Pls help me decide - Colfe’s Junior (7+) offer: Accept or wait until 11+

[Tealife]

DC received an offer for Y3 (7+) admission at Colfe’s. Whilst we’ve only heard good reviews about Colfe’s, unsure whether to spend £100k+ in fees (4yrs) for an assured place at 11+ or wait and sit exams for the schools we like - JAGS, Alleyns, Colfe’s, Eltham, St. Dunstans, BH at 11+?

pros: secured place for Y7.
cons: whilst we can afford it, £100k can rather fund university / experiences.

1. Is getting 11+ place at the above schools really that difficult to justify spending £100k?
2. Specifically, do Y3-Y7 at Colfe’s add significant value to justify £100k (DC currently happy and top 3 in class at a state primary)?
3. Am I being silly thinking it’s now or never opportunity, if we let it go and DC will miss out on this chance at 11+ given the competition with private prep children?

Also, would be really helpful to know if you’ve any experience with Colfe’s juniors as my view is based on how good it is for secondary.

Thanks a bunch in anyway you could help make me an informed decision - as currently it’s becoming quite an emotional one.

I can’t speak for Colfe’s but I have heard that other “all through” schools do not prep for 11+ / other entrance tests as of course they expect your child to go to the senior school. So if you wanted to apply for other senior schools at that stage, you’d probably have to do your own tutoring/prep for the entrance tests. Plus of course 95% of your child’s friends would be going to the senior so you might have an uphill battle to persuade them to look elsewhere.

Simply put I think you need to be fairly sure that you will want them to go to Colfe’s senior, to make the move worth it. It doesn’t sound like you are sure enough.

I think around 15-20% of the juniors do not get offered a place at seniors, they all have to take an entrance exam. So it is not a guaranteed place. Although if you're coming in at 7+ I image your chances are pretty high! Just something take into account.

They def won't prep for other 11+s, but then neither do state primaries, so tutors for 11+ would be the case there anyway..

How competitive is the 11+ process for the schools you are considering? It can be a brutal process with constant prep and tutoring cost between now and then so I'd factor that in unless the child is likely to still get in with self study at home with just you and them.

Have you made your decision?

I think it depends on your confidence in DC getting the offer of a place for Yr. 7. Do you know the leaver destinations over time at the current school? We moved DC at age 7 which was the right decision; late summer born in a lovely but not terribly academic state school, where the youngest (at that time) only had one term in Reception, in a mixed year class. It was a bit of a shock to the system arriving from a school with almost no homework, apart from reading, so I don’t think it would have worked to leave the move any later.

Now they are all adults and we hear about career developments, moves, weddings. It is nice for them to remember playing together in the prep, having sleepovers, going on their first trip abroad in Yr. 6 etc. I would, however, add the school is very welcoming to those joining in Yr. 7. Another option would be to join in Yr. 6 if they have a place to get them used to the school, make friends and be prepped for the exam, but you would have to be pretty sure that would be the school you wanted. We knew one child who did that as it made logistical sense with their sibling starting in Yr. 7.

We did know a few who moved for senior school, but that was partly the draw of not paying fees at grammars such as St Olaves. Those were the only children I remember having tutors. One child interviewed for a more prestigious school, did very well in the entrance exam and was asked why he wanted to move. To which the child said he wanted to stay at Colfe’s, which, after the head spoke to the parents, he did.

One of my daughters moved to a private school in Year 3 (7+). She is above average in all areas, and her all her GL SATs results are above 137. I believe she would have received an offer from Colfe’s or even Dulwich if she had stayed in state primary until Year 6. However, we’re glad we moved her because of the better facilities, clubs, language options, and instrumental lessons.
Also, our school ensures there is no bullying or bad behavior—they hold assemblies on this topic regularly. We definitely believe we made the right decision for her.
If you ask me, maybe my daughter wouldn’t have missed out on anything in STEM subjects if she stayed in a state school till Y6. However, in creative subjects like art, PE, drama, and music, she definitely missed out on 3–4 years!
She is now learning guitar, piano, and flute (Grades 2, 3, and 3). If she had started earlier in this school, I believe she might have been able to secure a music scholarship. So, if you can afford it easily, I would move him now.