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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

City of London Boys 2022

29 replies

Essexmum123 · 14/02/2022 00:42

My DS Has received reserve offer from City of London Boys school in 11 plus for entry to September 2022.

What is the chance of him getting a firm offer? Any How many offers were given this year and how many are reserved? What has been the tread in previous years? Did anybody on the reserve list offered a firm place in the past? Also, do the places get filled in early before the deadline which is 3rd March this year?

OP posts:
Saturn80 · 14/02/2022 10:06

Hi, my son also got waitlisted. I would like to know what our chances are, tbh, I was very shocked with the outcome so fingers crossed now.

7plus11plus · 14/02/2022 10:46

Same here. I really thought it was a sure bet but DS is currently waitlisted for 13+.

Boo42 · 18/02/2022 21:16

To be honest guys, reading other posts....since others seemed to have applied to a billion other schools and got in to City, however prefer Hampton, KGS and the other many schools...there is a strong possibility the reserve spot will come available. So if you still want it, hang in there-it's possible. Good luck

Saturn80 · 18/02/2022 22:23

Thanks for your response, fingers crossed!

Original poster
Essexmum123 · 20/02/2022 04:14

Thank you for your reply.. let’s hope the best for all

OP posts:
Saturn80 · 20/02/2022 12:48

@Essexmum123 what other schools have you applied for?

Original poster
Essexmum123 · 28/02/2022 14:11

We have offers from local indi schools Bancroft’s, Chigwell and Forest but City is our first choice..

Anyone on reserve list heard from them?

OP posts:
Saturn80 · 28/02/2022 14:41

I’ve not heard anything…perhaps after the 3rd they may start contacting parents.

Have you managed to find out how many children are ok the reserve list.

You have a good list of schools, my nephew passed all three as well! Did your son find the exams for all 3 easy?

Original poster
Essexmum123 · 28/02/2022 15:07

No idea how many are on the reserve list.
Yes, my son found the three school exams fine.
City was the toughest.

OP posts:
Saturn80 · 03/03/2022 22:10

Essexmum123 Have you heard anything from city?

Original poster
Essexmum123 · 04/03/2022 07:38

We got the place 😃

OP posts:
Saturn80 · 04/03/2022 07:57

That’s amazing congratulations 🥳 we also got an offer but unfortunately financial situation has changed from just a week ago, and with the current situation my husbands job is unstable. 😩 it’s a big commitment fees and we are already paying for one child. I don’t work!
Good luck to your son at City, we have decided to go with Dartford Grammar!

MumsyKT · 17/08/2022 11:44

Honestly this is a blessing in disguise. My son went to this school and its an awful, awful school. They care little about the wellbeing of the boys. It's a business. Anywhere would be better than that school.

Letussee · 19/08/2022 14:55

@MumsyKT can you tell us more, please? It’s high on our list and the sixth formers we met on the open day were all really friendly, interesting boys. I got a really good vibe. Teachers came across well, too. Is the reality of life rather different behind closed doors? Is there cliqueyness / over competitiveness / unkindness /stress, or something else? Grateful for your feedback!

RosamundAtherton · 19/08/2022 15:09

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

MumsyKT · 19/08/2022 16:36

The first thing to realise about CLS is that it’s a corporation. It’s primary objective is to ensure the continued funding of the business. In practise this means a focus on risk management and an obsession with reputation. To support this it has implemented zero tolerance approaches to pupil behaviour and should a child unwittingly breach any of its multiple policies, concerns about ISI reports and perceived threats to the school’s reputation will always come before the welfare of any child. There have been many examples of this. The school values listed on the website are advertising slogans. It does not live up to them. It is not a kind place. It has no heart. Be warned. I will post more in due course.

LobeliaBaggins · 19/08/2022 16:44

Absolutely disagree with @MumsyKT . My son has just graduated from CLS, got very good grades and a place at uni. I love the school. Very unpretentious, teachers are mostly great and caring, incredibly diverse, great location. Only slight drawback is that as pp mentioned , playing fields are a bus ride away. It is certainly academic and will suit academic boys.

