Feeder to Colet Court

[skal]

hello, we're moving to London - could somebody please suggest what are the feeders to the Colet Court and which area should we look to move into in and around London? Any advice highly appreciated.

I live in SW13, lots of children round here at Colet Court. Not sure about feeders as such - its a primary school - do you mean nurseries/pre-schools?

No straight feeders - all by exam, but some pre-preps more experienced at getting boys into CC than others. Sign up to the Good Schools Guide online and search.

Are you certain sure you want CC & only CC? Worth again reading up on it in GSG. Lots of other good prep schools.

CC is in Hammersmith, so lots of local preps successful at getting boys in, as are the good local state primaries. As with any London super-selective school , CC takes boys from a very wide area across west London and the home counties even. You hear of boys coming from as far afield as Bucks and Surrey. Locally, in Chiswick you could try Falcons boys, Orchard House, Chiswick & Bedford Park - all prepare for 7+ and their highest achieving boys often go to CC. You can also apply for the 8+ to CC. Beware of preps which state very clearly that they do not prepare for 7+ and expect you to stay until 11. Eg I hear that Ravenscourt Park will not even provide a reference for 7+ entrance to CC.

HTH

@Elibean - We're looking at pre-prep.

@washedup - thanks for the tip.

To state the obvious it's tricky to chose where to live based on the hope your son will get a place at a particular school if he ends up going to a different school in a different part of London, you might have a long commute!. However, as there are other good schools in the same general area as CC, you could chose to live around Barnes or Hammersmith and, if your son does not ultimately go to CC, there would be other choices (ie Latymer, for example).

I would suggest focussing first on the pre-prep. Select the school you think is best for your son now, and then see what you think might be right for him when he's 7 or 8. Your views might change depending on how he gets on in the first few years of school. Once you've decided on the pre-prep and secured a place, you could try to find somewhere to live nearby.
To answer your question: In addition to the schools mentioned above, Garden House and Wetherby also have sent lots of boys to CC in recent years.

@posadas - Thanks a lot

THE HALL SCHOOL, HAMPSTEAD
WETHERBY
SUSSEX HOUSE

Isn't Sussex house from 8 - 13yrs old? So somewhere to look at it you don't get into CC? I believe they are also successful at getting boys into St Pauls at 13 if that's your long term plan for entering CC.

Yes, Sussex House is 8-13.

skai, there are many, many schools which "feed" into Colet Court - pretty much any decent pre-prep. Mind you, even the names you have been given only send the top 10-15% of their classes (often less) to Colet Court and these boys are usually ones who would have gotten in even if they gone to a different school. There are no favourite schools which Colet Court chooses from, and no favours given to heads to slip boys in.

I would think very carefully about Colet Court - a certain kind of boy thrives there and those that have been crammed for the entrance exam without the natural brainpower drop out or are asked to leave (they have a 30% attrition rate between entrance to CC and St. Paul's).

I would pick a good pre-prep in an area convenient to other schools where your son will thrive. Also, do take a look at some of the other preps in London - there are several which are just as good (or, in MO, better) such as Kings Wimbledon or Westminster Under.

SofaQueen, not sure where you are getting your information about a 30% attrition rate between Colet Court and St Paul's. In a very recent year, I know of two boys (out of 70+) who started at Colet and did not go onto St Paul's - one family moved out of London and one boy switched to Winchester.

i would definitely consider eaton house! fab school to get into colet court.

I got the 30% attrition rate from the school itself - one of the questions asked to them in the parent interview.

I would second what SofaQueen said. From what I hear CC is only right for certain types of boys. So best advice is to pick a solid pre-prep near where you live and see how he develops over the next 3 years or so.

I agree with the others, I tutored children who applied to CC alongside other schools and apparently CC are very specific on the type of boy they want. There are lots of other schools within this area I would look into. If this is the area look at properties in Barnes, Chiswick and Hammersmith.

I agree with blackwattle that the 30% sounds a very odd statistic and am surprised that it comes from the school. Doesn't tally with my experience. Though bear in mind that all these central London prep schools cater to families who are likely to move countries for work or indeed return to their home country, which I suspect would be the main cause of leaving.

To put it into context, there was a 50% 'attrition rate' in my son's non-selective state primary school class, because of children who moved away/moved to the private sector/moved abroad.

Hello
This is an old discussion but I found your tips very helpful still. Please could anyone explain (to me being a foreigner) what do you mean by a "specific type of a boy" that CC is looking for?
Many thanks for your advice

Speaking as the father of two boys who have been to Colet Court, I have no idea what people mean by a "specific type of boy". One with parents rich enough to afford the fees perhaps? That and the ability to get through a selection process that, while far from perfect, does seem to be able to distinguish reasonably well between boys who are clever and boys who have been intensively tutored (some overlap, of course, but not much). I would ignore all the stuff about "feeder schools" if by that people mean a school that significantly increases a boys chances of getting an offer - they just need to be reasonably well taught (and yes, most of the local state primaries are more than adequate - mine both got in from them, one at 7+, one at 11+) and reasonably clever and certainly do not need to be specifically tutored for the entrance exams/interviews (neither or mine were). Broadly speaking, if your boy has an IQ of about 125+ and is academically one of the top 2 or 3 in the class in a non-selective school he will have a fair chance of getting in and enjoying himself, 135+ would make him very likely to be offered a place - lower than 125 and he would probably be happier elsewhere.

Knowing the school very well, CC suits a wide range of boys. It is a big school and there are all kinds of boys there. Most are quite clever. Don't tutor your son to the hilt to get him in the door because if he doesn't get there comfortably (or any other selective school) don't drive him silly to get in, only for him to be constantly downhearted because there are other bright boys there. Send him to one of the many other excellent non selective schools. His education is about him, not about you! If you do get him in there, then let him be, the school will look after him. Even if you have tutored him silly to get in the door, don't keep haranguing him. If St Paul's isn't the right place for him they will let you know. Take their advice! In fact listen carefully to all the advice you are given by schools otherwise, you might get what you want, but ultimately not want what you get.

Double Ditto to Houseman

I think Houseman got it spot on. My son got a place (11+ deferred) this year and is at an Islington state primary, so is yet to start. On interview day there were, allegedly, 4 boys there from Fox state primary, which would be quite a high percentage of those interviewed.

I don't think they take any notice of "feeder schools" but they do give priority to state school boys with some places at 11+ deferred in year 5.

For each of the last 3 years, our state primary has got one boy in at 7+, one boy at 11+.

They were in the top 2 or 3 in the year, but not streets (streaks?) ahead of their peers.

MarriedDadOneSonOneDaughter

Yes - Fox is a state school however the catchment area is very small and serves a very small area of families living in the W11 Nottinghill area. Also many of those children are from very wealthy families and tutor their children in preparation to fly off at the earliest convenience usually at 7plus but failing that 11 plus to private education. So, to be honest I am not surprised that they managed to get 4 boys into Colet Court.

Feelingbettertoday

True. Whether 4 made past the interview is another question!

Our state primary is very much the reverse with a majority o kids qualifying for FSM, English as a 2nd language and so on. Very much an inner city state cohort. So I'd still support the overall notion that kids from any school can get in if they are bright enough with the personality they like at interview. Feeder schools and heavy tutoring seem to be unlikely determinants for success despite high "correlation". Correlation does not equal causation.