Would it be silly to turn down a good 11+ place for a prep school which feeds in somewhere else at 13+?

[KindleBindle]

DD recently took 11+ entry tests for three independent schools.

School 1 - big, very well-known, rather traditional
School 2 - small, all-girls, friendly and local
School 3 - super-academic, great facilities, very international and progressive curriculum

She received offers for Schools 1 and 2, but not School 3. School 3 was always a long-shot given that I've moved around a lot for work in recent years and DD only had a few months of UK schooling before sitting the entry tests. (Definitely no tutoring here - couldn't even persuade her to complete tests in the practice books for English and Maths... She's good at the various types of reasoning and interviews well so I expect her performance was wildly uneven.)

At the start, DD's favourite was School 1, and School 3 was at the bottom. During the assessment process the two reversed completely. DD was far more impressed and engaged by School 3 even though the tests were much harder.

In the results letter, School 3 recommended one of their feeder prep schools and suggested DD try again at 13+. (50% of that school do go on there.) They have written to the prep school for us and we have visited. DD loved it instantly and now wants to go there and turn down both other 11+ places.

School 2 is very nice but it was always a reserve option and practice assessment for the other two, if I'm honest. It doesn't have the same facilities and breadth of curriculum. We also applied for local state schools and if we were allocated our preferred school in the local area (which has great sports and art facilities), I think I would turn down School 2 in favour of that and save my money, if those were the only two options.

School 3 was always my top choice but I didn't tell DD that. Their prep school is also just like my favourite old school (small, eccentric, sporty and stretching) which is possibly clouding my judgment.

School 1 grated on me slightly as someone who doesn't get hugely fired up about tradition. It's all very nice and jolly with a network of impressive old girls all over the place, but there wasn't the same progressive vision as School 3.

I've a few more weeks to make a decision, with further opportunities to visit the schools again if I want.

Would it be mad to opt for the prep school and hope for the best at 13+? I know some of my family would be astonished to hear that we were offered a place at School 1 and turned it down.

Would there be spaces at school 1 (or the state school) for Y9 if dd didn't get in to school 3 having spent two years at the prep school?

If so, I'd go for the prep school now and hope she gets in to school 3, knowing you have a back up.

If not, I'd go for school 1 now.

Forgot to add, that's assuming your dd doesn't find change too stressful - as it sounds like she's moved schools a few times already, she might find having to uproot again in Y9 too much upheaval.

The state school is high-performing and oversubscribed so we'd be very lucky to get a place either at Y7 or Y9, I think.

Some of the kids from the prep school do go on to School 1 at 13+ but not as many as go to School 3. From what I've heard, there is also some transfer between School 1 and School 3 at 13+, mainly those who've had problems at one school moving to the other in either direction.

The backup plan for Y9 might also be working overseas again after a couple of years and returning DD to the international system.

DD is very resilient right now but I'm conscious that her willingness to move around with my job might change as she gets older. In terms of academics, I also feel that this is really the point to consolidate her formal education. I suspect there will be a natural point where moving country is no longer something fun and exciting and just means leaving her friends and her hobbies.

We’re in the same boat - have a very sought after place for a school through to 18 with a music scholarship, but waiting for results of application to a prep school.

DD has her heart set on a boarding school at 13+ with no guarantee she’ll get a place or the scholarship/bursary we’ll need. In which case we probably won’t get the current through place back.

But the prep is the best place for next 2 years so almost certainly going to take the risk - and then I can go through all the exam stress yet again!

elfonshelf - thanks for sharing. It isn't always a clearcut decision, is it? Especially when you factor in scholarship and bursary possibilities like yours. My DD also wants to board one day. I've told her I'll think about it if I get a well-paid international role when she's a teenager, but definitely not now.

I suspect that like you, we're probably going to opt for the prep school. I dropped in there again this morning and it feels right on so many counts. I also had a chat with DD last night while walking home from a sports thing and she definitely has cold feet on School 1 now, with some sensible reasoning. After an unexpected mad rush of missed alarms and buses this morning I'm also reflecting that logistically, the prep school and School 3 are far more accessible than School 1.