Dame Alice Owens

[PETRONELLAS]

I need a brief Dummies Guide to getting into this school. We are in catchment. My DS is bright. Any essential tips I can’t get from their website?

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewforum.php?f=71

Daogroupie posts regularly and know the school inside and out - a tutor with DCs at the school ;-)

Oh that’s so helpful. I am closer to the consortium of Queens etc and did a search for DAO on that forum but it didn’t bring up such a helpful link. Thank you. She sounds rather amazing.

I am closer to the consortium of Queens

That's handy. SW Herts consortium & DAO share the same CEM paper (maths is different though) :-)

Daogroupie is both super helpful and a little bit terrifying. Her username isn't wrong.

It's a very good school in part because it has a largely selective intake (it's really not comprehensive in any real sense). It also has some sort of legacy which means it's less damaged by all the cuts.

However, a bright child isn't enough. You're competing with some very very prepped Islington kids. My child was nowhere near getting in and sailed into the private selectives (City etc). I think the music places might be fractionally easier.

It's well worth a go. Yes the kids have to be bright. Yes the kids need some structured prep in year 5. And that prep needs to be something that the kids actually want/ don't mind doing. Nothing worse than dragging them through a process that they are going to hate. We did maths diy at home, and then had an english tutor from year 5 who took our dc through a journey that they genuinely liked with a variety of texts and approaches to explore their expanding interest in English.

DC is now in key stage 3 at Owen's. So far it's been great, really engaging DC's interest, expanding their enthusiasm in academic subjects but also the non academic subjects like art that they never got into at primary. Clubs and societies are fantastic. Pastoral ethos and care is excellent.

Yes it's selection criteria means that it overwhelmingly selects children from families who are either academic, musical or have chosen to live very close to the school.

While it's very ethnically diverse, the school has a way to go in opening up to disadvantaged children, particularly those that live locally. The Governors should be looking at the consequences of its selection criteria.

If you are interested look at the 11 plus forum. Much of what is factually written on the types of practice papers is helpful. There are also tutors who use the platform as a means of promoting their 'expertise' as a form of business development so take some of the non factual opinion with a pinch of salt.

Very helpful. Thank you for explaining your situations.
I do see it as a journey. He would definitely be motivated to study, I’m just keen to ensure we get the right materials. I’m confident we could do Maths but feel the English needs expertise beyond mine. Would you recommend your tutor?

Pm me if you would find it useful

Hi there. New to Mumsnet . Joined to try and find out best options for my child to prepare for Dame Alice Owen /QEII entrance exams. Child just finishing Year 4. Is bright and is willing to do a bit of extra work. Want to give it a try but without pressure and with time on our side. Any tips on practical methods such as practice papers, websites, books, etc? Also could anyone recommend a reasonably priced tutor local to South Herts area? Many thanks.

www.elevenplusexams.co.uk has a lot of information and expertise. DAOGroupie’s invaluable advice can be found in the Regions forum.

The CEM verbal reasoning seems to be enormously important. DAO have past papers. Good luck.

Agree with @PETRONELLAS on this one.. The exam favours kids who devour books because the vocab range and spelling required in the qualifying round are tough.

Is it that ethnically diverse? Maybe for a Herts school but not for the school catchment area which extends deep into Enfield, Barnet etc. All the local Greater London grammars appear to be more diverse by some way, e.g. Latymer and QE Boys.

Many thanks for all your replies. I will check out the mentioned websites and forums. It’s also a great tip to encourage writing with increased vocabulary and correct spelling. Lots for us to start with!

Mine got in and it was excellent throughout ... I think they need to be very fast in the exam as well as clever. We did two timed papers a day for a few weeks before the exam.

Interesting points on ethnic diversity. From my child's experience there is a broad racial diversity in their year at Owens. - this wouldn't necessarily be recorded by the government performance tables for example - mixed race children, or second generation children whose first language is english, or for example a significant Jewish student population (my child falls in one of those categories).

Yes it doesn't have the racial diversity of QE or HBS - but that is because at least a third of the student population are local Potters Bar families, so it reflects the Hertfordshire constituency more than non catchment super selectives.

So I knowing the year groups, I think it is good on racial diversity. Where it needs to do better (and this is coming from a parent who really likes the school) is a higher proportion of students on a pupil premium: I think the selection process tilts in balance of favour towards families that can afford academic or extra curricular music tuition.

You're not wrong there - as far as I can see the only other secondary in Potters Bar has over 5x as many PP pupils.

Could anyone recommend other (non fee paying) boys secondary schools in Barnet/Potters Bar/Hatfield area? Ones they have experience with? Many thanks.

I don't think there are any boys only schools in the area except QE Boys and Finchley Catholic. I think all the rest are mixed.

Many thanks for those schools mentioned. I actually meant any school suitable for a boy, mixed or unisex, just badly phrased by me, sorry!

My dd was offered a DAO place but she turned it down for HBS. We just DIYd for the tests. She was always an avid reader, very articulate, and developed an advanced vocab as a result of devouring books from a young age.

I wouldn’t say QEB was diverse, there are virtually no white boys there at all and the vast majority are from Asian families. DAO is much more mixed.

Hi,
I am very new to the 11plus game and only realised we are in catchment. We would like to try as child is bright and willing to work. I am hoping to get a tutor who knows exactly what the exams requirements are. If anyone knows of a good tutor and willing to share, please PM me. I will be very grateful. I have tried asking other mums at school and they all have been very secretive. I have to say I had not expected this level of competitiveness... Any recommendations very gratefully received.

Eleven plus forum regions section might be more useful. DAOGroupie is clear on test requirements and does tutor. Are you doing SWHerts consortium too?

Zmortimer I know what you mean. I totally failed to get any tutor recommendations for south London ( Surrey) grammar schools. I just wasn’t on the inside track. I know that colleagues in my office we’re having their kids tutored for the same schools but all in a fairly surreptitious, not giving out the details way. So a friend and I self tutored our kids. Miraculously it worked for us but in my sons case it was a close call and he got a place via waiting list. I did a lot of research on the 11 plus forums, researched exam formats and best resources and just went it alone. Good luck on your 11 plus journey however you end up doing it.