Did you always know or suspect your DC was scholarship material?

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And if you had a good idea they would get a scholarship from a young age, how old we're they when you realised? Did their primary or prep school flag this with you early on?

DS (year 1) is a very talented musician and could possibly gain a scholarship for seniors. My dilemma is he's been offered a place in the juniors of a fee paying top independent school. A school I'd be delighted with for seniors. But if I accept this place am I lowering my chances of him applying at 11+ and winning a music scholarship?

I realise I risk him not getting a place at 11+ but his current primary is know for achieving about 30% scholarships for leavers at 11+

Please come and tell me your experiences.

at my school children from the junior department were equally allowed to apply for scholarships to the senior school (we only had academic ones not music) so I can't see why it should lower your chances.

You'd have to check out their scholarship criteria specifically for those moving fromthe junior to senior as to whether holding a junior scholarship lessens the chance of a senior one at that particular school.

Personally, ds moved to a prep school from state school at year 5 and received a high level of financial assistance because of his 'scholarship potential'

Competition for senior school scholarships tends to be very fierce so thats another thing to think about and whether you can identify that a particular senior school will suit him as hes only 6 now.

That's great, you must be pretty pleased with that and proud of your DC! Is the school a prep that goes until 11, and they are assisting with fees because the want the kudos of a scholarship on their leavers' list?

Did you request fee assistance out of interest? Personal question I know, sorry.

Ds prep goes to 13, yes I asked for assistance as he wouldn't have gone otherwise, its very much about kudos with any scholarship award!

I think most schools which offer scholarships for music etc from yr7 or yr9 allow children coming up through the junior school to apply for them. Have you checked with the one you are talking about?

We had an idea from about age 4 that DS1 may be able to get an academic scholarship, he didn't seem to just be a child who was an early learner, he seemed to be able to be challenged with his learning over and above that. He won a junior school scholarship (he moved from a state infant school), the Y2 child already at the school are automatically put forward.

The same happens at Seniors, the children will automatically be assessed, the ones getting scholarships at Juniors may or not be the same ones getting them at Seniors, outside children coming into the school at Seniors also are given the same opportunity.