Henrietta Barnett - does my child need to be a genius to get in?

[AlterEgoe]

I feel like I'm going slightly mad at the moment. I have a kid in year 5 and have a school "longlist" due to the fact that we don't have a good comp option in our catchment. She is mostly at the top of her class and has always been an advanced reader, and now her maths has caught up almost to the same level. Without wanting to sound delusional or arrogant or naive, we have signed her up to sit the HBS exam in September.

The HBS exam is now only 4 months away and I am getting nervous about it and I'm not even the one who will be sitting it ...I know I should be cool, and just be a grown up about it - and about the 11+ in general - but I am totally feeling like I can't gauge the level expected and that there is so much self-inflation out there it's impossible to get a read on how realistic a chance we have. I don't want to pressurize my child, but I don't want her to not give it her best shot... how to achieve that balance? Deep down I am paranoid that secretly that we might be totally kidding ourselves. Her teachers say great things about her but the school is not one that strokes the parents' ego... And yet all around me I have heard parents with kids of varied ability be all gung-ho and expound to me how "my kid is really bright, I bet she'll be able to get in anywhere when the time comes"... In my experience that is mostly not what ends up to be the case. I have had my daughter assessed and have been explained that she should be capable but that her nerves and exam technique are what could scupper her chances as you need to work fast and not get too ruffled by the pressure.

Am I being unrealistic about even giving it a shot? Or is it just imposter syndrome by proxy? I went to a top uni and always doubted myself... the real challenge is how to survive the next 6 months or so without letting the mind-games and arrogance of other parents leave us feeling insecure.

I suppose I am looking for reassurance that a normal, bright, precocious and relatively hard-working kid can get in, and that not all successful candidates are automata that work night and day and at grade 8 on 3 instruments...

Also - if anyone who has been through it and is riddled with self-doubt and guilt about the whole affair, then I'd love to hear from them!

[Xenia]

I have only ever had children at private but similar schools (in terms of A level result and Oxbridge rates) and was surprised - I think a lot of people are very happy with HB. (May be if you don't pay you don't appreciate things in life - big capitalist v solicialist issue of course)

[AlterEgoe]

@Xenia - yes indeed in some cases that can be true. There was a study of malaria net usage in Africa. Usage sky-rocketed when nets were no longer distributed for free, and a nominal fee was introduced as it was deemed more valuable. I work in marketing and it's the same: skincare and fragrance products are not appreciated if priced too low. It is about value perception. Although the previous poster would must have the inside track and I do appreciate their perspective. We loved NLCS and the facilities etc. are so incredible, the girls sparkly... but is it worth that extra fortune? Is the education really better? Who can say.

[mellicauli]

The people I know with children at HB are very happy with it.

You are too late to be a hard-core prepper - they all started in Y4. So if your daughter is naturally intelligent and does a bit of prep, she will probably be fine once she gets in and probably won't be one of the ones struggling to keep up/do the homework, although she'll probably have to abandon any notion of being top of the class.

Take the negative things people say about superselectives with a pinch of salt and run your own race. I am sure it's not perfect - but it's a state school offering a similar level to the one Xenia pays £20k a year for, so surely that's worth a punt? Especially as you don't have many other good options.

[Dancergirl]

My dd is at HBS.

I would say focus on the CEM numerical and verbal reasoning as that is the first round. When my dd sat the entrance exam (she is Year 10 now), the top 500 (out of over 2,000) had their second stage English and Maths marked. In recent years only the top 300 get through to Stage 2.

The scores for Round 1 are very tight - they mark to two decimal places.

Definitely give it a go, someone has to get those places. But however well prepared your dd is, a lot is really down to luck how it goes on the day. When my younger dd sat last year, she was next to a girl who kept whispering under her breath which dd found very off-putting. She didn't make it through to Round 2 but when I requested her score, she was 0.12 below the cut-off! She must have been number 301 or very close. It wasn't her first choice of school anyway so didn't really matter to us but it shows how important that first round is.

[Xenia]

I thought NLCS was worth it and we were glad she got in. She's left now but still remains very happy with the school, in fact is going back to give a talk there soon at some careers thing. However I am sure HB is good too. NLCS got 45 girls to Oxbridge last year and I think HB is about 40 but I don't know how many girls are in each sixth form to compare. Basically they are both very very selective schools and therefore both have girls who do very well which is what you would expect. in fact in just trying to find some statistics I see MN has compared the two schools before www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2764191-Henrietta-Barnett-School-vs-North-London-Private-Schools?pg=2#

[megafemme]

"most girls feel contempt, rather than pride in their school".

What utter nonsense. I have two dds at the school currently and nothing could be further from the truth. They are immensely proud of the school as are their friends. The language teaching is not 'abysmal' - some of the posts on this thread are ludicrous. Raskolnikovsgarrett - you are describing a school I simply do not recognise. It sounds like you have had an argument with the SLT and have decided to nurture a grudge.

My dds are happy and thriving. They do loads of music, debating and drama as extra curricular activities and they have had really good pastoral care as well. It isn't a hothouse unless your own parents make it so. There are some lunatic parents who push their dds very hard but believe me it doesn't come from the staff.

The language teaching is great. My elder one does Latin and an MFL for GCSE. In KS3 girls study 3 MFLs plus Latin. Not many state schools in London can offer that.

My two got in with home tutoring.

Good luck Op - ignore the haters . They usually have an agenda anyway .

have a google on Amika George - she's a current student who has taken the 'end period poverty' campaign into schools and is really going places with it - She is a normal down to earth girl- the kind HBS values.

[Dancergirl]

most girls feel contempt, rather than pride in their school

Agree with mega, complete rubbish. My dd occasionally finds things a bit intense at times but on the whole she loves her school. There is a very nice atmosphere at the school, homely and friendly. It almost feels like a primary school, it's got that cosy feel. Dd is enthusiastic about learning and loves the classroom debate and discussion that goes on in every subject.

