Admissions for private schools

[tek9]

My 3.5 year old will have an admissions 'play date' (test) in Nov for a private school, for reception in Sep 16. Rather naively we took at face value the advice at the open day that no prep was required. We have since heard from a number of people that 3 year olds are coached or prepped for such occasions, and there are a range of set skills/behaviours/abilities being observed or sought. Sorry for the pushy mum question, but does anyone have any personal experience? Where does one find such 'tutors'? Is it necessary? (We haven't even decided we def want private school - more an insurance option in case we don't get good state school…) north london. Thanks lots!

No. Tutors are really not necessary at that age, and using them is vanishingly rare even in London hotspots.

The best prep is to talk to your DC and encourage them to converse back (to you and, even if a bit shyly, to other adults they do not know so well) and to give them plenty to talk about (ie take them on visits and excursions). Read to them lots.

All the sorts of things the (mythical) Perfect Mother does all the time anyhow, and which most of us can manage to a fair extent.

In some areas it's not as rare - and North London is certainly one of those areas. Also certain nurseries are known best for prepping for some of the school assessments.

Is it necessary? I'd love to say no, but the reality is that it depends.

If you have a autumn born, naturally bright and curious child, who attends a good nursery with broad curriculum and is appropriately stimulated at home - then they have good chance at many school assessments.

But then again, you may have a spring-summer born shy kid, and your nursery may be more about dress up and painting (nothing wrong with it, just as an example), and you are working full time - yet still want your kid to have a good shot at an "academic" private school. Then - I can see how some sessions with a professional who would teach your child to write their name, cut in a straight/or squiggly line, practice some puzzles - /whatever else is deemed as skills possibly tested at assessments/ - won't hurt.

If you are not even sure about the private school - I wouldn't stress about it. As the other poster said - just play, talk, read with her.

Watching with interest. We're also North London and going in for the assessments for September 2016. We haven't tutored.

I haven't been through the process but my understanding is that they are looking for confident, sociable children. So one thing it is worth doing is making sure your child can have a civil conversation with a strange adult and can play nicely alongside other children.

I have done it twice with my DDs in central London and didn't tutor either. Just knew people who did and the outcomes varied.

Schools you apply to have reputations. It's might be useful to find out what they might be looking at - people who've been through the process are a great resource.

For example, one of our schools expected letters and numbers awareness - not reading, just recognition. Another - didn't look at it, but was big on cooperative play during assessment. Other things that come up: puzzles, nonsense pictures, drawing picture of self, or family.

Good luck to you all - it's a stressful process for the parents. At least the kids are not aware! 7/8/11+ is a whole other story...

One website it may be worth looking at is MumsInTheWood. I think it includes some details of what may be on the assessments.

I believe that following a teacher (ie stranger's) lead and listening to stories, playing or doing an activity is often a key assessment method so a friend of a friend asked me to spend an hour with her 3 year old and see how we went. The child and I are strangers and I'm not a teacher. Apparently they are after outgoing children who are willing to learn and well behave.

Pour yourself a large drink and sit down with the 3+ 4+ 5+ support threads started by mumteacher (she is a tutor for 4+,5+ and 7+). Tutoring is rife in NW London - those who say very high and mightily "we didn't tutor" have often sent their children to nurseries such as Clowns which spend much of the year before the assessments preparing for them.

I'm being nosy but which schools are you doing the assessments for? If you'd rather not say then please don't.

We didn't tutor when we sent DS1 to an assessment session, the whole thing was very last minute after he didn't get a place at the state primary we wanted. DS1 got offered a place. But, we don't live in London and I believe entry to private school is a lot less competitive where we live, certainly at primary level.

I caught a glimpse of the assessment form when we dropped DS1 off, I didn't get a chance to read the whole thing, but the bits I saw were about marking the child's social skills (listening to teacher and following instructions, playing nicely with the other kids etc) and independent toileting. DS1 also told us that they'd been asking him about letters and numbers and had got him to do a jigsaw and draw a picture of a farm.

" Tutors are really not necessary at that age, and admitting to using them is vanishingly rare even in London hotspots."

corrected that for you

But it is rare, for reception, because of the amount of churn in London schools. London admissions look seriously scary when it's your PFB and you're looking at it from the outside. But once in, you'll know that children are coming and going from the school every year. So there are about 3 years when the chances for a bright, well-socialised receiving an offer are pretty good. (Remember too that selection is also "which parents do we want to deal with?" so tutoring the child won't really help there!)

Tutoring tends to kick in at the 7/8+ entry, when it is much more common to need to do well academically (whether by exam or taster day).

Also, sibling link becomes rarer as age of entry increases. So tutoring a second or subsequent child for reception just doesn't happen, even though those DC are invited to assessments alongside first-time candidates). But tutoring may well start at 7/8+ and it's common for 11+.

But it is rare, for reception, because of the amount of churn in London schools.

Not much churn at the uber-competitive NW London day schools (Highgate, Channing, SHHS, NLCS etc). One child a year maybe and not every year. I know of a friend who sat her daughter for a chance vacancy at one of these schools, there were 15 girls sitting for the place.

I have always tutored for 11+ examinations and, over the last few years, have also tutored for 4+, 5+ and 7+. I would honestly say that it is easier to influence a child aged 5+ in preparation for examinations as, before that age, a large proportion of the assessment criteria is related to a child's development (cognitive, social, emotional and physical). Some children, irrespective of the month in which they are born, need more time to mature in one or more of these areas. Tutoring can be highly effective where this is not the case. But so too could additional support from a parent and less familiar friend of the family. It is sometimes just as helpful for parents who do not know where to start / who would like the reassurance and guidance of a teacher experienced in age related assessments to have infrequent (monthly), informal assessments and guidance. Reading related threads and tips on MN can also be very useful for this purpose.