MTS

[prancer1]

Hi everyone - I just heard from my son's prep school that Merchant Taylor is no longer doing a 13 plus entry point. Does anyone have any insight on this? Thank you

Highgate stopped 13+ a few years ago

I think this was always the plan for their prep to merge the y7 and 8 with the senior school. They had y7/y8 classes in both MT prep and MT senior (in campuses roughly a mile apart). Bulk of their 13+ always is from their own prep.

Oh I just looked at their announcement again and realised they have actually stopped admissions at 13+. No idea why!

Thanks everyone. I heard that they will be taking in less boys overall which concerned me. Do they usually take all the prep boys? In which case there will be even less spaces for the rest of us.

All part of the general trend away from 13+ I guess, though quite a sudden shift in this case.

They take a lot of state school boys too. But yes lot of nearby prep boys do go to MTS. It's my local area. Many parents prefer 11+ because it gives you 2 years to settle in before y9, where you're making GCSE choices. But for those in preps that go up to y8 they probably wanted the comfort of being in same prep for 2 more years. I think they are essentially taking away that choice now so it's going to be harder. As far as I understand 13+ intake in Habs is also smaller than their 11+.

This is interesting news, I wonder why they dropped 13+ entry as they had quite a large intake at this age.

Most schools are offering 11+ in addition to 13+. Overall the trend is to get rid of the 13+ altogether.

Yes. The worry is it means the amount of boys taken in will be significantly less than the combined year 7 and year 9 intakes in previous years.

There are a few local preps who focus on 13 plus MTS entry. I'm guessing they will have to get rid of their year 7 and year 8 provision. Financially how will they cope?

They'll just take more students and increase the number of classes

Y7 & 8 are really expensive for prep schools because at that level they really do need subject specialist teaching. It's a much cheaper model just to go to Y6, where the number of subjects taught be specialists can be smaller with more subjects taught by class teachers.

It definitely doesn't make financial sense for schools in the same group to offer Y7 and 8 in two locations.

I'm not saying I agree with it though- my August born boy really needed those extra years in his prep school.

That's a good point. I guess I don't see MT Prep to be the same school as MT Senior. It's not a through school is it?

They are in the same group though, like two outlets of a chain. They are financially linked. They will definitely be trying to share some economies. Times are hard for all schools.

Yes they are an all-through school and numbers reduce when some leave mtp at 11+ for grammars other schools so it makes sense. Also language and specialist teachers will probably move to senior school. It's unclear why overall they are reducing intake from 175 to 140.

We had an offer there but picked St John's instead. Kicking myself now!!!

St John's is a prep school in the area

My daughter was at the senior school. It's a bit of a marmite school - it has some advantages with the beautiful grounds, the fees etc but many people dislike the head of the senior school (and the family who run the schools generally).

I think @prancer1 is referring to the St. John's boys prep which is a feeder to MTs.