London grammar and private senior school entry 2025

[CruCru]

Hi all

It doesn’t look as though one of these threads has been set up yet so I thought I’d do it.

I have a daughter going into year 6 and a son going into year 8 next month - both will be moving to senior school in 2025.

Thanks!

I see that JAGS taster day is online/zoom???
is that even worth attending?
if you've been to an open house last spring do you need to attend again this month?
for a variety of reasons it's the only one on our radar, other options are boarding.

I went to see the schools we applied to last academic year so I assume that we don’t need to go again - partly because the open evenings fill up so my going more than once might mean someone else can’t go at all.

Thank you for the link CruCru.
Does anyone know if all schools have informed fee increases for Jan 25 to take account of the increase? I see some girls schools have stated they would pass on less -12%- to parents. Thanks

Do check if the rate given less, like 12% this year, they didn’t put up 8% earlier, so getting the full 20% but in stages. The best way is to compare schools fees on their websites, check on open days if clubs are charged or free, extra classes free or they do a paid tutor help. Also, trips what are they and costs and some schools help fund for kids whilst others is if fees are not viable kid needs to stay in school. We found that some of the cheaper London day schools really put the + options and those add up to be quite a bit higher. Also, laptops or iPads, free or charge per term or parents have to buy outright.

Good point. Plus some schools include lunch in the fees and for some it is extra (one friend said it is something like £1,200 extra on top).

For those applying to schools in the Consortium ... how do you decide which school your daughter should sit the exams at? Unfortunately my daughter can't take the exams at her current school.

I'm tempted to just let her choose the school she wants to take the exam at. Is there any chance that choosing school A to sit the exam will be viewed badly by school B? Or am I overthinking this?

Ideally, she would sit somewhere that her friends don't (just so she focuses on her exams, not on what her friends are doing / where they are sitting etc).

A good question. Assume that you have applied to more than one school in the consortium group? Will be good to hear if anyone knows.
(my instinct is that it will not matter. The scores will be shared regardless. And you could always justify that you chose a certain school to take the exam because of proximity.)

I am pretty sure you are overthinking, @CruCru - the schools will be interested in exam performance and nothing else.

Just to say good luck to everyone going through this this year, we were in your shoes last year and there were several posters who were super helpful with experience so will try and return the favour if I have direct experience of anything!

I’m going to follow this as I haven’t the foggiest how to get DS (who is 4) prepared do he has more 10/11/13+ options than just the secondary attached to his prep

We are aiming at Kent, Bexley, potentially St Olave's and Colfe's. Anyone here from south-east London also aiming at these schools?
How did you prepare your children i.e. did you use a tutor 1-2-1 in person, online, self-tutoring?
Any recommendation you can give about a good tutor you have actually used (although every child is different and will therefore respond differently)? It is so hard to get information about a good tutor or, at least, this is my experience.

What books are you using for preparation?

Good luck to all children sitting their exams now!

Crumbs! You like to plan ahead.

We are looking at girls’ schools and all but one of the schools we have applied to are in the Consortium. So my daughter is keeping up with some Atom learning (and rolling her eyes at my suggestion that she reads a bit more often).

But, realistically, whatever the exam process is now will probably have changed by the time your four-year-old starts the process.

Hi,

Is anyone doing Kings, Hampton or RGS on this thread?

Would love to hear any tips/resources for English comprehension/creative writing revision? We find the maths quite straight forward as it is so objective, and past papers are easy to mark and review. But English is so much more subjective and time consuming and so we tend to procrastinate!

No tutor here!

Thank you!

For the consortium, some schools will interview every applicant regardless of the exam results. Some schools use different criteria based on the exam results, focusing on one section rather than another, or vice versa, to select the interview list.

The school where the exam took place might be less relevant, but I heard that the exam invigilation standards have varied across schools in the past years for the consortium.

Thanks so much for your reply. Ideally my daughter will sit in a school with really strict invigilators - mainly so she doesn’t get distracted.

So the consortium schools have started asking us to confirm where my daughter will sit her exam and finalise the info we’ve provided (I’ve updated her photo for one of the schools).

Three weeks to go until half term then we’ll really be into exam season. In a way, it’s a pity that the exams / interviews are held during November to January. It’s quite a hard time of year.

@CruCru I asked a couple of Consortium schools about this. They said it doesn't matter where your girl sits the exam (Ie it confers no advantage / no need to select your top school). You simply need to make sure you apply to all the schools you want to be considered for. You'll then be invited to interview for those that interview all applicants e.g. Queens.

Super, thank you! It’s good to know.

Hi!
Yes for Hampton, and I struggle with English revision too. We are working on vocal, practice papers from schools like Kings, Emmanuel, City.

Thanks @Wlondon14. I didn't realise City had past papers, so I'll have a look. I've discovered the Sevenoaks also has a good selection too. I feel it's too late to make a drastic difference on the creative writing at this late stage, so we are just doing the papers and hoping regular practice builds confidence etc.

Just realised it was Dulwich- and not City papers. Sorry!

My DS did 11+ 2 yrs ago. We mostly focused on ISEB type questions. He got into RGS after being called back for a ‘Maths interview, usually for boys who show potential but didn’t seem to have performed to their potential on that day of exam. The second interview was actually another maths paper but a shorter one and the interviewer watched him do the test in a gentle manner. My son thinks they extracted the type of questions that he probably got wrong and asked him to re-do. I find their approach to be overall very kind and reasonable towards selection of boys. He absolutely loves the school!

@JustInvolved that sounds like such a positive experience. RGS is a clear favourite for us, as every interaction with admissions, as well as staff and boys at the open day, has been so warm and kind. We havent experienced the same thoughtfulness at other schools. Which school did you choose in the end?

We chose RGS! It was the right fit for him. We have no regrets at all and keen for him to stay in RGS all the way.
In the end, somehow, the fit seems to work out for most of them at least from his cohort. I have not yet come across any of the mums in his cohort not being happy with their final choice. All the best to you!