDweller51]

Anyone doing the exam for The Leys this Jan?

Are you using any resources in particular to prepare your child?

Any advice to give?

If anyone has gone through the assessment with their child already, I'd be grateful to hear your views!

Apparently there are very few places available and no interview: it's all based on the entrance results...

Thanks!

Not doing the exam, but have experience. I assume you mean year 7 entry? If so, there are only 18 day places.

No, they don't interview. Best advice is download the samples and get hold of loads of similar practice papers for Maths, English and Reasoning. Letts do loads.

Thanks Busyblue. I'm not sure I have time now to cram him nor really want to. Does everyone cram unless they have a super-bright child? Not for year 7 but Year 9. I'm starting to wonder if there's any point getting him to sit the exams.

They tend to offer day boarding places rather than day places - is that what you are after?

With the influx of AZ employees there is a real pressure for independent places in Cambridge as there are more people after the limited places at The Perse and this tends to have a knock on effect for places at The Leys as many use this as their back up place. It has led to there being quite a group who now reverse commute out to King's Ely.

Yes, there is a pressure on day places and that's what we're after.

I would think that in year 9 most of the day places will be taken by pupils moving up from St Faith's. Those who don't sit the exam or fail in year 6 retake in year 8. Then they have the current year 8's moving up. Homeboarding is popular in year 9 too. There is less competition for boarding.

I should add that Leys is not always a back up option. I know several who sat Perse and Leys, were successful at both and chose Leys.

30 applications from St Faiths, I was told by admissions, plus most if not all moving up from Year 8. For 100 places. How large year 8 is, they didn't say. Can't be more than a handful of places. Not convinced it's worth putting my son through the test though won't get my deposit back. No way would he get into the Perse since it seems super-academic - and frankly, I don't want him to go there. Liked the Leys but pressure on places makes it seems unlikely he will get in.

Have you done no preparation at all yet? If not then you might be right that just not sitting it is the right route. But assuming you have done some already, unless he think he will feel unduly stressed by failing to get a place, why not just carry on doing what you are doing and let him sit the test.
My kids have always quite enjoyed their entrance days (although never done the Leys) - even if it’s just because they were provided with doughnuts at break time!
He may well get a place anyway, he may not or he may just think you don’t think he is even smart enough to try. As you have paid the deposit already I think I would just give it a whirl anyway.

If you have paid, I would give it a try. There is plenty of time between now and January to do a few practice papers. Remember that some St Faith's pupils will have failed before and others may have been offered boarding, but are trying to 'upgrade' to a day place or home boarding.

It's a difficult balance. I don't want to stress him out with too much extra work but he needs to do quite a bit to catch up with common entrance standard, something that pupils at St. Faith's will already be it.

He does know that it's not a case that he's not bright enough, just a case of lack of places. But one has to be realistic that some pupils are super-bright and others have been super-tutored.

I will plough on with going through a few papers and get him to do the test. If he doesn't get in, I think I get my deposit back so not all bad news!