SWLondon - applying for privates, how many and risk profile

[AlwaysMoreThanMeetsTheEye]

About to embark, for the first time, on the application process for secondary private schools in SW London. Would really welcome advice from people on their experiences in terms of number of schools they applied to and risk profile (i.e how many so-called safe options / bankers, although accepting that increasingly difficult to identify what falls in that category!! )... and whether that strategy proved successful.

We are thinking maximum of 5/6 exams and torn on the number of safe options as want to play safe (I am naturally risk averse) but also to aim for what feels right for my DD (both in academic turns and other factors, which are not necessarily aligned with the level of ease of entry)

Thanks in advance

Boys or girls? I’ve just done it for the second time for dd2.

We did three plus Tiffin for dd1, and that worked out fine (3 offers, one waitlist) but for dd2 we did five plus Tiffin as she was very anxious about the exams because of all the covid disruption, and thought doing more would help her get used to them (offered all of them)

Looking back, for girls I think Wimbledon High is really unpredictable because of the focus on VR/NVR rather than Maths and English. So it is hard to categorise, and that was another reason we went with more schools for dd2. In theory, it would make sense to do Putney or Wimbledon High, but the very different exam processes mean it probably makes sense to do both if they both work in terms of location.

I would, in retrospect, not do both Sutton and Surbiton as they’re quite different but both seem to offer at the same academic level.

Relatively few people do the West London schools if they’re SW London based - but actually, the journey time is about the same as Tiffin for us. So if you’re considering Tiffin, it’s worth considering G&L, SPGS etc.

@HighRopes. Thanks so much - DD but considering both girls' schools and co-ed. Both WHS and PHS work for us location wise, so I think they are likely to end up on our list.

Interesting re: Surbiton and Sutton. I agree that, on first impressions, they are quite different...I thought Surbiton might be more challenging in terms of entry but always so difficult to say.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

My experience is a few years old now, so perhaps not so relevant. We only applied to one - SCHS. That was it.

@AlwaysMoreThanMeetsTheEye Just wondering if your DD is at a state primary school or an indie prep school. If the latter, you should be getting advise from your school re: how many, which ones are more likely, etc.

@TheWindsorKnot, we are at an indie. They have advices us on what they consider target, aspirational and 'safer' options for my DD's abilities and also the ones more appropriate personality wise. We still have quite a long list and given advice of definitively not more than six, I was wondering how people reconcile not overloading their DC while managing risks, hence my question.

DD is now Sixth Form but we did 3 - JAGS, WHS and PHS. She also sat for Tiffin and did the Sutton Test. She got offers for all 3 independents and Tiffin and came from a State Primary.

If you are not willing to move house, I would also suggest looking at the realistic commute times for each school. You may find that practicalities narrow down your list. Also visiting some schools might put you off them!

I would suggest two 'safer' options, two target, and two aspirational.

Are you at a prep?

If at a good prep, and following their advice, then you shouldn't really need to do more than 4

'the Fear' often leads parents to 5 or 6, which I think is a shame and is overloading DC, and of course which makes the schools look more oversubscribed, in turn driving 'the Fear' and the stress.

Unless you want to do 4 single sex and 4 coed, which I think wouid be far too much. As your're Putney/Wimbledon way, try Ibstock or Harrodian for coed?

I agree completely with the advice about checking what the journey to school will be like as the single most important factor.

JAGS and Alleyns might be worth a look, as the coach service (and the 37 bus) mean the journey is convenient

While I agree with a lot of what is said, I’d add that it’s less distance and more travel time and route. I personally wouldn’t consider a school that my DC couldn’t get to by themselves in two different ways (so at least two possible public transport routes, one main and one back up). I’m not prepared to be a chauffeur and you can’t rely on coach services for every eventuality, especially if your DC happen to get in to drama (late or early rehearsals) or sports (again, late or early practices). If you don’t work, or if your work is very flexible, you might feel less strongly about this.

In terms of numbers, having done lower and higher end, I think there are pros and cons. Dd1 had fewer exams overall, but as it worked out she had a three in one week in November, but then only one in January. Dd2 did more, and it was logistically a bit of a pain booking time off work for all of them, but as it happened they were a bit more spread out and we didn’t have a single awful week. Though it did drag on for longer, as Putney was fairly late in January. Dd2 definitely found each exam easier and less stressful as she went on, which was partly personality and partly that she’d missed so much due to covid that she needed to build up to being in crowds, asking strangers where the toilet was etc, all of which was really scary for her at the start of the process.

Having had two dds go through it, it is partly the paper / luck on the day. They’re not very different academically, and the results came out quite differently - one got a scholarship where the other got a wait list, and the other got a 50% scholarship where the other got a 10% one.

