8+ Prep Independent School Test

[LearnToBeMum]

Dear Mums, Need your help here.

My DS appeared for the 7+ tests this year for most of the top London schools but he wasn't able to get through them. I am a bit disappointed with the results but the thing is I wasn't tutoring him much and that could be the main reason as I was assuming just a bit above average kid should be able to do it. In short, I can say we were not well prepared for the exams and did take them lightly.

I would now like to give 8+ a shot and this I would to start ahead and see if my DS has the potential to do it with the prep. I will really appreciate if you can guide me through this rough sea and get me to the shore.

Few pointer questions I have:

1. Does it really make sense to go for 8+ as he is not well prepared for 7+
2. Is online resources like Exampaperplus enough to get through 8+ ( shall we got for 7+ first and then 8+)
3. If tutors can help more than the regular study at home, any good Maths, English Tutor you recommend ( around £30-40 per hour is fine) around Sunbury, Hampton, Feltham or Twickenham.
4. Has anyone tried First class Learning classes, how is your feedback for them?

I will highly appreciate your response on this.

I think only Westminster and St. Pauls do the 8+. Is he of that academic standard? Are you on the list for an occasional place at all schools which you like, there is more churn than you might think.

Check as I may be wrong but some schools won't let you sit the 8+ if you have sat the 7+ and didn't get in.

This sounds like an immense amount of pressure on a 7 year old. Even if you can tutor him through the exams with one of the options above - is an uber competitive/academic school really what is best for him, if he's not particularly academic?

@siestalady Definitely I don't want to put unnecessary pressure on my DS , I just want to explore his potential and how much he can take with ease.

Sometimes, these things can be overwhelming but I am sure I will not stretch him to that extent . I just want to see if a like him can crack into the top Indy's with a little prep.

If at any time I will feel that it's not working for him I am gonna get him out of it straight away.

Oh really, I wasn't aware of that. I will check that.. thabks for the heads up

@pianolessons1 We got in to a mid level prep school but no not on the list of any other schools for occasional places. I guess it is like the wait listed students who have qualified 7+ .. if I am not wrong

[quote LearnToBeMum]@pianolessons1 We got in to a mid level prep school but no not on the list of any other schools for occasional places. I guess it is like the wait listed students who have qualified 7+ .. if I am not wrong[/quote]
You can just get yourself put on a list to be called about occasional places,just ring the office of the school

OP, we didn’t do the 7+ (or 8+) as my children was far from ready at that age. I am not sure about the value added of a top prep either - some children develop later and the ones who cannot cut it later (over tutored) are actually managed out.

But, as a reference. The boys we know who went to St Pauls and Westminster were doing about 1.5 hours extra prep per day on school days during year 2. This increased to about 4 hours prep on Sat/Sun and in the holidays. The school also run an extra club for 7+ and they had 3 hour extra English/Maths from school.

@LearnToBeMum , has your ds got a place at Hampton Prep or The Mall? I would stay local and try again at age 11 with the option of Tiffin too. As you know most secondaries like Hampton take 50% from the state sector at age 11 and Tiffin has outstanding university options.

@cricketjoys85 He got a place in The Mall and yes Tiffin is on my list for my as a Secondary option.

Also, wondering if The Mall is good enough to stick to it or shall I look for better options.

He has also got a place in Surbiton Boys Prep, Kingston ( and we are happy to move there too) so just a bit confused too .. which one is a better option.

I am just trying if I can boost his confidence as he is a bit disappointed that he couldn't get into others.

@HooverIsAlwaysBroken That's quite a good amount of work for a 6 yr old. I will see if I can go through with this with my DS.

I didn't know that schools also run extra clubs to support the prep for 7+, that would have so helpful for preparation.

Would you mind sharing the School name which does it, is it Wimbeldon Common prep?

I have a 2 yr DS as well and I might try that with him.

@LearnToBeMum , I am very familiar with both The Mall and Surbiton Boys prep. There is little difference between them in terms of destination schools at 11 and certainly not worth a house move. Go for the best in terms of space and commute. The Mall is of course opening a nursery that your son could go to too.

In the Richmond / Kingston area at age 11 you are competing with primary schools ds for secondary school places with many of the brightest ds going to grammar schools.

There is a completely different educational path where you can choose a prep school that ends at age 13 and for that path you would consider Shrewsbury House in Long Ditton and Kings House in Richmond but this route cuts out the grammar school option and means you may have to pay for a boarding school place.

If your son goes to SH boys prep or The Mall he will be happy at school, you will meet lovely parents and the school will guide your ds on to the next stage and you can follow their advice.

If a child isn't selected by a particular school it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the child, so no further tutoring is appropriate, it just means it was the wrong school for the child.

For your son's sake I really think you should go with one of the two schools that offered places om the basis of what he achieved with the fairly light-touch preparation that you did. These are places where he will best thrive. It's really not good for a young kid to be intensively tutored to get through tests that then put them in an academic environment that is the wrong pace for them.

