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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

UCS 7+

112 replies

worriedmum2016 · 05/01/2016 22:00

This morning was UCS 7+ exam. Wondering how it went for everyone? Our DS gave mixed feedback about the morning. He seems very overconfident about maths but I'm not sure if it went that well. Couple of questions he recalled were reasonably tricky.

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nwmum1980 · 03/02/2016 16:36

SpuriousM congrats on the two offers! I have experienced the opposite with Habs. I think they just look for really bright kids and make allowances for the silliness of 7 year old boys who may or may not behave appropriately when not suitably challenged. I witnessed mine being silly at the Habs interview ( and heard similar reports from others ) and they still offered which was very encouraging. The times he got in trouble at his current school was when he'd finish his work ahead of others and was expected to just sit quietly and wait. They strike me as quite forgiving of "quirks", and actually I have heard the same about St Paul's. Commute a whole different story though :) best of luck!

CB2009 · 03/02/2016 17:20

Anisk2s - please treat what I say with a liberal pinch of salt as clearly conflicted as on Highgate Reserve List!!! My sense from visiting both schools was as follows. UCS slightly more liberal. Less traditional. Heavy emphasis on art, drama and pastoral care. Highgate slightly more sporty school. We applied to Highgate & not UCS at the end of the day as co-ed was critical to us. No siblings. Just 1 son but we felt that a co-ed environment was decisive for us. Both seemed like wonderful schools. It is a strong position to be in for you & your little one. My views above are based on visits to the schools & talking to parents with children in both schools. Sure there are sporty boys at UCS & arts loving boys at Highgate. I would see location as the big decider and also views of whether girls help or hinder. Good luck with the decision making

writingonthewall · 03/02/2016 17:45

Highgate look at age and sex when doing WL so if a summer born girl refuses a place they will look to give it to another summer born girl. So place on the list is fairly meaningless.

SpuriousM · 03/02/2016 21:50

nwmum1980, I guess it can be quite different as all the kids are different. However, I think commute does play the biggest role in my decision, I just feel I should be able to reach school in time if my DS misses the school bus or so. So are you going with HABS then?

nwmum1980 · 03/02/2016 22:52

Yes SpuriousM, we have accepted HABS. It was clear after the first exam that it was the best fit for my son. Of all the schools, they invested the most time in actually learning as much as possible about the boys in the interview, while the exam itself was the most challenging for my son in the areas he finds interesting. This was evident in our results, and he also fell in love with the school ( mostly the pool, and grounds ). Although going in I was quite put off by the distance ( I don't drive ), but found it very doable via tube + uber ( 30 min door to door ) in case he misses the coach. And of course the coach will be a lifesaver as it means I don't actually have to do 3 different dropoffs.

Haggismcbaggis · 04/02/2016 09:05

Congrats to your DS NWmum. Good to work out the car journey. He may make the coach but his sports gear may not requiring a mercy dash to school!

efrieze78 · 05/02/2016 09:29

writingonthewall - that's very interesting re WL replacing with similar children. How do you know that? Did the school say that?

writingonthewall · 05/02/2016 12:16

Yes its from the school via a parent on the WL, to be fair this one was on the 3+ WL but have heard on grapevine is same for 7+.

Haggismcbaggis · 05/02/2016 12:47

Will Highgate only start handing out WL offers after the 10th? Or have any started now?

CB2009 · 05/02/2016 17:01

Highgate have started going to the Reserve List. Mr James called us personally early afternoon. He said that we were his first such call. We are utterly over whelmed. I had to pass the phone to my husband as just burst into tears. There is hope............

Haggismcbaggis · 05/02/2016 17:19

CB2009 - that's made my evening! Delighted for you and your DS. this is the nice bit for Mr J after probably dealing with a lot of disgruntled parents the last few days. Brilliant start to the weekend! We've had a great experience of the school with our other DC. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

nwmum1980 · 05/02/2016 19:34

OMG ! AMAZING NEWS!!!! well done you CB2009!!! so so so so happy for you! He definitely more than deserved it!

efrieze78 · 06/02/2016 12:59

Great news CB2009. See you there! WE chose to accept Highgate instead of waiting to hear from CLSG. My friend also go a call from Mr James yesterday afternoon to offer her DD a place too. Good news all round.

Piece0fCake · 09/02/2016 16:27

Thats great news CB2009. We haven't had any calls from MJ, sadly. I have written to him, called, and even asked a friend to put in a word - doesn't seem to have worked :-(
I wonder if there will be any more movement after tomorrow ie final day? Do you think it's true there were only 20 boys on the WL?

Haggismcbaggis · 09/02/2016 16:54

Pieceofcake - there may still be some small movement until the end of the week I'd say. Fingers crossed for your DS but you have good other options.

CB2009 · 09/02/2016 17:55

Thank you very much nwmum1980, Haggismcbaggis & efrieze78.

Piece0fCake - they did tell us that they would call/e-mail or write should they get to full capacity. If you have not heard that they are full then still a chance. Will keep my fingers crossed that there may still be time

Piece0fCake · 09/02/2016 21:38

Thanks CB2009. So has your son actually been offered a place, or was MJ calling to see if you were interested? We are really delighted with the Belmont offer and we think it's a great school....but with Highgate being walking distance from our house and all the social advantages that this brings not to mention practical ones...well...it would be a no brainer for us! Shame it has to be so hard....

Piece0fCake · 09/02/2016 21:43

PS Thanks also Haggismcbaggis - we do hope so!

CB2009 · 09/02/2016 21:52

Piece0fCake - sorry I was unclear. Mr James called to actually offer our son a place. We had called admissions & written last Tuesday to make clear it was our top choice despite the Mill Hill offer. The actual offer letter came on Saturday & we sent back straight away. He apologised on the phone for putting is through the wringer. He said that he had some early clarity on acceptances & he does try to call as soon as there is news. Hope there is good news & certainty for you in next day or so. We loved Belmont and were sure our son would have a great education there

Piece0fCake · 09/02/2016 22:06

Ah ok. Well, huge congrats to your son! I also called admissions on the day we got the first letter, and drove over the completed form that afternoon to which I attached a personal letter to MJ but obv no reply. Am currently writing to him again. Hopefully not in vain!

Piece0fCake · 10/02/2016 14:13

No more spaces at Highgate - confirmed :-(

Haggismcbaggis · 10/02/2016 14:30

I'm sorry Pieceofcake

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CB2009 · 10/02/2016 14:39

Really sorry to read that Piece0fCake

Piece0fCake · 10/02/2016 15:30

Thanks Haggismcbaggis and CB2009. Ironically I wasn't even going to apply as the odds seemed so bad and we were happy with Belmont. My friend convinced me the day before and I applied on the closing date. It was all a bit lukewarm but things change when the decision is taken away from you, don't they? Anyway wishing all your DCs the very best in their new schools x

efrieze78 · 11/02/2016 21:54

I dropped my place for DD at Highgate yesterday due to a lay minute offer elsewhere so hopefully someone somewhere is delighted to have an acceptance day offer from Highgate for their daughter!

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