Extra curricular provision is very good, dd's thing is drama and the school put on one major production a year which is of a very high standard. She's now involved in directing the younger girls who are putting on a Shakespeare play.

She's taken part in debating, Mock Trial and attends a number of lunchtime clubs.

You get the odd teacher who isn't amazing but you'll get that in ANY school (even NLCS!). I've found the teaching to be of a very high standard.

[RaskolnikovsGarret]

Just my DD and their friends’ views. I have no agenda, and get on well with SLT. I just find the teaching quality poor. I also find your anger surprising - it’s just a difference of opinion. I accept your view, and that’s fine. My DDs are at the top of their classes, so no axe to grind.

[Dancergirl]

Why don't you move them if you aren't happy with the teaching raskol? I wouldn't keep my children at a school I was unhappy with.

[xxyzz]

Ha ha ha. I went there, came top in the English part of the entrance exam, am so not a genius! No need to be a genius to get in! Sure I never met any there.

If your dd is reasonably conscientious and enjoys reading that is quite good enough.

Don't stress OP - your dd sounds ideal.

[xxyzz]

And yes, it's a good school (in league table terms) primarily because of the bright girls. Rather than because the teaching is anything special.

But that doesn't mean it's not worth going there. Having an academic peer group is important.

[Fillybuster]

Funnily enough, we are having exactly the same discussions/worries right now. I’m not a naturally pushy parent, probably because my parents weren’t but I still got into HB, NLCS etc, as did my sister. I know times have changed, but I have a sneaking suspicion that kids who are hothoused to get into these schools end up having a miserable time if they can’t achieve the right level on their own.

That’s not to say you don’t need to practise past papers, so that your daughter is super comfortable with what she’s facing, but I don’t think you need hours and hours of extra homework and stress.

Of course I could be wrong....

[Bouledeneige]

I went there before the days of television.... It wasn't like it then. Just a tad old fashioned Blytonesque grammar.

But everyone who gets in now has been tutored since they were 4. Its a high pressure hothouse, the facilities are poor and even if it had been a goer for my DC I would never have sent a child of mine there. There is more to joyful life than that. IMHO.

[FanDabbyFloozy]

I also agree that the children have been very prepared for the exam - 2 tutors, hours of prep over summer etc. The odd very bright girl may slip through without that of course but they are few and far between. I remember one such poster here who had done a few papers and got HB and another grammar, and was trying to choose.

I know lots of ex HB girls in their 40s and 50s but it was a very different school back then. Most girls came from the Suburb, Finchley and Golders Green, so there were lots of Jewish girls. Children now travel long distances to attend the school - think neighbouring counties - and it is not a local school any more.

[littlepill]

Huge bugbear of mine. These schools have ridiculous expectations - I say that with older DCs at some of the most academic places in the country. I took a child around a school recently which had a poster saying “Try. Then Fail. Fail Again” which seems a JOKE considering the amount of prep and jumping through hoops that these kids are doing.

Something else: are interviewers allowed to ask the children which other schools they have applied to? It seems very unfair that the child is placed under pressure like that. Politics!

[littlepill]

Whoops, sorry, OP my points were not about HB but about the amount of preparation for the more academic public schools in the country. The pressure on young children, in particular this and in the last 2 years, has been scary.

[FanDabbyFloozy]

@littlepill - no state school is allowed to interview children as part of the entrance exam.

In independent interviews, I believe the schools ask this all the time.

[littlepill]

Yes, I meant in independent schools - it’s a very unfair question to put on a child.

[Dancergirl]

But everyone who gets in now has been tutored since they were 4

Errmm what?? My dd wasn't tutored since 4 and nor were her friends. We didn't start thinking about entrance exams until Year 5. Yes dd did some preparation so she got used to the style of question and doing timed tests.

Preparing for entrance exams is frowned upon for some reason but it's about giving your child the best chance. You wouldn't sit a GCSE or A Level exam completely unprepared so why not an 11+ exam?

And yes of course the school gets fantastic results because of the type of girl who goes there. I have found the teaching to be generally good, you get the odd teacher who isn't amazing as you will get in any school. Dd loves being with like-minded girls who love to learn and debate about anything and everything.

boule I'm not sure what you mean about poor facilities. It's a financially struggling state school like any other. Dd isn't interested in sport so that doesn't bother her, but they have great facilities for art, music, drama and so on.

[Fightthebear]

The two cleverest girls in DS1’s year didn’t get in this year, they’re very bright.

Doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying though as your DD can gain from the whole process if she’s not put under too much pressure.

[Mamaof2cuties]

Hi. My DD is also sitting the exam. Hope you don't mind me asking on here OP ...

has anyone who's been through the process got a view on Susan Daughtrey CEM mocks please or the Chuckra one though that's not specifically CEM. Or any other recommendation please.

Thanks.

[Moominmammacat]

Try Dame Alice Owens for languages! Both my DSs did three at GCSE, one as a twilight, great exchanges too.

[megafemme]

They have changed the language requirements at gcse now at dao.

[Echobelly]

Thing is, everyone always says of every good school 'Oh, you won't get in there. No one gets in there', but clearly people do get in there, so if you don't try you won't know!

I had long assumed we'd end up sitting DD for HB (we live nearby) but she doesn't want a girls' school and we're fine with that.

[Wondergirls]

Hi Alteregoe

I know that you posted your thread a couple of years ago but just wondering if your daughter actually made it into HB school as I'm in exactly the same situation as you and feel the same as you felt. My DD will be sitting the first round this Wednesday.

Please can you offer me any advice.

Thanks in advance.