Merton state primary vs Private

[MertonDad]

Hi ,

We are planning for our DS who is 3.5 years old and will start reception in Sep 26. We live close to Wimbledon. Our goal further down the road is either a good independent secondary ( Wimbledon High/Putney or even further afield or a strong grammar ( Tiffin or Nonsuch/ Wallington - we are not in the catchment for the latter two)

We have 3 options - either a good prep we have secured admission to, getting into the junior of WHS/PHS or an outstanding rated state primary close to us. The prep school is about a 15/20 drive from us, WHS about 10 min drive and the state primary is just a 10 minute walk,

If we do go down the state primary option , would we be able to get into the schools I have listed above just with tuition/ supplementary work outside of school ? How difficult is the process and is best to go private right from the start ?

Appreciate any views !

I live in Merton and my kids got into the state grammars in Sutton from the state primary school and a few others in the class got into them or Tiffin too. I think everyone who wanted private got a place at a private school, but not usually in the very academic ones you're aiming for. Eg Kids who were offered places like Kings also got into Tiffin.

Going to the local state school means walking to school, having local friends, walking to friends' houses. That's all a very good thing for the child.

You don't know if your child is smart enough for WHS or the grammars yet, but there are other less academic private schools. I also know plenty who have been fine at Rutlish/Ursuline/Ricards or at Sutton comprehensives.

So yes, lots of kids move to private secondary from Merton state schools. I'd save your money and go for state.

Of course you can get into a private secondary from a state school, there aren't enough dc in prep schools to feed into private secondary schools. Take the state primary place and have the joy of walking to school and consider moving your dc during years 3-6 to WHS or PHS prep for the transition to the secondary or keep her in the state system for the grammars and use a tutor. By year 3 you will have an idea of her academic ability. Private school fees are making private education so inaccessible to most families plus there is constant change, for example kings college Wimbledon is going co-ed from Reception age in 2027.

I assume you have a dd @MertonDad.

A long time ago now, but DS went to KCS at the end of Y3 and dd to WHS at the end of Y6. Both from an outstanding state primary and neither had tutoring.

@tennissquare goodness what's gone on at KCS. It used to start at 7 with Squizzers feeding it. Has the pre-prep been fully incorporated now and also co-ed.

We knew our DC were very bright pre-school. It was patently bloody obvious.

@RosesAndHellebores yes squirrels is going coed from 2027 and everyone will take the 7plus to guarantee entry to the senior school. If you look at the birth rate projections for London schools have no choice because so few babies are being born. Families moving to the uk prefer co-ed.

Thank you all for the kind responses @TimeForTeaAndToast
@RosesAndHellebores @tennissquare

yes, we have a DD (sorry just getting used to the terminology here !)

It’s entirely possible - our two DDs went from a local primary to a selective independent.

We did home prep, but plenty (maybe 1/3, but many more of the boys than the girls) were tutored for selective schools from Y4. It wasn’t unusual, and a I know DC who got offers from Tiffin, Sutton grammars, Reeds, KCS, Whitgift, Sutton High, Wimbledon High, Surbiton High, Putney High.

Thank you @HighRopes

Thanks for the responses; @HighRopes @RosesAndHellebores @tennissquare @TimeForTeaAndToast

I take the point that it is still too early to understand academic potential. But if I do find out closer to year 2/3 that DD would thrive in an academic environment - wouldn’t going down the state route make it significantly harder to get into an independent secondary or grammar school? What I am reading for the schools listed above is an intake rate of something nearing just 10-20 percent! Surely the more preparation ( through a prep school) the better.

Am I missing something with the statistics for selective schools in London and Merton?

State Primary without hesitation. The advantages of being a short walk away instead of a drive in heavy traffic are not to be under estimated! Plus the fact it’s outstanding and you can save all that money for tuition if really necessary. Spending it on sports and hobbies even better.

I don’t think it does make it significantly harder, but you do have to be more proactive. If you’re posting on MN about this you’ll be fine!

And the stats are influenced by things like how many DC from primaries even try for those schools. Lots won’t consider anything except the local comp, some will only consider grammars (for obvious reasons), some school years are boy-heavy so few girls to try for the girls schools etc.

I suspect prep is a nicer experience in many ways, especially in KS1. I’ve also wondered if it makes a difference for marginal candidates, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing in the long term.

I don't know much about private schools tbh but my DD went from a state school in Wandsworth (bordering Merton) to Tiffin Girls. She had tutoring from Y5.

This is a bit anecdotal but no one in her year that she's ever talked to went to a private primary. Lots of them had also applied to private secondaries and had places.

I’m just over the border in Kingston but I know of plenty of children at state primaries going to selective schools (Tiffin etc). Including from the primary school my children went to. But almost all tutored, at least from the start of year 5 if not before. A lot fewer went private but I think that’s because of the cost rather than the children not being academically capable.

I think the grammars are generally the hardest to get a place at, know quite a few dc this yr that didn't get a grammar place but got places at Dulwich, Trinity, Sutton, Whitgift etc. All from state primary, a few did get Tiffin & Wilson, etc.

As pp said tutoring is the norm, there's a whole industry around it and many start in yr4.

In my view, schools like KCS, PHS and WHS are so academically rigorous that only those equipped to cope there will thrive. So many aren't offered because the bar is high and there is often a mismatch between parental aspiration and the child's actual ability.

Ours were not tutored for the entrance exams and they transferred from a state primary. They got in and they flew. Sadly, I know of many children who have got in due to being tutored to within an inch of their lives at private prep and in addition to that too. They have not flown once there. DS had a small gap around English language/grammar to make up aged 8. That surprised us as he was an avid reader and advanced in the space. It made no material difference after the first year.

If a child is borderline, there are gentler alternatives which may be better for their self esteem and overall well being.

@RosesAndHellebores when did your dd go to school?

dc

Admittedly a while ago, they are grown up now (30 and 27). However, even back then KCS was about 1 in 8 at 8 I recall. We were out of step even then in not tutoring.

I am well aware entry became excruciating but think it may be relevant contemporaneously that the birth rate is declining and the VAT on fees may have an impact. Also KCS takes far more boys from state at 11 than previously.

In all honesty we just thought we'd chuck DS in for a go at the test to see how he did. We were very surprised he flew in although it was pretty clear from the get go that he was super bright.

birth rates are declining but I'm not sure a school like Kings has less people applying even with the VAT