SW London Private and Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2023 (part V)

[QuiteAJourney]

Following from our previous threads, including the latest (link below) www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4723610-sw-london-private-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023?page=40

Looking forward to continuing the journey together

Stay strong. Fingers crossed here! 🤞

Aha! Found that email now too from 23 Jan. I am not impressed to be honest to say least. Let's see if they push it back again.

I wonder if Radnor are waiting for the outcome of their planning application which was due 20th Jan. Although no update of decision has been published yet on the Richmond Gov website. I’m sure that will have a bearing on how far they can offer.

For those waiting, we have discovered that our communications seem to come later than our friends for schools where we had applied for a scholarship - perhaps the scholarship applicants are in a separate group? Just a thought to mention it as I was on tenterhooks for the 2nd round emails and the one offer we've received as all friends got emails before us!

That’s a good idea to use offer days to test out the commute. Presumably schools won’t have ‘exploding offers’ so we’ll have a bit of time to make a decision?

We’re waiting to hear from Westminster, city, UCS, Highgate and forest (favourites are probably UCS, Highgate and city but honestly don’t know how to choose between them - if we have a choice of course!). Plus if we get Westminster then it’s hard to turn that down despite being not that keen on it.

Sorry, just realised I was not very clear - our plan is to test the commute on a "normal" day and at same time as DD would be doing it. So might not be at same time as offer holders event (when there is one).

Oh dear God!

they ve already confirmed opening of Pre Prep at existing site!

Not heard any news from CFC, but they have updated their information page on the timing of the offer holder events. They have also said one adult per child, which I am very surprised by. It seems a bit too important a decision for that.

Thanks @VickiMent for the pointer to the updated Claremont page. I do like the status report making it clear that offers have not yet been posted/emailed - saves a lot of refreshing of emails.

I would email/call them to find out. But first check your junk mail!

@crazymama123 I agree with your list. For me its, where will my child be happiest. For me, the things that figure into that are school ethos / fit, commute, and how strong are the school is in the curricular and co-curricular interests relevant to her etc.

I think the right academic fit is important but not rankings. So if you have a very academic child, you'd want to feel there was a cohort of similarly able children within the school. This might just be the top set rather than the entire cohort iyswim. As long as the school can help a child reach their academic potential (which most schools absolutely can) then I wouldn't really consider it any further as a preference criteria.

@MomFromSE I so agree with your comment re: academics. Key is whether the school can help a DC reach their academic potential - depending on the personality, that can be better achieved in different ways. Rankings are a very imperfect proxy for that.

I am curious, when people say academic child, do they mean one that likes to study a lot and achieves good results, or does it just mean a dc that achieves good exam results, regardless of effort?

I am trying to figure out my dd. She gets good results with minimal effort. She says she wants to go to G&L if she gets in, but I worry if that just is not really for her, as she is not the type who goes off to study. She is more of the relaxed type. If she has a spelling test, she will glance at the words once. She does the minimum. I explained to her if she goes to an academic school, she will actually have to do more work! She says that is fine and maybe it will be....but I just get nervous when I hear parents talk about the schools being super academic.

Yes, this is what I am not sure about. My dd style is very relaxed when it comes to studying. She achieves good results w minimal efforts. Her little brother is the same. Maybe they are just extra focused at school. At home, they do bare minimum. It makes me really nervous when parents say the schools are super academic.

@SamPoodle123 If your DD does get into a school with 'minimal effort', I cannot see any cause for concern (surely it is a sign that she is more than able to hold her own intellectually). Imho, the concern arises if a DC gets into a school on the back of an amount of prep and effort that is unsustainable in the medium and long term (including from a wellbeing point of view).

Also to note, so called more academic schools are not necessarily the ones associated with more homework.

I guess I just get nervous when people comment about the schools being super academic, making it sound like it will be very difficult. But I guess, if she gets in then perhaps there is a reason for it. I just wish we could find out already!!!!

I think perhaps the important question for you @SamPoodle123 is whether she loves learning and has a natural academic curiosity. My sense (and this may be wrong - parents with DDs at these schools can confirm or deny!) is that what these top schools have in common is that the vast majority of girls are just really interested in lots of things and have a deep love of learning.

I think your DD is currently at state primary, so you might well expect her to ace tests with minimal effort (I think you've said the academic standard is not very high there?) I'm sure you know your DD and her temperament, and the kind of environment she'll be happiest in and thrive.