The vast majority of the outcomes of primary level education are nothing to do with the school anyway - children will thrive or not depending on how engaged with education their parents are, how much they talk at home about what was learned during the day and how much reading together you do at home.

Your kids don't need to be at an academic hothouse top-10 school to be happy.

Research the two schools who have offered places and pick the one that feels like the best fit. That school will then give your DS a good preparation for the next challenge of senior school entrance and hopefully should help you to set your sights on a school that is a good fit for the specific child.

@cricketjoys85 Thank you so much for your insight dear.

I am definitely planning to go for Grammar for secondary so really don't want to go for 13+ schools as it will not help in Grammar prep at all.

Surbiton is a bit bigger school compared to The Mall. So, not sure if it can be considered as an advantage or disadvantage .

PS: My DS is not a great communicator and not very prompt at striking conversations.

What will you suggest will be a better option for him, if we ignore the commute.

@LearnToBeMum , I can't say on a public forum and am a parent at neither (although I have a dd at Surbiton seniors). The head of the SH boys prep is a lovely lady with a wealth of experience but the site is small and the sports fields a drive away. The Mall is a super family school where you will be welcomed and both your ds can enjoy their education together. There is also another mixed nursery/girls school on Twickenham green where you can send your 2 year old too that works well with the mall. I would look at the family as a whole and what works best for all of you.

If right now he is not very academic I wouldn’t aim for very academic schools. The top highly selective London preps are looking for at least top 10 percent of the ability range across the board based on national standards. A bit above average child wouldn’t thrive in such an environment even if somehow they managed to get in via intensive preparation and tutoring.

I’d go for a good mixed ability prep that is good at differentiation and gets children into a variety of schools at 11. Your son may very well be highly academic by that time as children develop at very different rates at this very young age. Even if he’s not, that’s fine too as long as he’s in a school that helps him meet his individual potential.

@HooverIsAlwaysBroken

OP, we didn’t do the 7+ (or 8+) as my children was far from ready at that age. I am not sure about the value added of a top prep either - some children develop later and the ones who cannot cut it later (over tutored) are actually managed out.

But, as a reference. The boys we know who went to St Pauls and Westminster were doing about 1.5 hours extra prep per day on school days during year 2. This increased to about 4 hours prep on Sat/Sun and in the holidays. The school also run an extra club for 7+ and they had 3 hour extra English/Maths from school.

@HooverIsAlwaysBroken putting that amount of extra work on a six year old is abusive. I can’t fathom anyone doing that who was thinking of their child rather than their own ego.

Do you really know multiple parents that took that approach?!

@LondonGirl83 think there are parents doing it when you read the recent 7+ thread. But on the other side I know children in pre prep will spend hours each day in preparing for these exams at their school, so for the parents with children at state school, you do have to spend some time to cover the gap given the state school won’t prepare you for these tests

@LearnToBeMum if you are considering 8+, I know all the three top schools do have 8+ route although the number of boys admitted would be much fewer compared with 7+. At 8+, KCS will have 14 intake, SPJS 18 and WUS will add a new class so around 22, but you may face more competition as there might be 200 applicants, so could be more difficult compared with 7+ but we never know as children grow at different rate

@Jesse21plus I’m struggling to envision how you get a 6 year old to do 90 minutes of exam prep everyday after a long day at school without a lot of coercion. It sounds totally spirit crushing. Then 4 hours on the weekend.

I get it’s like an arms race but people need to shake off the ‘Fog of War’ to recognise the ends don’t justify the means here. Pay for a pre-prep! Or go to a school your child can get into without such extremes.

@Jesse21plus Thanks for sharing the details.

I think I will just skip this whole 8+ idea because it is feeling like chasing a horse. I will figure out how much my DS can do with a little push. My best bet will be KCS I guess.

@LondonGirl83 I understand your concern dear but I think its more of extra effort for the parents than the kids. They have to be on their toes regarding their studies and extra-curricular so as to keep them motivated.

Also, I think it depends on child to child on how he is coping with extra work. For some it could be super easy and I guess those are the kids the Top 10's are looking for.

But anyways it could be tough choice for parents to make to whether to put child through this or not. .. I don't think we can have a straightforward right or wrong for this.

@SinoohXaenaHide Your words are etched in my mind now. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I believe you are right about picking the right school for the kid instead of pushing him somewhere, where he cant thrive.

I will definitely try to pick up the best school for him based on research and understanding, and won't run after the top 10's if he is not ready yet.

Thanks again.

@LondonGirl83 just share my observations of how some parents are doing. To be fair, for a lot of people, it’s also hard to imagine how you would send kids to pre prep spending awful amount of time to prepare for such exams. Don’t see difference between this and parents spending time at home helping kids to prepare. Just choices people decide based on how they see what works best for their children, their preference and their financial situation

@LearnToBeMum I have a very able child in a very selective independent school (less than 10 percent acceptance rate).

I’m not saying don’t prep as of course one has to but a really able child shouldn’t need that level of prep and it’s just inappropriate developmentally irrespective of intelligence.

Even a gifted 6 year old is still a child.