So, how do you maximise the chances of your child getting into the school you want??

[zebedeethezebra]

I would be very grateful for any tips please.

We want to get DS into a nearby private school which is selective and I have to apply before the end of the year. I think they get at least double or triple the applications as there are places so they can afford to be choosy. This school is the best in the area by far, and comes nationally in the top 10-15 for GCSE results.

I'm not the pushy type, so this sort of thing doesn't come naturally to me, but I really really really want to maximise the chances of getting him into this school.

They do their main intake at pre-school, so the September after they are 3. All the children then progress up the school, there are no additional places for the September after they are 4, so DS has to get in next September.

I would be of the idea of applying, and do nothing in the mean time. If he gets in fantastic, if not it wasn't the right school for him.

But if you insist, I expect that smiley, confident and politely outspoken children are the ones that normally cause the best impression.

Is he currently in nursery then? Have a plan B (always have a back up plan).

Get your application in early, make sure it is completed properly too. Can you do some digging on the internet for forums, chat groups etc to see what the buzz is (so if they want 100% attendance at local church etc) then you'll have a better feel for what they want.

Will they interview you/DS?

When they are little, its more of - is the child confident, able to follow simple instuction, potty trained, likely to bite/hit/yank hair of other kids, can eat independently, etc...

As Athrndof says, if he doesn't get in, its not the place for him!

Considering the children that I know who have been picked through these kind of assessments, they tend to be very confident, chatty, show some kind of inkling of sharing and fair-play (ie don't bite), follow basic instructions such as being quiet when asked, and who look genuinely curious and interested in everything.

They don't seem to care if they are potty-trained, can use scissors, do a jigsaw or if they know the alphabet backwards and can read Harry Potter.

It's always a bit of a lottery...

Sounds like it will all depend on the assessment day then! I was wondering whether it is worth arranging a private meeting with the head, and then what questions to ask.

I wouldn't ask for a meeting with the head for this, TBH, you don't want to be seen as a needy mum even before your child has been accepted.

I do think these kind of assessments put shy children at a huge disadvantage, so I would say that some of these schools are regardad as if they are generating confident happy children, when in fact... They would have been even without attending that school.

Ds would had never had a satisfactory performance in such assessment, even if he is gifted in maths and could speak 3 languages at 4. At that age it was simply his prerogative who he wanted to talk to, and although he has a natural curiosity and can recite facts like an audio enciclopedia, he wouldn't have been so open with his interests when addressing someone for the first time or when left with a completely new group of children.

I wouldn't always believe the hype about schools being choosy because they get double or triple the number of applications for the number of places. That may just be because each child applies for (say) places in three schools. Overall, the number of places in independent schools in the area and the number of children seeking places may be pretty evenly matched. That certainly seems to be the case near me - people apply to several schools, but once everyone has accepted and rejected offers it's rare for a child not to have a place at all.