East Herts - How hard to get into Haileybury, Bishops Stortford College or Felsted

[Baubles9877]

I'm trying to get some kind of feel for likelihood of getting a place for yr 7 at our local independent schools.
Does anyone have recent experience please?

Are they just top tiny % on entrance exams or take a broader range perhaps taking into account extra-curricular and attitude?

This is coming from a state primary for someone less polished but tries everything and joins in with school life 100%, would relish opportunities etc.

We are doing 11+ tutoring to make up for gaps due to covid in the state sector and exam technique.

My DD went to Queenswood (Hertfordshire) from a state school. Have you looked at entrance requirements? Do all these schools take Dc at 11?

These schools are not top of the tables academically. I would doubt that they are hugely competitive. They are not super selective like some grammars. Most independent schools like rounded pupils so being enthusiastic and someone who does extra things is usually a plus. You just need to cover exam technique and what the exams cover. We found the national curriculum prepared DD.

No direct experience but a few of my daughters class went to stortford college. One moved at the start of year 6 as less competitive and of the others they all took the entrance exam as it was unlikely they would get into the local outstanding boys school and didn't want the local comp. Of the 5 who took the exam 3 passed and 2 didn't (but those 2 were offered places at st Nicholas' in old Harlow. I don't believe any are seen as hugely competitive.

To get into Haileybury you need a standardised score of at least 115 on CATS.

Are they just top tiny % on entrance exams

No. As @TizerorFizz said, these aren’t the super academic schools. All private schools have an entrance exam; they like the appearance of being selective. But schools vary a lot - and the ones you mention aren’t selling themselves on being super academic. I’m sure your DD will do really well and if she’s prepared, should have no fears about the process.

Bishop's Stortford College is ok, has good facilities but not terribly hard to get into.
If you have a boy the Bishop's Stortford High School (single sex) is excellent both academically and for sport.

My son is starting in Y7 at Haileybury in September and found the process enjoyable. We didn't try for the other 2 schools you mention as we are in mid Herts. We had a tutor from end of year 4.

I'd save my money in Bishop's Storford personally, the state options are excellent, particularly TBSHS if you have a boy (mentioned above). I'd also be delighted with Herts & Essex for a girl.

I'd add there is an excellent mixed sex school in Stortford, Hockerill Anglo-European College, a languages school which is very popular.
It regularly scores very highly in national league tables, and has been ranked as outstanding.
Unusually for a state school it has boarding although most pupils do not board.

Thanks everyone for the replies, really helpful to hear of your experiences and suggestions.

I agree we have some great state secondaries in the area, but we won't safely get into any of those mentioned in Bishops Stortford as we live outside town. Our state primary is not a feeder for Herts & Essex girls, we live too far to get into Hockerill or any on distance. We would get a place at Leventhorpe and could try aptitude tests for the others, or boarding at Hockerill.

But it's a lot left to chance to we want to plan for independent entrance exams. We are thinking of moving my daughter (year 4) to an independent prep school and therefore would no longer get our local state secondary by leaving the state feeder school system. So I'm trying to work out how much of a risk there is of not getting a independent secondary place and having nowhere good to go!

You're right to be wary. A friend of mine sent her DC to a very nice small independent primary on the Essex side of Stortford.
She later realised that as a result they would be at the back of the queue for any of the local secondaries. Luckily one of her DC got a partial scholarship to an independent Catholic school a fair way away but she had to come up with the full fees for her other DC. They weren't Catholics, btw.

As long as your child is reasonably intelligent, doesn't bomb out on the entrance test, and can talk coherently to the teacher interviewing them then I imagine the hardest part of securing admissions to any of these schools is having the c£22,500-£30,000 pa in fees necessary for a day place.

Howe Green? My eldest went there a few years back, he is now in 6th Form and everyone who wanted the excellent state schools got them but they have become a lot more oversubscribed so tricky to get into. I am guessing the Catholic school is St Eds where a lot of HG kids go to.

@boysmuminhertshow is it going go in haileybury? does your son like it? does he board?

He's a day pupil in Y10 and loves it.

can u share more about haileybury? how is the school environment, teaching quality, pastoral care? is the school pushy on academics? how are the extra curricular activities or after-class activities? though your son do not board, do u have any idea aboit the boarding life? do many boarders go back home at weekends?