No pre- test, entrance from a prep school

[SW153kids]

A hypothetical question (I hope), but I am still wondering.....
if the 11+ comes up with nothing, I’ve heard that prep schools can have last minute places, especially for boys, as girls leave at the 11+ entry point.... but if a DS hasn’t sat the pre-test, is there any way of getting into a school at 13+?

Yes Feltonfleet in Cobham is a big back up school for dc with no offers by 1 March. (Weekly b

Yes, because some schools pretest in yr7 (not many, but they exist) or run competitive 13+ exams. Or perhaps can be persuaded by a prep head to look at a late applicant (happens frequently for those who move at awkward times, particularly internationally)

Or you look further afield, including weekly or flexi-boarding.

There usually are alternative routes, especially if the school intakes from state sector or overseas. Some still operate a 13+ exam in the year before intake , for example. Even pretest places are often subject to performance in a test or CE.

Sorry posted too soon, yes they will advise on what they can offer for entry at 13. Also St James's in Ashford will have another sitting in early March for ds without offers, there was a thread about it last year re how kind they were to prospective parents & ds.

Thanks, Feltonfleet would certainly be possible from here.

Does anyone know of there is ever any scope with the ‘top’ schools ? Am thinking where a DS has massively under performed, perhaps due to illness.....

What does your current head advise? Is your ds already in the independent sector?

There are a lot of senior schools that have intakes at 11. If you are able to do boarding then this will widen your options considerably.

LIZS- State school, so not much help... more of a ‘he’s bright, he’ll be fine’ approach without anything constructive! That’s where having a head on your side pays off, I imagine!

OP, I would ring Feltonfleet next week & arrange to visit to get your foot in the door. From what I'm hearing re Reeds/St John's letters on Friday there are a lot of disappointed parents of ds. Also you could follow the thread on Secondary Education with the father in East Sheen with a dd not getting through to interview stage - it's called along lines of "4 schools & no offers".

Sorry other thread is called "4 rejections from senior schools - options".

You can certainly join a prep school for Years 7 and 8 and do Common Entrance. You can resit your chosen secondary schools in the January of year 7. Note, some secondary schools will not let you sit for 13+ entry if you have already sat (and failed) for 11+ entry. Prep boys still sit at 11, and most will opt for 13+ entry. If they fail they can re-take the tests in Y7 for 13+ entry. Good luck!

Just looked at that other thread, thanks Poppyred!
Also v useful to know that there is a possibility of a Y7 resit of the pre-test, for some schools at least....

Tonbridge, Charterhouse and Cranleigh all accept Year 7 applications. Dulwich and Whitgift do 13+ as well as 11+.

Have you considered Newton Prep for 7 and 8?

I think Tonbridge is changing its admission from 2021. Harrow is another one to talk too. A good prep will be able to advise you as to which secondary schools to look at. If by ‘top’ schools you mean Eton et al I doubt your DS would get a place as most of their places have already been offered out and they have a waiting list of boys desperately hoping for a place. But you wont loose anything by asking the admissions office. If your DS has been ill can you provide evidence I think it would have to be a significant illness e.g sudden hospitalisation or ongoing treatment for a pretty serious condition. I think the problem you have is that it's not Asia you previously registered with say Eton and then your DS couldn't sit the pre test due to illness, then you could use illness as an excuse.

its not Asia= its not as if!!!!

Can you not use illness as a reason for poor performance in the 11+?

Kings Canterbury take more than half their cohort from two preps - junior kings and Wellesley house. Might be worth worth speaking to the heads of those preps. Not sure if other big name schools have similar connections. It was one of the things that put me off the school, but could be ideal in your hypothetical example.

You could also look at Handcross Park which feeds into Brighton College. Brighton‘s own prep is only day.

Lots of students join Junior Kings at 11 with a view to moving on to the senior school. Some weekly boarders from London.