Is it worth chasing a school that is for ages 4-18?

[T123]

I have applied to 5 private primary schools in London. All 5 are excellent in terms of facilities and academics.
The main difference between them is that two are for 4-18 years, and the other three are prep schools from 4-11 years. It seems to me that to get my children into a school at 4 that runs all the way through would be an advantage as it cuts out the 11 plus entrance exam stress. However the prep schools are much more local (a short walk versus a 15-30 minute car ride) and that also appeals for the children whilst they are so young.

Any views on whether it's worth the journey to avoid the exams, or whether you think we may end up wanting to switch schools anyway at 11.

Any views and experience would be very much appreciated
Thanks

I have quite strong feelings against 4-18 schools as I think that a) children change so much and what suits at 4 may not suit at 11 plus most of them don't prep for 11+ as they expect you to stay on and therefore you would need to do that prep independently. B) I think that children are often fed by 14 /16 and want a change of scene. Personally, I look at where I would think I would like them at 18 and work back so have gone for the 4-11 prep route and this has given me a much clearer idea of where I want mine at secondary which is totally different to what I thought at 4. Everyone is different though and there's loads of movement in and out of schools all the time.

By the time we'd had 7 years in the same school we were all ready for a change . What suits at 4 won't necessarily at 7, 11 or 16. Also selective secondaries will wheedle out those who don't fit by 11, it isn't a given progression through, so you may find yourselves looking around again anyway.

children need to be able to escape from their past selves. staying in the same place 4-18 means they can get stuck.

closer is SO much better in every way too.

I would go against the majority here, I went to a 3-18 school and I loved it. There was a clear divide between pre-school (3-4), primary school (5-10) and the senior school (11-18) which made for opportunities to transition and start afresh. Yes, at the end of year 6 I wanted a change of scene, but that was provided by the move to the senior school. It also meant that there was an ability to interact with people of all ages at school, and lots of babysitting jobs

Of course, if you are going to pick a school that goes right through you have to make sure that

a) the school meets your standards at all stages
b) the school satisfactorily deals with children who perhaps they would not pick if they met them age 11.
c) there is a way for you to move schools if it all goes downhill.

To clarify b) I mean that if your child is selected because they seem bright and bubbly at 4, but then turn out to be a remarkably average child, or are diagnosed with SEN, or suffer a life changing injury, that the school will not just ditch them.

In my experience, a "right through" education was the correct choice and I had a brilliant time and made friends for life. For your child and your family, it might not be the right choice, or it might not be the right school. Pick carefully but remember it's not the end of the world, believe it or not you can use a 4-18 school's prep and then transition out later, even if this is not encouraged by the school.

Also, I just re-read your post and noticed that the preps are much closer. This might be the easier option for you then. Or, is it possible for you to use a local prep until, say, 8+ and then move to one of the 4-18 schools? It would avoid the big hassle of the 11+, but it might bring its own challenges.

Living in a rural area with only one secondary and no sixth form collage, I kept the same peer group all the way through.

In one way it's nice and safe, but in another way as the quirky class joke it fixed me in a role I didn't always want to play.

DD1 thought very, very hard at changing schools for sixth form for similar reasons. She hasn't because her school has a brilliant art dept, and her peer group have massively grown up.