Offer from academic school! Now DS is unsure!!!!

[letstalkaboutthis]

Hi!

My son currently attends an all-through private school. The school is good, but considering the fees we pay, I sometimes feel that the facilities and clubs could be better. It is also a mixed-ability school, and around 74% of students get A–A* grades. My son often gets full marks without studying much, which makes me feel he may not be sufficiently challenged there.

He has often said he would like to change schools because he feels he is not learning much (although I think this may partly be because the material is repeated). Because of this, he took the 11+ exams and was accepted to King’s College. However, none of his friends got into that school and they will not be going there, so now he feels unsure and is wondering whether he should stay where he is.

If he stays at his current school, he will probably continue to get good grades. But I feel that at King’s College he might be more challenged, develop more academically, and benefit from the facilities and clubs there.

I’m not sure what the best decision is. Should he stay at his current school, or should we send him to King’s College?

You may need to be a bit more specific about which schools you are talking about..

Canterbury? If so, go.

Kings College Wimbledon?

I think the decision needs to come down to more than just academics. 74% A-A* is not truly mixed ability, its well above average and there will be plenty of other bright kids at the senior school of his current school. Although yes he may be at or near the top. He will be able to do well academically at either school.

The question is which school will he enjoy more? Does he like being top of the class, or will he be ok if he’s more towards the middle? Maybe he might enjoy that? Some kids get motivated by seeing others do better, some get demoralised.

What about other aspects of the two schools? Facilities? What subjects and clubs they offer? Journey to school? Mixed/single sex?

I wouldn’t put too much weight on friends. They tend to make new friendships at senior even if they go there with existing friends. And he can always continue to see his old friends outside school.

@minipie yes its Kings College Wimbledon

As previous poster, friendships change a LOT in Year 7, even those that follow through from primary school. I would not based your decision on his friendship group now.

@minipie I told him that if he goes to King’s College Wimbledon, he shouldn’t feel bad if he isn’t at the top of his class. He knows this, and he even told me he really doesn’t mind, as almost everyone in that school gets similar results. Also, I think he will be at the top of his class again, as he got the place without a tutor and didn’t even practise for the exam format. I asked KCW, and they said he scored really well in each assessment.

To be honest we pay a lot for these schools - and I want him to have every opportunity with excellent facilities.

Our current school is a very happy place, but I feel that, for example, they push the students who are getting grades 5–6 and want to reach 7 and above, the school doesn’t really challenge the top students to reach their full potential. Only a few of them end up getting all 9s.

Also, the school doesn’t have mandatory GCSE subjects. Some students choose all creative subjects, while others choose only humanities-basically whatever they like. To be honest, I didn’t really like that. Do you think that’s an advantage?

Meanwhile he has a academic scholarship from his current school (%10)- not sure if it is something useful for the future references or applications

@letstalkaboutthis Very very few students get all 9s at GCSEs even at the most academic schools. In fact, only about 1,300 students across the whole country achieved this in the last couple of years. It really shouldn’t be a criteria to judge a school by.

Also, a school with no restrictions on GCSE options shows that they are focussed on getting the best test results for an individual and not merely focussing on ticking boxes. So many students are forced into taking e.g. a language or humanity that they have no interest in or find extremely hard. This is often to the detriment of other subjects.

My children’s school is the same but they do advise against “unbalance” when choosing options and seriously discourage being too narrow. That said, they do have a couple of exceptionally talented creative children and for them being able to take more of these subjects is going to ensure they get the highest grades because they love the subjects and are truly gifted. These students are looking at conservatoires, art schools and performing arts colleges on leaving. GCSE French or geography, for example, are just irrelevant to them.

Just because the option is there to take whatever subjects you want doesn’t mean they are not guided through making sensible choices.

@RatherBeOnVacation what about for academic kids who aim to study medicine? İf they prefer all creative subjects just because of his friend chose -in our current school only 15 percent chose to do triple science or languages last year

Some new definition of”mixed ability” I haven’t previously encountered…….

