Help! Kitebrook or Hatherop Castle Schools to 13

[Mommy77]

My first mumsnet post.. really need some advice. I have a DD in Year 4 at a competitive private day school in London. She is in the top set in English, middle set in Math. She has won the Academic prize for her year, the English award, winner of multiple debate awards. We just received her CAT scores and they are very average, with a Mean score of 106. Obviously she could have had a bad day but I think this kind of online testing just isn’t going to suit her. We already have a house near Cheltenham and have discussed moving out there. I am beginning to think that perhaps the CE is a better approach for her, as she is very good at testing when it is on material she has actually studied. I would say she might be less clever and more of a studious child. I am also wondering why I would put her (and myself) through the rat race of the 11+ - she suffers from confidence issues anyway, which is a real shame as she is does well in school. I am worried the 11+ will just destroy her and I would really prefer NOT to massively tutor her. That said, I would also like her to go to a strong secondary school as I think she would really enjoy the rigours of a great school. It is just the testing requirements to get in, particularly now that the 11+ seems to be moving more towards online / ISEB.

Can anyone provide advice on 11+ versus CE. I am considering moving her for next year (year 5) to go to a prep school close to us (Kitebrook or Hatherop Castle) with the idea of doing CE at 13. Does anyone have experience of these schools. Is it ridiculous to move her now only to have to move her again in 2 /3 years? She makes friends easily and is as much of a country girl as a city girl, if that matters. Or do I need to calm down and recognise that these CAT scores are not the be all, end all?

She is only 9 so hasn’t really been formed one way or the other in terms of preference for living in the city / the countryside. We spend as much time in the countryside riding our horses as we do in London. Both have their benefits and their drawbacks. I guess I just want her to have a bit of a childhood without masses of stress and tutoring for the 11 plus.

Would welcome any words of wisdom from the Mumsnet community.

When you say CE I presume you’re talking 13+? Most boarding/public schools seem to have moved to using the ISEB as a pre-test, with CE really being for setting purposes, and to ensure that progress post ISEB has been maintained. There are exceptions (eg Oundle), but I think they are in the minority. So your DD would have to tackle it either way, though of course the passmark varies by school, and it would probably be easier to get into some boarding schools compared to competitive London day schools.

Hello, a bit of a late reply but I just saw this because I’ve been looking at quite Brookhouse myself.

Also living in London and have a place in Oxfordshire.

Do you decide either way? Kitebrook seems to be a lovely school although it’s hard to really get a feel without going on a tour and meeting people there! Destination schools include Chelt and Tudor Hall.

Sophiesiobhan - I haven’t decided as of yet but I am now leaning towards applying to cheltenham college and cheltenham ladies for 11 plus and not moving her out of london prior.... I really like the look / feel of cheltenham college and they enter the prep school at 11 and then do common entrance at 13 to go onto the college, or some leave for single sex so if she didn’t get into cheltenham ladies and still had a shot she could go for that, or just proceed onto cheltenham college. I also like how cheltenham prep has flexi boarding and a much cosier feel (like kite brook and Heathrop castle) but without the pressure of having to leave. If she has settled in then she can proceed on to the college.
For what it is worth, I have several friends with boys and girls at kitebrook and they all speak very highly of it.

mommy 77 - did you decide?
I found out the ya Kitebrook does not prepare for 11 plus so that’s off my list. Looking at Oxford schools. Chelt sounds great. Ok commute from your Oxon place?