Anyone's DC go to a state primary school, then private secondary? Problems with transition?

[lilQuidditchKel]

Hi

we have two DCs and will soon start the older one in nursery. the local primaries in our catchment area are excellent, not to mention free. problem is, the secondary schools are horrid.

would you anticipate problems with a transition from state to private schools at secondary level?

am afraid if DCs go to state primary they will have problems catching up or even passing the exams needed for the local grammar or private secondary schools!

any advice on this much appreciated

Sorry can't help but am interested in any answers so will bump this for you! Am in the same situation - lovely primaries in my area, but nearest secondary is in "special measures"

I went from a very good state primary school to private secondary, and had no problems with work etc.

ds1 went to state primary and is now in y7 at academically selective boys' private secondary - along with nearly half the rest of the intake which was one of the reasons we went for this school rather than the ones where 90% of the intake was prep school

he's had no problems catching up and got a scholarship without any tuition

Hi. Both my DD's went to the same very good state primary. Eldest transferred to private school with both primary and secondary students, two terms before the end of her last year in primary. This more or less guaranteed her a place in the secondary section of the private school (she had a low-level entrance exam into the secondary), because the classes are small.

The youngest has just gone into the grammar school (so I'm saying a good state primary won't hold you back in passing the entrance exams).

Neither has a problem with the transition, apart from the travelling time for the youngest (she has to catch bus across town).

I posted a similar thread to this recently

The transition can be done and is done by a loads of children, all the time. It's in prep schools' interests to tell you your dcs will never make it into the private sector without their help but that's not true. What your dcs may need is a spot of private tutoring near entrance exam time to teach them specific techniques. As to when they get there ... they'll catch up in no time.

oh thanks a million, this is really a load off my mind. I was getting quite worried that we'd get caught off guard after primary school, unless we put DCs into private schools from day 1.

Like Totalchaos, I went from state primary to private secondary, with no problems at all.
Before I took the exam for the private school my state school headmaster gave me some 'quiz' books to go over, and was very supportive of my mother's intentions.