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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

11+ 2018 entry south London/ surrey Girls' independent schools applicants

44 replies

Puddinglane12 · 19/05/2017 16:08

Hello all, nervously starting this new thread. Been reading threads from previous years. We are applying to JAGS and 2 surrey independents. One GDST and a co-ed school.

I wonder if anyone knows what proportion of girls that do the JAGS pre-test get called back for the actual exams.

Also how competitive is the sports scholarship? DD does rounders, gymnastics, netball, gymnastics, athletics and hockey in school. She has a natural flare for sports, we don't push her at all.

OP posts:
Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 19/05/2017 16:10

I know the sports scholarship will be relative, but just wonder what the general views are.

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herewegoagain2017 · 19/05/2017 16:18

DD sat the pre test last October. She and all the girls we know were called back for the exam in January. I wouldn't worry about the pre test, I think most pass, it is only there to eliminate the complete outliers.

I don't know about the sports scholarships but I know about music scholarships and I can tell you they are very competitive!
DD was offered a place after the January exam but no scholarship (she got offered one by another school).

lilybookins · 19/05/2017 16:19

Hello - I wondered the same when my daughter did it last year. I had no idea but in my head I guessed that maybe about 10% wouldn't make it through. But a friend recently told me that she'd 'heard' it was a lot higher than that (I neglected to ask her where her info was from so it could be total bollocks) I do know that of the five or so girls that I knew who did take the pre-selection test, all were called back to do the exam. I wonder if the school might tell you because last year was the first year they did the pre-selection test?

Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 19/05/2017 18:07

Thank you, I just wondered as we put our application in. I might ask the school as well.
Did any of your DD end up in JAGS? What is it like?
Did they do the taster days as well?

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Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 19/05/2017 18:08

Can I also ask if your DDs were in state or independent primary schools?

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AveEldon · 19/05/2017 19:55

Hello
We will probably be doing 3 independents and then 2 state school exams. Not sure which ones yet

AnotherNewt · 19/05/2017 20:00

The JAGs pretest is so new it's hard to know how many will get weeded out at that stage.

(I think, but don't actually know, that that pass the number that they can accommodate for the actual exam, and though there is an excess, it is not large at present).

Standards are high for a sports scholarship, but IIRC, they do consider all rounders.

herewegoagain2017 · 19/05/2017 20:16

Puddinglane: my DD was in a very average (at best) state primary. She attended a sports taster day and absolutely loved it!
"She" did not chose JAGS in the end as got offered "her" 1st choice. As you can see it was really her decision....

Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 19/05/2017 21:09

herewego... well done to your DD, fair enough to let them choose, they've done the hard work. I would do same with DD, if/when we are blessed enough to have a choice.

AnotherNewt, I know what you mean. I guess, it will take a few years for a trend to be obvious. I wonder how many apply compared to how many places they have. Presumably, most girls from JAPs will move up ( do they have to sit the exams too? Or is it 'automatic'?).

We will do 3 independents too ( hopefully, enough to get a good place), and possibly 2 state. We've applied to one state, not quite decided on the 2nd, if we do one. We know a fair bit about the other 2 independents, it's just this new JAGs pre-test that we obviously don't know much about.

Don't want to overwhelm her with too many exams, I figured the states are early and she will have a little break before the independents, so shouldn't be too onerous, I hope.

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KingscoteStaff · 20/05/2017 06:20

DD is Yr 8 at JAGS.
In her year, the girls who got sports scholarships were already competing at a high level (club/county/regional), but I don't think that was why they were picked, just a sign of their standard.

DD was A team in every sport at her junior school and County level at one (relatively) unusual sport, and she was not offered a scholarship.

She (and we) loves the school and is doing really well. Good luck!

AnotherNewt · 20/05/2017 07:29

"Presumably, most girls from JAPs will move up ( do they have to sit the exams too? Or is it 'automatic'?)."

In practice yes, all those at JAPS will move up if they want to (a few will board, some might go to Alleyns because they want coed - and a few move vice versa) but it's not automatically guaranteed. They still have to pass the exam. But the prep makes sure they can. Because it's taking clever girls in the first place, teaching them well and knowing exactly what is needed by the senior school.

They will however counsel parents of any girls they thing might not make the grade to make other applications too.

lilybookins · 20/05/2017 08:05

@puddinglane - yes, my daughter is at a state school. She has a place at JAGs, begins this sept. She had other offers but she had always wanted JAGs and so did I. Didn't put her in for any scholarships (we were bursary applicants anyway) but from what I've heard the competition is fierce, especially the music one.

Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 20/05/2017 11:17

Thank you all for your responses. Really appreciate them.

Nice to 'hear' good reports about the school. We have a little while yet, at the moment, just working hard on bond books and the likes of it.

Lilybookins wishing your DD all the best in her new school from September. I bet she is excited and can't wait to start.

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Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 20/08/2017 16:11

Hello again. Anyone got dates for the pre-selection test for JAGs yet?

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chameleon71 · 21/08/2017 11:33

all the girls from dd's school who sat the pre-test got called back for the main exam so am not really clear what purpose it served?

dd went to the sport scholarship day and had a great time. she's an all rounder and they noted her netball skills on the offer letter but no scholarship.

FWIW the sports scholarship day was a couple of weeks after the exam and all the girls from dd's school who were called to attend the scholarship day went on to get an offer - it certainly took some of the nerves out of the process for me!

The general offer rate for JAGS was pretty high among DD's cohort. Out of a dozen or so girls, I'm not aware that any of them were turned down. Perhaps it's not as difficult to get into as it used to be?

Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 01/09/2017 09:16

That's interesting chameleon. Is your DD's primary state or independent? I guess it all also depends on the abilities in any year group.

Is it a known feeder into JAGs?

From information sent to us this year the sports scholarship assessment is between the preselection test and the actual entrance exam.

Will your DD be joining JAGs or did you decide on somewhere else?

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Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 14/10/2017 23:36

DD sat the pretest at JAGS. She said it was a fun morning and headmistress seemed nice. Online tests tricky in terms of time constraints.

Anyone else's DD done this? What was general feeling? (Without giving out too much information). Now it's the wait to hear back, hopefully not too long.

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AveEldon · 15/10/2017 08:11

Not yet, I haven't actually filled in any application forms although the deadlines are looming

lilybookins · 15/10/2017 22:26

Hi Pudding - my daughter did it last year and really enjoyed it. I think the test side of things was a bit tricky in terms of timing and it went up or down a level according to how you answered - so it got harder the more you got correct. I think It is as maths/VR type stuff? We didn't specifically prep for it. think that should you get through to exam in Jan then your score on that test goes towards your overall score - not that you get told your overall score. I think how your daughter interacts in the group discussion etc is obviously important too. Not pushy/overbearing but curious and interested, able to follow and contribute to a discussion etc. Lots of luck to your daughter!

Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 17/10/2017 10:45

Thanks Lilyb. She seemed to enjoy the morning and made some new friends.

AveEldon we are still trying to decide which other schools she tries. Definitely a GDST, and there are 2 others she's really interested in, from open days and knowing people in those schools. We also liked the 'feel' of the schools, but I worry about her sitting too many exams. Having said that she says he really wants to try for the 2 others she likes. So we'll see. She also sat the Sutton grammars exam last month (Nonsuch/Wally girls').

Is sitting 4 independent schools too many? What do people think? Possibly spread out with 1 in November, 1 early December and 2 in January ( assuming she gets through to the next round of JAGS).

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lilybookins · 17/10/2017 11:06

Hi there - I don't think it's too many at all. My daughter sat the Grammars in Sept/Oct then did four independent schools in January, prob spread out over ten days. She didn't find it particularly stressful or 'too much' but I guess that might depend on your child. If you have a kid that hates exams or finds them really stressful then maybe it would be.

AveEldon · 17/10/2017 11:58

Our prep school recommends you do 4 but some people will be doing 6 or more

jennawade · 17/10/2017 15:33

we were told 80% made it through from the pre-test last year. it seemed higher than that for us.

the sports scholarship day has changed now -it's before the main exam and seems to be more of a general taster day designed to sell the school.

I'm at a known feeder for JAGs and have to say the uptake of eventual offers has been down the past few years with families seeming to prefer Alleyns.

4 independents is about the average I think? good luck to your dd.

Original poster
Puddinglane12 · 17/10/2017 20:51

Thank you Jenna. Thanks for the additional information as well.

lilyb and AveE, thanks for your responses. DD is taking it all in her stride, not stressed and she has her sports to balance things out for her. She wants to do the exams and is usually not stressed by them ( although I sometimes think a little bit of the old adrenaline kick wouldn't go amiss).

It's good to know a number of DDs have managed 4 and it's not necessarily unusual. 6 seems like a lot but I guess everyone knows their DC best.

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AveEldon · 17/10/2017 22:36

As someone else posted on another thread - its a good idea to check the exam dates and then prioritise