Numbers for state primary entering private senior school please

[ilikehoney]

Does anyone know where I can find the numbers / percentage of state school entries at 11+ into private senior schools? The info never seems to be available on schools websites. Girl day schools London.

So for example how many Y7 starting at JAGS come from state primary schools? Or LEH or SPGS or CLSG?? Is this something schools will have the stats for if I ask?

In my experience, schools are usually quite open with that type of data at open days etc. Ask them and see what they say.

Thank you !

JAGs usually says 50% from state and 50% from preps for new entrants. For Alleyns this is definitely the case. Just ask the specific schools in question

Thanks for that @LondonGirl83 Jags is a target for DD, so v.useful to know this.

As Planet3 said, you will have to ask them directly, it's not in any website.

Good School Guide reports of schools often include breakdown between state and prep school joiners in year 7.

Two years ago when we were visting schools in London, CLSG said 30% from state schools and they were towards the higher end.

The lowest state school share at the time was in SHHS - just over 10% I think.

That said, I am not sure how reliable are the numbers mentioned. DD's school (West London indie) said it's almost 40% (state) when we asked, but turns out nearly everyone in her year group is from various preps, only a handful from state schools. It could be just her year though.

V.useful @justanotherdaduser thank you.

With the number of great state primary schools around London, I would have thought it'd be higher, not by much but the SHHS seems very low. I'm not surprised at your DD's west London school if its the ones I'm thinking of.

Makes Jags ratio even the more remarakable.

I should say the 50/50 split is excluding the 1/3rd of places that go to the junior school.

An almost 50% split between the two in my daughters year at her girls school. It surprised me but then a lot of parents had taken advantage of great local London primary schools and saved up over those years to have the money for secondary. Makes sense.

The school selects but in all honesty they are looking for average intelligence and above.

Yes @LondonGirl83 , I forgot the 4+ and 7+ girls coming up are going to slew the overall figures for all-through girls schools.

50% sounds very healthy @BookwormButNoTime

across the entire country (with 5% said to be privately educated in primaries and 8% in secondaries, though sixth forms complicate this picture) private secondary schools' average intake must be about 65:35 private: state, but it varies hugely by school type, region, individual school, etc. eg in some areas with grammars, a meaningful number of pupils switch from private to state at 11; at some state schools located close to pockets of affluence in London, meaningful numbers switch from state to private at age 8 ish - and more generally private schools in some cases have traditional entry points other than 11+; etc.

I was quoted 20-30% from state primaries at SPGS, a few years ago. And that feels right, based upon DD’s class.

Out of curiousity, are you applying for all of the schools that you list in your OP? They cover a huge geography, and I’m just curious how far people are prepared for their daughters to travel. Or would the intention be to to relocate closer to whichever school you get a place at?

Yes, it's the same for Alleyns. So the intake is 1/3rd from the junior school, 1/3rd state and 1/3 prep schools.

Are you trying to get a feel for fit and how 'normal' your family would feel in the setting? JAGs is a very down to earth school with a wide socio-economic demographic. It is not snobby at all and lots of people use the state schools who could afford private locally as they are quite strong in the area. People aren't sniffy about it.

Thanks all for the input. Appreciated!

@TumbleFryer

DD is 4 and rather optimistically thinking of schools all over London, zooming in on faves closer to 11+. Knowing the primary intake I think helps with this. But in principle we would move around London for the right school for sure.

We live in a no-mans land that's not within walking of any Indie school or great state primary. We're borderline for bursary help now, so waiting till DD is 11 means we can save and build up a war chest.

Its not private or bust, in an ideal world if DD is bright (have no real idea at 4) she gains a place in a grammar like Wallington High or Tiffin, or she attends a great state like Lady Margarets in Fulham or even Church like St Philomena's Catholic High School in Carshalton.

If you're prepared to move, there are a lot of schools to consider!

@LondonGirl83

Thanks, Jags is top of our list to be honest. We live in South London and would have put her forward for pre-prep assesment for Reception 2023, but with 6,235 fees and no bursary until 11, we thought we'd hold fire for senior school. It also gives us more time to build up a war chest.

It ticks all the boxes for us.

Oh wow, she’s only 4. You really are planning in advance!

Surely she will need to be just as bright to pass the 11+ to get into any of the selective indies that you mention as she would for the grammars?

If you’re borderline for a bursary, how can you afford to move anywhere in London to be near a good school? Sorry to appear to be nosey. We would never qualify for a bursary but selling up and relocating to be near a school would not really financially viable for us when you take into account the cost of buying. It would also potentially lead to a huge commute to work.

Perhaps I had underestimated just how much people are prepared to disrupt their lives to get into a good school.

Of course, this might be all 'academic' if DD isn't academic! Way too early to tell, but not too early to research.

Of course if she's very ordinary academically, that's fine with us, its all about keeping options for us.

We're both in our 40's , we've both had two careers, had our child late through IVF, we've built up substantial pensions. An inheritance when partners mother died paid off big chunk of mortgage. Partner will inherit a lot more when elderly father passes , hopefully not anytime soon.

We've Right Moved checked schools, looking at porting remaining mortgage to be near ( within 20-30 mins commute) to most schools, and its do-able. True a school like say Goldolphin is going to get us a smaller property for our buck than a school like Wallington High. We only need a 2 bed, as there's only 3 of us. The ship sailed on any more kids. No desire for big house , a nice garden flat is fine for us, also means our mortgage is a few hundred quid a month, leaving us a lot to save, etc, could easily increase mortgage if we really needed to.

So although a modest income (London-wise), we doubt we would qualify for much help, we would apply anyway. But we could sell our place and find another 2 bed without too much grief. We'd be savvy about it too, moving to somewhere like Tulse Hill for Jags instead of East Dulwich!

Completely accept if we had more kids, needed a 3 bed, all of this would be completely different.

DD’s class at JAGS is 1/4 from the junior school, 1/4 other preps and half state. There are so many fantastic state primaries in SE London that a lot of families spend their money on extra curricular + tutoring. Because all 3 Dulwich schools have generous bursary funds, they attract very bright kids from quite a distance.

From what I’ve read you’re highly unlikely to get a bursary if you have savings and a small mortgage. I think you should be expecting to have to pay 100% of the tuition fees. There’s an active thread about bursaries that I was reading this morning which was quite eye opening.

Thanks @KingscoteStaff

Yes, @TumbleFryer , I agree. I think that's why we're leaning to state primary to 11 to prepare for fees 11 to 18, (if we need to). Hopefully with DD's grandparents help and investments we make now...we can do it without relying on income alone and living on bread and water!!