@letstalkaboutthis A student committed to studying medicine will surely pick the options that get them where they want to be I.e. three sciences? Just because their friends choose to do something doesn’t mean your child will copy. It’s also your job as parent to make them aware of medicine entry criteria so they don’t shut off any doors. The school is also important in providing guidance.

My children are at a pretty much non selective independent and are very bright. The eldest got a sixth form place at one of the top performing London day schools with no preparation. She turned it down to stay on at her school sixth form as the Oxbridge support was better - she’s only one of three applying vs the over 100 at the other school.

If the current school is sending kids on to study medicine, vet, engineering, law etc albeit not in large numbers, then you know the support is there.

@CurlewKate For a selective private school, I think so! Those GCSE results don’t even place it in the top 100 in UK!

@RatherBeOnVacation our current schools post 16 is tiny with class size 5-10. Not many students apply for Oxbridge - max 1-2 students each year.

You have the option to move at 16 though if that’s what you want. Plenty do move to other schools / colleges at this point for a wide variety of reasons, not just academic.

I think your son would get the exact same grades whether he stays or goes. Look beyond the grades - what does each offer above and beyond?

There’s a reason he sat the exam in the first place because it sounds like you all aren’t particularly happy with his existing school.

@letstalkaboutthis You do know that only about 1200 dc get 10 x 9 grades! F course a non selective school doesn’t get many with this! They are rare but on mn, run of the mill. Look at the stats for yourself. However I’d move but only if he’s mature enough to cope with not being top in everything. Doing his best is more important and enjoying school.

Yes, send him to King’s assuming you can afford the fees and the commute is fine for him. Sounds like a much better fit for him academically and also the most academic schools also have academic societies and clubs which help with Oxbridge applications.

This “all 9” pedantic comments now come up on every single thread. I think what people with high achievers actually mean is that he is likely to achieve a majority of 9s in his GCSEs as his CAT scores are right at the top, so top 1-2%. There are loads and loads of kids with 10 GCSE, eg 8 x 9, 2 x8 type thing. I would know as my DD is in a Sixth Form where that is the most common grade profile, but yes she does have a very close friend who got 12x9 and has 5 A star predictions and will go to Oxford (I am williling to bet it is 97% likely).

@OhDear111”However I’d move but only if he’s mature enough to cope with not being top in everything”.

I found a chance to ask this not at KING, but to the headteacher at a school in the City of London. And told me that almost 95% of their students already get A–A in their GCSEs*, which basically means they are all very strong students. And said that if one student gets 100% and another gets 90% in an exam, it doesn’t necessarily mean one is better than the other, because those percentages can change from subject to subject.
In the end, whether they get 100% or 90%, they both receive an A*. We encourage them not to compare themselves with others results, but to focus on improving themselves. That is why they are all confident. Instead, said they are actually lucky, because they are surrounded by peers who can inspire them and help them improve.

So I believe he will be fine 🙏🏻

A school getting 74% 7-9s would have only just missed being in the top 100 independent schools nationally. It’s quite unusual for a truly “mixed ability” cohort to be getting that high. The schools I know who aren’t particularly academically selective aren’t getting close to those results.

Well the OP already stated she is in and around London where there is a different academic standard and hierarchy amongst schools. Just look at the league tables, dominated by London and the South East.

What makes it hard is my son is not sure if he should stay or leave.

Kings is an amazing school, he will make new friends, I would go for it.

I think your son will probably regret it if he doesn't try it. I'm sure he'd have the option to move back to his current school if he really isn't happy in a year.

@SuperGinger 🙏🏻

@DecisionParalysis yes, thats what he said but I think he will lose his academic scholar title?- do you think it does matter?

@letstalkaboutthis Matter to whom? If he’s attached to being a scholar, he might feel the loss. No one else will notice - eg universities.

People we know had bright dc at a private through school. Reduced fees as DM taught there. They all left at 11 for state super selective grammars. Made no difference to anything.