@SamPoodle123 its tricky. Your DD probably doesn't put in much effort because the work isn't challenging. Some kids have memories that mean they don't really need to put in much effort for learning primary school material.

For kids like this who have never developed good study habits because they are so bright its always been effortless, it can be a bit of a shock when they can no longer just absorb information in class and rely on their memories. For some this happens at A-levels or university (or never!). If she gets in to G&L, I wouldn't worry. The best way to support her is to focus on teaching her how to learn before she hit that wall-- studying an instrument is usually good for this as even gifted musicians have to apply themselves. Once the work becomes more challenging and interesting you may find she may very well be more engaged with it anyway (that's what happened with me!)

A very academic child to me is someone in the top 1%-2% of the ability range (whether they make the effort or not). The pace of teaching required for work to be challenging and interesting is different for this cohort but that doesn't mean only SPGs will do. Most academically selective schools will have a sizeable cohort of students in this ability range but will have a wider ability tail. Deciding the best academic fit then comes down to your child's personality: do they thrive in competitive environments, are they more confident as a big fish, etc etc. There aren't any right or wrong choices. It's all about what works best for the individual child to maximise happiness and potential. A happy child is a child that thrives long-term and life is nothing if not a long game.

@SamPoodle123 she might get a bit of a shock at the beginning especially comparing with state but she will definitely get there

if anything, it teaches resilience; you ll be there to help her through this

if everything is too easy , what’s the point?

One of the kids in DS school got into St. Paul 7+ (he was top 5, extremely bright to a different level)

he was crying all the time, he couldn’t deal with anything everything is too easy

challenges are there for a reason 😉

"Radnor House has missed their own deadline in sending offers"

Hmmm. Sorry, I saw this and had to come on to say that in our experience, this school are loons. Granted, this is only our experience and this was about 5 years ago.... I have a DD who is dyslexic who sat 11 plus there. About a week before results were due, they sent out a very bizarre email to all applicants, congratulating themselves that x number had applied to their school! It was like, "well done us." The email also said "you can look forward to hearing from us very soon." I thought, surely they wouldn't reject people after that letter... well, three days later they did!

I called up for feedback and the woman was quite blunt and said "standards of applications are so high here" and basically DD had no chance so don't bother ringing again. DD was successful at another certain school across the road and took a place there (as in we paid the deposit). Then, I think it was late Feb / early March, RH must have called me 4 separate times to insist they were, in fact, the 'perfect school' for DD. Basically begging me to lose the deposit for the other school and go to RH instead! This was after a flat rejection and "standards are so high here" etc etc. Also, by this time, I had seen their GCSE results which were only about 30% 9-7 at GCSE, whereas for the school we had paid a deposit at, the figure was more like 60%. I told them this and she said "academic results are not everything." Talk about changing their tune!

I know the school has changed now or merged / expanded, but this was our experience. So even if people receive a 'no,' it might not actually be a 'no' iyswim. Good luck!

Yes, that is right, she goes to state school. It is def behind compared to private schools! She is curious and interested.

@MomFromSE yes, I think that is the reason, the work is not challenging. That is why we want her to go to private secondary, so she can reach her full potential and be stretched.

@LoveMyADHD I think she will def get a bit of a shock when she first starts! But I already told her it will be different and probably more challenging, but that will be exciting.

Feb 10th, just hurry up already!!

@la14 wow that would really put me off a school!

@SamPoodle123 your DD sounds VERY like mine tbh. Also at state, finds the work unchallenging and isn't stretched at all because the focus is all on getting the less able kids up to scratch and therefore helping with SATs etc. Which isn't a complaint, that's the schools job, but does result in a bored child. She actually enjoyed the fairly minimal tutoring and studying she did for 11 plus because it stretched her a bit. I do slightly worry about the idea of her going from top of the class/ big fish in small pond to "average amongst academically selected cohort" but then again, she's not actually got a place anywhere yet, so will worry about that if /when that happens!

I have the same concerns with my dc. It’s so hard to judge how they’ll cope with the step up from state primary to private independent school, going from one of top of class bored of the work to possibly average or lower and working at a fast pace. At the state school they also get hardly any homework beyond spellings or reading. How will they cope with all the homework? If they are lucky to get offered a place we will just have to put our faith in the system and trust they’ll fit in ok. Our favourite school takes a lot of state school children so maybe they’ll be on an even footing. Having gone through this with an older sibling and had the same concerns I’m trying not to worry as it worked out alright but all of them are different.