Independent Boys school in London for expat

[expat1407]

Hi All,
This is my first topic here, so please excuse me if I ask some silly questions.

We are currently in Switzerland and husband tells me that we may be moving to Lodon in a year's time. My Son would be in Year 9 at the time of our move, he is in Grade 6 ( Year 7) now.

We may go in mid-session Year 8 or Year 9, not sure yet

I am trying to do some advance homework on what schools to target. I need Private school as I don't think he will fit in state system after his International school experience.
He is Maths and Science boy, not very sporty, but doesn't mind trying sports. He is above average , but not a genius. He loves challenging work at school and is ready to put in a lot of efforts for studies. His English is also good. Been born and brought up in UK till Year 5 ( not in London )

I know London is very vast, our apporach is to find a school and then move to an area that is near school. Husband's office location is not a problem.

My little research on Mumsnet has thrown names of Hampton Boys and Whitgift .
Please can you suggest me more names, so that I can begin my research on schools.

Thanks

You need to seperate the 13+ schools, for which you would be looking to sit entrance exams (probably not CE unless you are at a very UK-ish school now, but instead their entrance for foreign students), and 11+ schools where you would be looking for an occasional place (would still have take some sort of test of course). If you come before the start of year 9 I think you have to write off the 13+ route as no prep school is going to take him that late.
On the 13+ schools, as someone else said, you have missed Westminster, St Paul's and Kings Wimbledon, so you need to move fast on the remainders.

Ancient - He is in International school, not Bilingual . But learning German at a steady pace.
What schools did he sit for 13+?

Some of the 13+ schools (Dulwich, Whitgift, Alleyns, Emanuel) do it by competitive exam (not CE with pretest) so check what is required for each candidate school

btw, The new school in Mayfair is an upper school for Eaton Square School (not the Eaton House group, they are totally separate).

If you have the budget for it, it might be worth using the Good Schools Guide advice service - you have to pay a fee, obviously, but you get a real person to talk through your priorities and help you find and apply to appropriate schools.

Emanuel Registrations are closed for 2017 !! Sigh
Though it clearly says on the website, should I try to contact them?

I forgot to mention that I need a school with strong Maths department in senior years.

Yes, but you don't know if you are wanting a place for a September Yr9 start.

People come and go. Yes certain schools with a 13+ entry will ask for early registration and pre-test. However numbers can alter, pupils can leave.

There is only so much people here can help you with. Only the schools will know whether the relevent year is very full or whether they may have a place. And outside of the big name schools (Westminster St Pauls and Kings Wimbledon) with a very set CE process, only the schools will know what they tesing they will want to do on a pupil from a different education system.

So write asking about the scope for being considered for an occasional place (date to be determined) and if the reply is encouraging ask about entry procedures. If you don't want to do this, then employ an educational consultant who will know which schools are currently approachable., and be able to guide you on fit.

If you find your child is not being stretched sufficiently in maths, then he can apply to somewhere like Westminster or St Pauls, of indeed a super-selective Grammar like Tiffin, for sixth form. But unless he is really exceptional I would not see a problem with many of the schools mentioned.

For 11+ they have a waiting list. You could ask if there is one for 13+ and if many people are on it. They don't take the registration payment until they give you a place for the exams.

expat1407, my DS already had a place at one of the schools mentioned on here and he sat for two others also mentioned on here. Both allegedly very competitive. He was offered places at both despite being in a local school abroad and not being up to date at all with the UK curriculum in science.

So, if your DS is good enough, then there is enough movement in London schools for a place even at 13+.

Bloody hell!

Emanuel have guillotined the 13+ list for 2017 entry and are about to close it for 2018 too! (they accept only 150, and usually have under 20 places available). I knew they'd been guillotining for 11+ for a few years now, but hadn't realised it was in use at 13+ as well.

OP: I don't think Dulwich College cap the number of registrations and their best mathematicians do extremely well. They also take a lot of boys from overseas (they have boarding houses) so it's a pretty well trodden path for them to assess boys from different education systems.

Needmore - I have started emailing schools, irrespective of what their website says. I have also stared saying that we need a place from Year 9 beginning.

Husband feels that Son can complete his Year 8 here in Switzerland, if needed. We will definitely be in London from Year 9.

We are in German part of CH, and Son wouldn' t want to go to French school. He wants a proper British school

AnotherN - Its same story everywhere !! Hardly 20 places in some for Year 9 !!

Emanuel has improved academically over the past three years and is becoming a first choice school for many parents. I think for this reason schools such as Northcote Lodge, Broomwood Hall, Fulham Prep and Thomas's are now encouraging parents to book much earlier for 13+.

For 11+ schools are telling parents they need to register early in Year 5 now.

I have to say I approve of guillotining. At Emanuel at 11+ the guillotine is at 600 and the children have about a 1 in 8 chance of getting a place, but at other schools last year I believe it was about 1 in 10. I know all schools will say they are aiming for the best and brightest but wow! do they make a lot of money from these registration fees. I don't believe it costs over £125,000 to set up the 11+ but if they register 1000 children that's what they will get.

Second looking at Trinity in Croydon - near Whitgift, very popular these days, has a 13+ intake, many local boys apply and get into both.

How about this one?

www.dslondon.org.uk

MidLife - This looks like school for Germans in England. We are British, so prefer English schools. Thanks for the link :)

I live in Islington and the (reasonably central) London schools that take boys (that I know of) are:

City of London
Forest
Highgate
King Alfred
Mill Hill
North Bridge House
Portland Place
St Paul's
UCS
Westminster
Wetherby (this is new)

I haven't started researching yet (my son starts reception in September) so don't know which are very Maths orientated.

I haven't listed schools in west or south London though as that's quite far for us.

Thinking about it - if your son goes to an international school, does the head not have any contacts in London? I would expect him to be able to recommend a few places to you and to smooth the way - this must happen all the time in international schools.

Cru - Thanks for your list.
Current head will extend all help, but we need to give him school name first.

I got only 1 reply from my 9 emails to schools . Its from Kingston Grammar. Where can I find past papers of this school !! Son will need to sit the same exam as UK candidates as they do not have any consideration for any student who has studied abroad. From where do I get hold of past papers of this school ?

expat1407, I don't think KGS have past papers. They give you a sheet for 11+ of maths questions (it's on their website) but it is way too easy and not a good indication of the level or type of maths they test on.

This website Independent Junction is really useful. It has past papers for many Independent Schools.

I'd call the Registrars at the schools you are interested in.

Got a firm "No " and " Please apply at 16+ " advice from Westminster and St Paul...

Ancient - Thanks for the link . It has many past papers, can't see Kingston Grammar in the list.

Which school's paper will give us best practice of Kingston Grammar?

KGS don't issue past papers. I'd look at Alleyn's for KGS. Eton if you fancy a bit of a challenge. The Eton King's Scholarship is hard! KCS and Dulwich also good. Also some of the Girls schools like Godolphin & Latymer and the London Consortium of Girls Schools - CLSG I think it's known as? If a school is not on that website just google the name of the school and past papers and you can usually find something.

If you only got one reply I'm wondering if you have ended up in spam folders. It might be worth a very quick call to each school to see if they actually received the email.

Usually they are all only too happy to hear from potential parents (fee-payers!!).

BTW DD is dreadful at Maths and she found the Dulwich sample papers on their website really easy. It's great that they provide the answers though so you won't have to do the entire paper yourself in order to mark it.

Latymer Upper are horrendous! London Girls Consortium is a good idea as Ancien says above.

If you google 11+ papers you'll find some more.

Would you consider Weatherby? As the senior school is new, it may be more likely to have spaces. I know the prep is very sought after.