Entrance exams for Y6

[TadlowDogIncident]

Does anyone have any inkling what the arrangements might be for private school applications this year? We booked places on a few open days which have been cancelled thanks to Covid, so can’t look around a couple of the schools we’re considering (which also means we don’t have a chance to ask them any questions).

I’m assuming that the schools won’t make any allowance for some pupils not having had any real teaching for a few months- just wondering whether it’s worth applying at all for a bright but not amazing child at a state school. We struggled on with the home schooling, but with two working parents it was pretty patchy.

some are doing virtual open days

all the other state applicants will be in a similar position so I would say it is worth applying

I wouldn’t be very persuaded by a virtual open day, it lets the school present only the bits it wants and you don’t get to meet any of the kids.

Speak to them. Any admissions dept worth its salt will answer your questions. Just because you can't go there at the moment doesn't mean that you can't find out what they are doing.

I could, but I worry about marking DD’s card. We put her in for a choir school a couple of years ago and the admissions people were very difficult, they made me feel unreasonable for asking the outcome of the audition.

I totally sympathise with your worry about "marking her card" as I had the same worries a couple of years ago and I didn't even have Covid related issues to contend with at the time. but its really not like that. or maybe it is at some schools but those aren't the schools you are looking for.

I was worried about talking to the school about my DC's ASD/ADHD in case they saw the diagnosis rather than the whole person. I was wrong to worry, they have been brilliant and really lived up to their publicity statements about wanting to help every child with the academic potential to thrive there.

and in the case of this school anyway, they certainly do make allowances for the different contexts that the kids come to them from. they will certainly be adjusting for the fact that state school kids had half a year of no teaching while prep school kids had their normal timetable via zoom.

meanwhile I had a similar stony experience with the state funded choir school.

talk to the admissions people. if it's a good school they will be friendly and helpful and not as scary as you fear.