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7+ Entrance North London

180 replies

ScorpioMum · 22/09/2018 21:13

Hi all, we're looking at 7+ entry for our DS for top North London independent schools. How would people rank in terms of difficulty of entry: Habs, UCS, Highgate, Belmont (Mill Hill), Merchant Taylors? Any recent first hand experience?
We don't want DS to sit too many exams so are trying to decide to which to apply...

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Jifey · 03/12/2018 15:54

Thanks for clarifying @skal. I had no idea today’s feedback was for international students only.
Best wishes to everyone waiting for tomorrow.

nldnmum · 15/12/2018 18:40

Does anyone know roughly what the acceptance rate would be after first round is passed? Or does it change a lot year-on-year and varies for different schools? Just want to get a sense of how competitive it is for the second / third round.

Many thanks in advance

HoverParent · 17/12/2018 10:23

NLDNMum, it is very high, about 75% once you are in second round (speaking about the top North London schools).

Second round is mainly to see that the kids can operate in a group dynamic: listen to instructions from the teacher, have fun, be social and work in groups, and can participate in physical activities (dance, sports, musical games, a simple group science project). Things that cannot be tested on paper.

It is just a fairly low threshold screen. There is an actual interview, though: describe this picture, did you have a tutor, what is your favourite book, what do you do outside of school- so well advised to prep some answers for generic questions with some mock interviews at home, but equally important how to play with classmates.

None of these are serious pitfalls, either. Our kid made some really basic mistakes in the interview, and still made it through. Some kids that really shouldn't be in there made it through. So any social kid is in, even mildly on the spectrum will make it through as well.

All the kids I remember seeing in second round were part of the incoming batch, except one. The one kid that didn't make it had a really hard time with attention, like there are probably clinical names for it, those types of things they screen out, nothing else.

nldnmum · 17/12/2018 12:04

@HoverParent

Thank you so much, that's so helpful to know! DD1 is quite social so by the sound of it shouldn't be a problem unless something goes really wrong.
75% really is quite reassuringly high!

ScorpioMum · 18/12/2018 19:53

We were all set to sit 7+ at North London all boys schools but after the first exam my DS firmly refuses to go to a school 'without girls'. Deep down I realise that he will be unhappy in a single sex school as he is a gentle non-competitive creature and most of his friends are girls. But giving up now would mean wasting so much effort. What do I do? Plus the co-ed choice is so limited...

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