Help! My DS did 11+ and got no offers

[Musickyle73]

We find ourselves in the position where my ds did not receive any offers after taking the 11+ and we wait for news of a state school place but still want to look at more private school options if it’s not too late to apply. Anyone know of a good private school
in SW London area that would happily embrace a more ‘average grade’ pupil who has a passion for sports ( very high level football)??
All the ones I have checked online state they are academically selective but they don’t say to what extent. I don’t want to waste my time by registering for a school that there is no chance of getting into, or that don’t accept late admmisons.
The schools we applied for ( Ibstock, Emmanuel, Harrodian) refused to offer feedback. They just sent an email saying they cannot offer a place as ‘ the competition was very strong this year’. And, ‘Due to the overwhelming amount of applicants they cannot give individual feedback’.
I am at my wits end and feel very burnt by the whole process.
So if anyone can help with schools that are academically ok and accept all rounders who excel at sport then I would be really grateful! For the record, my ds is at local state school, is lively, bright, articulate, works hard, plays grade 3 guitar, competitive level footballer and top in the class at maths.

Ewell Castle tends to have places, even mid-year.

Have a look at Halliford too

Claremont in Esher.

I second Ewell Castle, sounds like it would be a perfect fit for your DS.

If he’s top of the class at maths it sounds like he may just have been unlucky or not sufficiently prepared. You could consider a prep school that goes to Year 8 and try again for the 13+ for those schools that offer this as an entry point. But these are more likely to be boys schools rather than the co-eds you chose this time.

Look round Cobham, and Epsom area as PP have suggested and Leatherhead Downsend has opened a senior school. They may have bus routes as well.

St John’s Leatherhead? Cranleigh school if you’re prepared to move - or board.

Trinity, Whitgift, Royal Russell - schools in Croydon.
Dulwich College.
Dulwich Prep & Senior school
Caterham school
Ewell Castle
Epsom College
City of London Freemens
Reigate Grammar

@Musickyle73 , if you got a rejection from Ibstock then St John's and Claremont are unlikely and they will be full as they are both very popular. Halliford is very popular too.

Your options are
Ewell Castle
London Park School Clapham
St James's Ashford if you can get there on the train
Downsend
Kingswood House
Cranmore school

But I would accept your state school place and give yourself some breathing space for year 7. As you have found out the market for boys for year 7 entry is very difficult. If you wait a year you might find the new Thomas's college in Richmond has space, it's opening in September. Plus none of the private schools have published their Sept 2025 fees and there may be more last minute drop outs or no shows in Sept than expected.

Where do you live?
I suppose you either need to find a prep to 13 and apply again(whitgift sounds a good fit) or find one of the fewer schools who will still take applications for this September. Alongside those listed above, you could try The Hall Wimbledon, Thames Christian School by Clapham Junction, Fulham School, Kew Bridge??
For preps to 13 you could try Thomas's, Newton Prep, Dulwich Prep?? Obviously, this will depend on where you live in SW London.
Good luck

@Musickyle73 I'm sorry you're in that position. it really is such a brutal process, for both parents and children, hope your DS is OK.
You could consider St Benedicts in Ealing. I thought i was a nice school , friendly, approachable headmaster and not considered as academic as the schools you sat for. Also Kew House could be an option but no space to play much football on site at Kew.

It is harsh that you can't get Any feedback. I appreciate they have a lot of applicants but still ....

Wetherby Pembridge is opening up in September in Olympia. Entirely unproven but they will have the Wetherby and Pembridge brands to fall back on. There's no real outside space on site but they have rented fields a short bus ride away. It is the Inspired Group so they are throwing resources into the new school and am sure they will focus on the academics to make it work. Good luck!

Claremont Fancourt?

Hi OP - exact same thing happened to my DS. We ended up sending him to local state where he is happy and thriving in year 7.

If you are set on private, then Radnor House/ Kneller Hall is worth a shot.

See my post on 28 Jan on the 'SW London Grammar and private senior school entry 2025' thread or pm me.

Good luck xx

Thomas is new so may have places. The majority of the offers had to be accepted by the 3 March so next week there will be a huge movement, I know it’s not what you want to hear but I k ow several people with at least 5 offers and they are only taking one. If I think of my immediate friends that’s 20 odd places. I know some of these schools will have WL but everyone will move up etc

City Freemans - I know of a few kids this year who didn't get places elsewhere and have been in contact with them and received offers.
Claremont, Thomas's College and Wetherby Pembridge also worth a call. There will be lots of movement this week after the acceptance deadline passes as a PP mentioned. Good luck x

@Musickyle73
I hope this hasn’t arrived too late to be of any use. It really is bruising isn’t it?

We were in the same boat. My son, sporty and strong in maths, got rejected from Ibstock, Harrodian and Emanuel too.
We wanted a co-ed school close by and Thomas’s College was our back up. To our surprise he wasn’t offered an interview there.

I scurried around and got him into a late exam for Hampton Court House but it’s not for us. A bit too liberal and not that sporty.

Then a friend with a daughter at Radnor House convinced me of how fantastic it is irrespective of whether it’s in its new site or not. Apparently the sports staff are fantastic - they’ve won an ISA award- as is the pastural care - for which they have also won an ISA award - and academically they have a very strong value add. So children perform as well or better than they would at a more selective school.

I did all the usual research - Mumsnet, thank you! - and I’ve only read or heard only good things about it, except for the Kneller SNAFU. But it seems an excellent school on every front - with a beautiful location - even if it is a little on the small and cosy side.

Anyway, we managed to get an offer at the start of March. It may be one worth pursuing for you son? I hear that all schools have a lot of shifting and changing right up to the first few weeks of Y7.

I wish you the very best. It’s a traumatic ordeal when it doesn’t go well! My son seems fine but it’s us parents that go through the mill.

If you’re near a SW train line - could try king Edward’s Witley.

Or you could move to a school that has just opened a new senior school / gets tutors in / more prep and try again for yr 9 for reeds / St George’s / day places at boarding schools

11 plus is evil and so much competition!

I hope you found a solution, but surprised about Thomas’s when in its first year of GCSE’s scoring the same as ibstock and harrodian… I hope he got into a good school! Sadly not enough good co-Ed options