Any All through school with good grammar entry at 11+

[PulsHere]

Hello,

I am new-ish here. We are looking for schools for my 3 year old son (Reception 2026). We have done a lot of research and it looks like either there are schools which have prep and senior divisions and almost all prep students end up in that Senior school or an equivalent Private Senior School
OR
there are Prep schools from where children go to grammar schools after 11+ but in case they can’t crack grammar exam there’s no safety net of a linked senior school.

Probably we are searching for a “flying elephant” but isn’t there any good 3-18 Pvt school which still has a good % of students going into grammar schools at 11+? So essentially what we are thinking is DS gets in somewhere next year, tries for 11+, if he can crack grammar great if not he can continue in the same school - any tips on schools that match this criteria would be extremely helpful.

Location wise we are looking for Bexley, Kent or Bucks (grammar hotspots).

TiA

Why are you placing such importance on staying at the same school all the way through if he doesn’t qualify for grammar at 11+?
Why couldn’t he move on to another private senior school at 11+?

Most through schools expect pupils to stay. However increasingly private day senior schools are joining up with standalone preps and not all their pupils will be able or want to stay on. The benefit is that those prep pupils may not have to compete with external candidates for senior places by sitting the entrance exams if they choose to stay. It tends not to be in state grammar areas , although Sevenoaks has recently announced a family prep arrangement with Solefield https://www.sevenoaksschool.org/about-us/sevenoaks-family/. The system could change further before your dc turns 11.

@TeaandHobnobs - just want to have that safety net I.e. if nothing works out at least he will have the option to continue in the same school also I’ve heard grammar prep is quite different from 11+ private senior school prep. So having a linked senior school would mean he would be able to concentrate on preparing for 1 type of exam (I.e. grammar) rather than grammar + indi Pvt senior schools.

@LIZS thanks. We have looked at Solefield and Sevenoaks separately but wasn’t aware of this arrangement. Thanks for sharing. Certainly something we will look into.
A good number of Solefield leavers seem to go to Kent grammar schools - hope they continue that trend even after this “partnership” with Sevenoaks.

@PulsHere if you are intending to send him to a decent prep, your DS should have no trouble getting into an independent senior school - that is literally what the purpose of a prep school is.

My kids went to a prep that went up to 11+ - a handful of kids (5-10) from each year went on to grammar, and the majority of the rest to decent senior schools. This was not an academically hard hitting school.
There is no reason to think that if your DS did not pass the 11+ for grammar, they need to be shielded from all entrance tests at 11+.
I hope I’m not being too harsh, I just think that all-through doesn’t really offer any benefit.

That being said, for a Bucks/Berkshire option you could look at Claire’s Court - I’ve heard reports of lots of happy parents there currently.
Bucks is a bit lacking for boys independents, and I can’t think of any that are all-through - I might be wrong there though.

I know it is a different county but have you looked at Brentwood? A lot of the bright kids are creamed off to grammar at 11+. The prep kids do have to pass an entrance test to get into the senior school, but because of the grammars, I think the intake is fairly broad. Is that the sort of thing you mean?

I don’t know of a single all through school that preps for 11+, be that grammar or private. Their whole purpose is to keep you there!!!!! You would need to use an external tutor or DIY it, in which case you might as well save your money and go to state school.

I agree that a “linked” prep is probably your best bet. However, the big one by us (Bucks) requires you to commit to the place at the secondary in the November of Y6 which is well before you would find out what 11+ places have been secured elsewhere. A lot of parents have been caught out by this and have ended up putting down a non refundable deposit of £2k for a place they hopefully had no intention of taking up. It’s understandable as the secondary needs to work out how many places are available to external candidates, but doesn’t really help existing families.

I would just choose a standalone prep that sends a lot to grammar school. I think you are totally overthinking the backup scenario. There are more places at independent schools than ever before since the introduction of VAT. Unless you are considering some of the top academic schools in the country then getting an 11+ place is much easier these days.

@RatherBeOnVacation

I don’t know of a single all through school that preps for 11+, be that grammar or private.

North Bridge House Prep School facilitates every path to success, with pupils either leaving us at the end of Year 6 (taking the 11+, the Consortium exam, or joining one of our Senior Schools), or at the end of Year 8 (taking the Common Pre-Test, the Common Entrance exam, or schools’ individual entrance tests) and often gaining highly competitive scholarship places.

They don't seem to give numbers to each destination anymore, but it used to be that about 1/3 would continue to their senior schools (they have two campuses at senior) and the majority to other secondaries.

@user149799568 But not in Bexley, Kent or Bucks or commutable. My comments were for Bucks (where I live) and Kent where my friends children are at an all through school.

Thanks everyone for the insights. Really helpful. Yeah perhaps I am overthinking and should consider what’s best for DS in the short term.
@RatherBeOnVacation do you mind me asking which school you are referring to in Bucks? We visited The Beacon school (upto 13+) and absolutely loved it. They don’t have a linked senior school but send a good % to grammar Bucks school. Since you live in that area any idea how The Beacon school is?

@PulsHere in Bucks for boys I would recommend The Beacon and Davenies for preps - I know parents who are very happy with both

The Beacon is a great school that preps for both grammar and independent schools. Although they do like the boys to stay to 13 and a fair few do.

Chesham Prep is also a good bet for grammar entry.

Both schools tend to also send a lot of children to Berkhamsted, but more to to the big name independents, including boarding, from The Beacon. Chesham tends to be more local independents if they don’t go to grammar.

I was referring to Heatherton Prep (girls only) which is where sisters of boys at The Beacon tend to go. Heatherton is part of the Berkhamsted group and offers priority admission to Berkhamsted at 11.

Have you considered Cheltenham/Gloucester. There are a number of good options which may suit what you're after. There are some very good prep schools which prep for 11+ but finish at 11 and some very good 'through' private schools. Maybe a bit far from the South East for you though.

@PulsHere I know this is an old thread but thought I would add to it in case you are still on MN

Have you thought of areas that are adjacent to Bucks but are still in catchment?

RBWM would fall into this. Northern parts of Maidenhead.

A PP has mentioned Claire's Court in Maidenhead which is an all through school. I have heard good things.
If you want them to do 11+ tutoring, you would have to do this separately to school as they would obviously like you to carry on into their secondary school. So you are paying for the private school and then also the tutor. You need to consider this in your costs.

There is also st Piran's which is a private primary school - heard very good things. Again you would arrange your tutor separately.

I don't know of any private school in this area that prepares DC for the 11+. You have to find a separate tutor yourself.