11+ What are the schools looking for?

[ClaireSage]

Hi,

I probably will be asking some silly questions. We’re new to the whole 11+ process. It is really beginning to stress me out. Our DD is a little above average testing-wise. She’s outgoing, well-rounded, musical, loves drama, enjoys creative writing, does well academically, plays some sport, and is very funny. Maths isn’t her forte but she doesn’t do poorly necessarily.

Are the secondary schools really only looking at test scores? If she doesn’t do well on a test, will it be game over for her?

What does St Paul’s for Girls, Godolphin, GDST schools look for? What kind of scores do the girls need to have?

What about Channing, Queens College and Francis Holland?

I feel really lost. We’re applying to at least 7 schools. The headmaster literally told us St Paul’s won’t happen. But maybe it’s worth a try? She likes it because it’s more on the creative side than some of the other schools. I know, I’m crazy right?

This is way harder than I thought. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

@Happynglorious - any nurturing prep school that is really local to you and very much focusses on choosing a school for your child at 11 plus that suits their personality. You need to choose yourself whether you prefer single sex vs co-ed. Girls do work harder in the early ages but some girls prefer having boys around to diffuse any bitchiness (and yes, even 6 year old girls can sometimes be really horrible to each other).

Some overachievers are better off and happier in more nurturing environments and being easily the best. Others really thrive on competition and would therefore be better suited to a more pushy alpha environment where most other kids are also top.
With a baby you simply cannot tell what they will be like and they may turn out very similar to you or be totally different. What is important is to let them work out their own journey to some extent. Maybe your innate drive came from you and what you want to avoid is putting them in a pushy environment that actually kills their innate love of learning and drive. Especially with girls, you don’t want them to peak too early. Those working too hard as teens when they don’t need to to stay on top in an already alpha environment tend to miss out on social things if they have a tendency to put too much pressure on themselves and feel they need to be best at everything.

Thanks for your wise words @fishywaters. It is indeed premature to think too far ahead when my DD is not even 2 yet and we have no idea how she will turn out personality wise. However I do know that I wanted a single sex environment for her, and also a school that encourages intellectual curiosity and challenges students appropriately, that produces girls who are articulate, confident and kind. I would rather her to have exposure to a wide range of extracurricular activities rather than spending most of her time learning syllabus years ahead of time. So in short, I'm looking for a happy medium between hothouses and expensive playgroups that just let children coast along. What would be some girls' preps that would fit the bill? We are flexible location wise as we will be moving to the area closer to the school, hopefully around SW London or Dulwich. Thanks in advance!

Bute House, Falkner House, Glendower, Kensington Prep, Pembridge Hall are a good starting point to look into.

If on the other hand you want a through school than Putney High or the prep part of JAGS.

If you want to aim for St Paul’s girls though I would recommend a proper prep. Through schools prefer to keep their brightest and whilst many will write references it can be really confusing for the child and parents if 3/4 or more of the class are staying on.

@Happynglorious Another option to consider is a good primary, and then tutor for 11+. You’ll know so much more about what secondary school would suit your daughter by then. A local primary gives you so much more time for enrichment (hardly any homework, short commute), and you can tailor it to your child’s preferences rather than what the prep provides.

It does require a parent / nanny to be around for school pick up time, to enable music / dance / sport / whatever clubs, but that should be more doable if you’re not paying school fees. It is also lower stress (but no support) for 11+, because primary schools don’t care about private secondary destinations.