Berkhamsted School 7+ or nursery entry

[Treag]

I was just wondering if anyone has any experience of 7+ entry to Berkhamsted school? We have a one year old daughter, and would like her to go there eventually.

We have been offered a place there for the nursery, but if we have a second child it’ll be quite tough, but possible with some sacrifices,to pay for them both to go through from nursery to sixth form. So we are wondering whether to turn it down and go for 7+ in a few years instead, which would be a lot more comfortable financially.

But I’m worried we won’t get a place at 7+ I’m not sure how oversubscribed that entry point is? And obviously it’s hard to know what our daughter will be like at that age. I was dyslexic as a child and probably would have struggled with a tough test then. It also feels like a lot of pressure for her that could’ve avoided by just getting her in at nursery.

any advice appreciated!

15/16 years at the same school can be very stifling. I have numerous friends with children at the school who have joined at all entry points - nursery, 7+, 11+, 13+, 16+ and occasional places. With the exception of nursery, everyone I know who wanted a place got one (and the nursery issue was because they registered too late).

Berkhamsted are very good at making it seem like competition for places is high, but if you’re prepared to wait a bit then spots do miraculously become available.

It is an extremely good school and my friends don’t have a bad word to say about it (other than every little thing is charged back to you and the uniform isn’t cheap). HOWEVER, any hint of SEN and children are often asked to leave. For that reason alone I would hold off until your DC is older and you know for sure they don’t need any extra learning support (especially with your dyslexia).

I personally would put them in the Kinderzimmer on the High Street and then start at one of the excellent state primaries in town and see how they get on. Alternatively there are some great standalone preps around - Chesham, Beechwood Park, York House which will prep for Berkhamsted 11+ but keep your options open.

I would also add that Berkhamsted doesn’t suit every child. My daughter really didn’t like it at open days and admissions events. She got a place but where she ended up was a far better fit. I would err on the side of caution deciding on where your child will spend their entire school life when they are only 1.

Thank you, this is a really helpful and thoughtful response. We’re definitely worried we’ve been pressured by the school into thinking spaces are more competitive than they are.

@Treag The nursery entry point is probably the only one where they are oversubscribed. There’s also not huge movement in numbers in reception and Y1 but things do start shifting. People move away, they find the school isn’t the best fit, they get asked to leave etc.

Children moved from our prep school to Berkhamsted at various points. They all got places but were told it was competitive etc.

We have lots of children joining our prep school from Berkie at 7+, 9+ and 11+

It’s not an incredibly academic school, so with the VAT, there will be places available.

Do you mean they leave your prep school to join berkhamsted school at those stages? Or they are leaving berkhamsted school at those stages (so there will be places there)? Thank you!

We also had several children join our prep from Berkhamsted - they were asked to leave as they weren’t making the grade academically or had some sort of SEN.

Funny thing is several of those children then went on to schools like Habs, Harrow and Merchant Taylor’s. Berkhamsted creates a “product”. An admirable one - the children it turns out are everything you would want them to be. But if you don’t fit the mould then it can be brutal.

Our prep was very much seen as a feeder to Berkhamsted. More girls chose to go to Royal Masonic at 11 than Berkhamsted in the last two years. Previously most went to Berkhamsted or Abbots Hill. It’s been an interesting shift.

Sorry, I mean they leave Berkie and join our prep. But we are a renowned prep with a senior school linked to it, so we may be an anomaly. One of my closest school friends started at Berkhamstead years and years ago and they are lovely!

I have never heard it called Berkie in my life. Only Berko……. Lived there for over 20 years and have ooodles of friends with children there.

How odd, I’ve never heard it called Berko!

Just realised, as I was eating my Easter dinner pondering this….. that I imagined a ‘p’ in Berkhampstead, which is an entirely different school, and the one I was talking about 😆🤣 so ignore everything I’ve said!!!

If it's going to be a stretch I would definitely save my cash and wait until year 3 or even 5. A lot of these schools make it seem like they are very selective but in reality they are not, especially with VAT. I think a decent state school tends to do the job in the early years, and if for any reason your child didn't get into your pfererred school at the tender age 7 then it's probably not the school for them anyway....

We are moving ours to a 'selective' private in September at the start of year 5 (age 9), she got in from an average state school no problems. According to a friend who works there most kids do.....

I have a child in the pre prep. Started at stepping stones (the pre school). I couldn't get a place at the nursery, it is very small. A few families have moved, and during reception year there has been a few new students. So you could bargain on joining at reception.

Sorry I haven't got any more experience than this, but so far it is a lovely school with fantastic teachers. We are well aware that it is selective and may or may not be suitable for our children as they get older, but so far so good :)

I’ve got two DC at Berkhamsted, one prep, one senior, neither joined at nursery and friends have joined at different entry points 7+, 11+, 13+

It simply isn’t true that ‘any hint of SEN and they are asked to leave’. Both my DC have SEN. They have a good support system in prep (group sessions and some 1:1) and also for my DC in seniors who has had lots of support, mostly group but also 1:1. I hear people say this a lot, but it’s just not true.

@BucksMum47 My nephew was asked to leave, as was my friend’s son. It very much depends on the SEN and whether it affects the results of the school.

You should also ask the question as to how many children are made to sit their GCSEs as private candidates because they won’t make a grade C equivalent.

‘It very much depends on the SEN’ is quite different to ‘any hint of an SEN’

Both DC have friends with SEN as well as having SEN themselves. Nobody has been asked to leave or has been asked to do anything different for GCSE.

My daughter attends a fantastic state school in London and we thought about moving outside of London a few years ago. She was tested for Years 3 and 4 at Berkhamsted school and didn't get a place. They access kids on maths and english and expected mark of 100. My daughter was 109 in english and 96 in Maths. We asked for feedback and they said that she would struggle a bit and herhaps offered a place to other kids, but places were very limited (5 places I think). When she went for the experience day, there were 9 kids "competing for a year 4 place". Apparently, in year 5, they increase the intake so there is higher chances of getting in. In addition and for comparison, they said that for grammar school, the expected mark is 120 in maths and english. But they did not say the name of the exam they do to evaluate kids.