MumsyKT · 19/08/2022 17:44

Glad @LobeliaBaggins son had a good experience there. It isn't common and the girls school is equally brutal. But if you are one of those parents who cares only about what grades you son gets and which university they go to at whatever cost then perhaps this is the right school for you. If you also believe in zero tolerance policies in schools and extreme pressure to do 3 hours of homework a night age 11 and 12 then again this probably is the right school for you. But to the woman on the thread who couldn't afford the fees in the end, I say thank god for that! And to those parents who have other options I would say take them!! And if you're a parent who values your child's happiness and well-being above academic achievements I say look elsewhere.

LobeliaBaggins · 19/08/2022 17:59

I agree it is very academic and high-achieving. We expected that though after the rigorous entrance tests. DS has been happy though and made good friends.

RosamundAtherton · 19/08/2022 18:07

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Letussee · 19/08/2022 20:14

Are children really expected to do 3 hours homework in year 7/8?

Ref “The school values listed on the website are advertising slogans. It does not live up to them. It is not a kind place.” @MumsyKT I have to admit, this rings familiar: my nephew has said exactly this for his secondary SS. Maybe it’s true for a LOT/all (?) of the SS schools — they all work the boys and maybe don’t have the best pastoral care (since they like the boys to be competitive?), even when they claim to.

Sorry to hear this said of City since I was really impressed by the boys I met. The children seemed to like each other, and their school. Seemed down to earth too.

LobeliaBaggins · 20/08/2022 09:45

My son joined in sixth form and came from a pretty academic school, so I can't comment on year 7. I have friends with DC in other selective schools- St Paul's, Westminster, King's College- and all are very competitive.

But the next rung of schools- Bancrofts, Ibstock, Whitgift- might suit certain DC better. Whitgift especially struck me as wonderful for sporty boys ( which DS was, once upon a time, until he decided he wanted to try for a competitive field).

Boo42 · 20/08/2022 15:51

Think you get a good sense of the school from the children that attend. I didn't get a sense of it being in anyway mentally debilitating for the boys there even when they were outside the school. They all seemed really engaged with the knowledge they are absorbing. My DS goes to club with another that is half way into his time at the school and the parents said they can't stop him leaving early to get to the school clubs they have before the school day starts, he loves it so much despite the hours of homework the night before. I agree it's clearly for very academic children and if your child is driven by this then they will love it.

NotAPenguin · 21/08/2022 17:37

MumsyKT · 19/08/2022 17:44

Glad @LobeliaBaggins son had a good experience there. It isn't common and the girls school is equally brutal. But if you are one of those parents who cares only about what grades you son gets and which university they go to at whatever cost then perhaps this is the right school for you. If you also believe in zero tolerance policies in schools and extreme pressure to do 3 hours of homework a night age 11 and 12 then again this probably is the right school for you. But to the woman on the thread who couldn't afford the fees in the end, I say thank god for that! And to those parents who have other options I would say take them!! And if you're a parent who values your child's happiness and well-being above academic achievements I say look elsewhere.

I'm really sorry that this has been your experience. However my own DS has had a brilliant time there, and the parents of his year group at least all seem to be very happy.

MumsyKT · 21/08/2022 18:47

@Letussee Yes there really is 2-3 hours of homework a night but most parents don't mind this as they just want their kids to get the grades by any means necessary regardless of the pressure their children have to endure on a daily basis. A lot of the top league table schools drive the kids hard to get the grades as they want to retain their status as one of the most desirable schools.

The issue is that we push our kids hard to get into these schools, then they get the grades and go to a high pressure university and then comes the high pressure job. Is this what we really want for our children? A life of constant pressure and stress. How about we just allow them to feel that whatever they are is good enough for us and that we love them unconditionally, not just because they achieve high grades. How about we shed our own ideas of identity and success and accept them for who they are. Perhaps a parents reason for not accepting their child unequivocally for who they are is because they can't accept themselves. How about we value happiness, kindness and compassion over academic achievements?

City calls itself diverse but it is not. It is teeming with pushy middle class parents. If you want diversity then send you child to a state school with children who have parents with different life experiences, beliefs and motivations. You child might be friends with someone who is awful at maths but a gifted musician. Do not to go to City if diversity if what you are after. Its clever advertising on their part and one that I myself fell for, but it just isn't true.

But in my opinion the very worst thing about City is the zero tolerance policy. Perhaps I can share some of the stories but I would have to ask other families for their approval or if you want to DM me that'd fine. I do believe that people should be aware of the darker side of that school. There are too many stories that all point to the indisputable fact that the school’s reputation will always come before the welfare of any child.