Sixth form/SW London day schools: we may be in the market for a move and interested in any views...

[TawnyPippit]

Does anyone have any views or experiences? This would likely be a move for not quite hitting current schools 6th form admission targets (which are high), so no need to tell me how wonderful Westminster and St Paul's are . Having said that, once we start looking around, it may nudge us to a move anyway. We are looking for co-ed (its for a boy).

The school websites are nowhere near as informative re 6th form intake/admissions process as they are for the 11+ admissions, which makes me wonder how structured it is. Some schools seem to be saying you need to do entry exams now'ish for September 2018. I think what I'm trying to gauge is whether that is necessary or whether in reality you just go and horse trade off the back of the actual GCSE results. I suspect no schools ever say that, although a couple seem to hint it.

Anyone any experience?

For easier admissions, Kew House, Radnor House, Harrodian. Or what about looking at Esher College or Strodes. Quite a few move from indie to Esher.

Should have added Kew House and Radnor have had places in the summer hols in previous years.

If you want to apply to Esther College you had better get your skates on. Applications must be made online by 29th September.

You need to make a preliminary indication of subject choice on application but this can be rethought later.

It is madly oversubscribed though and places are allocated by a lottery. Interviews to those offered places are just to firm up subject choices. Great reputation, it is worth going for.

Bugger - ESHER College!

Thanks for all these thoughts. Esher College is definitely on our radar, and is quite a popular 6th form destination from DS's current school. Its not v convenient for us travel wise, which is a bit of a bugger.

I noticed that a couple of schools had on their website "we still have places for September 2017" through late August, and my suspicion is that while they like to be orderly and do entrance testing, there is also a (small?) market for those who just missed their grades etc, despite all the things saying "you need to do an entrance exam in November 2017 for September 2018". The ones I saw said that you needed to do a paper in each prospective A level. Poor old DS doesn't even know clearly what A levels he wants to do yet (as his own school's process hasn't kicked off), and so I would be making him do exams for subjects he's not clear about at a school he doesn't particularly want to go to (because he really wants to stay at his current school, and this is me looking for a contingency plan).

Check out Kew House - the independent learning centre looks amazing for the 6th form

ls try Ibstock, St Benedicts and Harrodian. Perhaps even Kingston Grammar. All will lose pupils to more academic sixth forms, state and private.

Or look out towards Surrey. Reed's? City of London Freeman.