We did 4, for each DD, of which 2 were probably bankers and 2 more aspirational. We also did the grammar schools (Nonsuch and Tiffin). Going into it the first time I had no idea really coming from a state primary what our chances were. The second time I had a much better idea. Both DDs got 4 offers in the end so we could have done less but 4 felt about right. In those days Sutton High was before Xmas and the others were after, and getting the Sutton offer before Xmas provided a useful confidence boost for the rest. I agree it’s worth doing PHS and WHS as you do see people getting one and not the other because of the different type of assessment.

dd did 4. 2 coed and 2 all girls. One aspirational and one safe for both.

we took the school's guidance and then visited the schools to narrow it down.

really no need to do more IMO.

Four for us.

One was a banker and another was a test run that we had no intention of accepting. We looked at it as £150 for a mock. Really helped as it showed my son needed to work on finishing the entire English paper.

DD did five indies. We were clueless about the 'safe' and 'aspirational' approach and had no clear idea of DD's academic level (primary school, tick-box 'reports', no sense of where she was in her cohort, no advice about 'suitable' destinations). In the end we went to a few open days for schools within easy travel distance (a big factor for us) and, from that list, we decided to apply to all the ones which ticked our boxes at that point. DD had never done any formal academic tests (other than SATs in year 2 and some past papers at home in definitely not-realistic conditions) and she found the first couple quite a shock. Then she got into the whole thing and declared that most were fun. I think that doing five schools helped her because she lacked experience but that won't apply to every child.

I think you need to be very honest with where your DD is sitting academically.

I think you need to be prepared for some odd results.

Remember (honestly) that most children will do best when they are in the top quartile of the school.

Look carefully at what school would actually be best - travelling time is very important and public or school transport

Lastly definitely don't let your daughter have a favourite school, or a school she really wants to get in to. Definitely don't tell her if she get's any "no" results....

The advice not to tell your dd about any rejections is odd. I can’t think of any child who would go to an exam and not then ask about the result. But I agree it’s best not to have a favourite or to fixate on the best choice - we aimed to see what offers we got, then choose, as anyone can have a bad day or have a paper that just doesn’t suit them.

We did two. From state primary. No regrets.

Thanks all for the comments - most informative, both on numbers and approach.

@HighRopes

The advice not to tell your dd about any rejections is odd. I can’t think of any child who would go to an exam and not then ask about the result. But I agree it’s best not to have a favourite or to fixate on the best choice - we aimed to see what offers we got, then choose, as anyone can have a bad day or have a paper that just doesn’t suit them.

Based unfortunately on experience, its all great if you get lots of positive results, but of you don't its very hard on the child....It's nice if you do get a choice, we didn't - although we did get in to our preferred school so all well - the only yes!

One of Ds's friends got 5 *No - not even a waiting list (although partly caused by the Mum's over confidence in entering for 5 top class schools).

I totally agree @DuchessofAnkh22 - if a DC didn't get through to second round or interview stage for a school, and still had other exams to sit, it would knock their confidence hugely to know they'd already been rejected from one. It's partly why schools implore parents (and children) not to discuss the 11+ during the process - to protect children while it's ongoing (ie so they don't know their best friend has got an interview when they haven't). I suspect it's hard enough at the end of the process - even once they've got other offers in - to know that some schools rejected them (that's certainly what I've read on here - we're yet to go through it). Telling them in the midst of the process seems completely unnecessary!

@AlwaysMoreThanMeetsTheEye At my DD's prep they suggest 4 max - an aspirational, two targets & a banker. Plus one grammar if you're exploring that route. No more. But it sounds like the school have given you a shortlist and now it's just about you narrowing it down to the ones you like most when you visit? My strongest advice would be to be guided by the school - they know your DD best academically, and they know the secondary schools best too.

We are aiming for 5 -6 schools, majority will be apart of London Consortium.

Some State schools are not in the know as the prep schools are so its difficult to be led by them. My daughter goes to a state primary and they just said she was capable and our choices seemed sensible, but we do not want to set her up for failure or apply for bankers which we realistically would not send her to due to not being a right fit pastorally or academically.

There is so many schools that we have visited so I am not sure which is what.

what would you say is a banker? FHSS?

An aspirational school would be for me SPGS or G&L?

Target schools ? PHS or NHEHS?

There is so much information out there. Wondered whether anyone could assist in banker, target or aspirational schools in West London.

@EmotiveBubblez if you have a tutor then I would ask them for their advice. It really depends at what level your daughter is at? Is your daughter in the top 2 or 3 of her class from what you can tell?

@3WildOnes yes, she is in the top 3 in her class.

She is exceeding in all her subjects, we are looking for a well rounded school - she enjoys sports, art and is keen to learn Latin or classics.

Thank you for the tip.

@EmotiveBubblez, which schools (initially) fall in the aspirational / target / banker will depend on your daughter's level. School / tutors can advise on that front... I think it is then to parents and kids to decide on other factors that are important for them, including how many to apply for. Or at least that is what we are planning to do - we have a long list with a mix of aspirational / target / banker and are using visits and other sources of intelligence (including MN) to narrow down.

Thank you @AlwaysMoreThanMeetsTheEye

I will speak with our tutor.