Wimbledon - Prep school 11+

[Supermumz]

Hi all,

Am a newbie here, and have recently moved to WImbledon. Delighted to find this group.

Does anybody know of any good prep school in or near Wimbledon that prepares for 11+?

Many thanks for your help !!

ANy help anyone? Atleast to point me in the right direction?

Do you mean boys or girls - and what do you mean by 11+? Do you mean Tiffin - or girls' independent senior school entry?

I want info for boys & was interested in grammar schools as first choice.

Prep schools don't prepare for the 11+ by and large, because they want yr child to go into their secondary school (most have junior and senior schoosl). You'd have to get a tutor to do the job - and then hold your breath because demand far (ie x10)outstrips supply.

Agree completely with wheelsonthebus.

Boys' preps in particular won't prepare for 11+ because the boys' system is pre-tests and Common Entrance/entrance exam for 13+ entry to senior school. So there is no school switch at 11 like there is for girls or in the state system.

No switch at 11+ is not actually the case in London any longer. increasingly 13+ schools are taking boys from schools that finish at 11+ or state schools. Schools that may be within your catchment are St Pauls (via colet Court), Kings College Wimbledon via the junior school, Westminster School via the under school, also and more too. There are some preps and coed independent primaries that finish at 11+ in Wimbledon too so do look around. boys and coed schools which take at 11+ Kingston Grammar, Croydon schools Trinity and others.

Agree with wheelsonthebus. I'd expect a boys prep school to specialise in 7+ /8+/13+ really.

But Colet, King's Junior and Westminster under will not prepare a boy for the 11+ for a grammar school (which was the OP's question). All the focus is on the connected senior school entry (or equivalent), no?
The Hall is the only co-ed I know where the dividing line between junior/senior is 11 but I don't know much about it. It, too, has a senior school. Or Roche in Wandsworth?

Depending on where you are in Wimbledon, you might want to think about coming up towards Clapham/Battersea.

Parkgate House (Clapham Common Northside)ends at year 6, so all children are prepared for 11+. Despite being co-ed, it's dominated by girls. The Dolphin School on Northcote Road also finishes end yr 6: it's a co-ed Christian school.

Eaton House the Manor (also Clapham Common Northside) prefers to keep children until CE, but there are parents who want 11+, so I think they're more pragmatic about it.

Also Newton Prep (opposite Battersea Dogs Home - train to Battersea Park or Queenstown Road stations) prepares for both 11+ and CE.

I am in a similar position to you - or will be at the end of next year. We have looked at Donhead, a boys school which does prepare for 11+. It is private and gives priority to Catholics but will take from all denominations. You do pay a little extra for the 11+ prep but they do seem to get a high percentage going onto selective grammar schools bearing in mind just how competitive they are. Certainly worth a look.

The Hall is a superb school, which i can recommend as my son went there.

very nurturing, good academics, very strong on non bullying, intersting way of teaching using the weekly 'flint walls' (tests of what they have learned that week).

well worth a visit.

Thanks everyone for your valuable comments. Your inputs have certainly helped us in making a decision.. we have kind of zeroed in on Donhead. Seems like a lovely school. Hope DSs adjust well there..

Anyone else have any insight into Donhead, Wimbledon. I am looking at this school quite seriously for my son and would welcome comments. Also, wondering which schools the bulk of the boys go onto?

Willington Prep in Wimbledon prepares boys for 11+. They encourage the boys to stay on until they're 13, but nevertheless offer the 11+ to all as a percentage do choose to leave then. Lovely school IMO!

A close friend of mine sends her sons to Donhead and is incredibly happy with it. By her account a very good school all round: happy, academic, sporty, excellent pastoral care.

You could also look at Kings' Wimbledon (indie secondary school) and see if they are affiliated to any preps.

Hi there - I am considering Homefield prep for my son for Yr 3. Would you mind telling me a bit more about it? Is it friendly? Do the kids have lots of play dates? Do they mind if you leave at 11? How many boys leave at 11?

Hi SouthLondonMum,
A bit late, but my son has just started in year 1 at Homefield so in case you are still looking these are my initial impressions 3 and a bit weeks in.
Very happy up to now, it was a big change for my DS as he was at our local state primary up to now where he was very settled with lots of local friends. No idea yet about playdates (it was a big concern for me too). There are a few boys there from Wimbledon and other parts of SW London, but also a lot from sutton, carshalton etc., so play dates are logistically a bit more difficult. I have made a big effort for that reason to keep up playdates with local reception friends, and have kept up all his usual after school stuff in Wimb. as I think that's not going to be so easy at Homefield (I might be wrong about this - time will tell).
Coming from a state school (where at a good one there tends to be a lot of parental involvement) I have found a few parents very involved and friendly, and many completely uninvolved (especially at the senior end they just seemed to get dropped off and go) so depends on how you feel about that.
Lots of activities organised for parents to attend: evenings out, coffee mornings, bonfire night, open day etc.
On the whole I am happy with it, especially as the results were fantastic last year: out of 28 or so boys, 8 went to grammars and 8 or so went to private schools on scholarship (apparently had the largest intake to KCL last year as well). I don't think you can really argue with those statistics!
HTH!