Do we try for 11 plus/more academic school?

[ConfusedSchooling]

Looking for thoughts here as my mind is all jumbled.

Currently in private in North London and DD is towards top ends of classes. School goes all through. Kids are happy. School isn't as academic as id expect and a couple of kids I know are prepping hard for the 11 plus/other indies.

I feel NLCS/Habs is far unless on the coach and ive heard it's tough. I havent heard great things pastorally about HBS or Channing even though i liked the latter a lot. We have been recommended City but I don't really like the location having grown up in London myself.

But, when I hear others talking about the 11 plus and also exam prep, I start wondering whether im doing the right thing and being too lax. Should I just prep and try everywhere? Plus it's the cost of tutors when I don't really have a fixed goal in mind.

Most of those schools you have named are quite competitive - 700 applicants for 120 spaces and many of the parents will have put their child through the 4+, 7+ etc so competition is tough if you haven't started.

We put our child through 11+ through similarly competitive schools last year. He didn't stand a chance at getting in as we didn't start tutoring until Year 5 but it did build his exam technique which put him in a good place for starting Year 7.

You don't need external tutors if you have time to do this yourself and sign up to eg Atom Learning. I'd save your money and do it yourself if you don't have your heart set on going to any of these schools anyhow.

I would prep as it’s sounds like you won’t be happy to continue to pay fees at her current school for the standard of education she is receiving.

@roses2 appreciate your reply, I think im feeling a bit of pressure from my social circle where the children have gotten into some great schools (moving from state to amazing indie) or being forced to look elsewhere so are doing the 11 plus whereas we are just in a ok indie. This area of north london is crazy competition and im not sure how we could do it without tutoring though DD is very strong at Maths

@Revise15 having spoken to parents in older years, they have said it really ramps up later on and they really rate it. But at my level, all I can see is limited academics

I know the peer / social pressure is strong (I get the same feeling with my DD - girls from her school go on to all sorts of high-flying senior schools), but you should take the path you feel is right for your DD, and not be influenced by what other people are doing.
If you think she’d be happiest / do her best at the all-through she is currently at, then stay. If not, go and find which school / schools you think would suit and support her.

Just want to say that the pastoral care at Habs is superb. Although they have high academic standards the girls are encouraged to develop in all aspects - music, arts, sports - and they have introduced a unique Habs certificate course in the 6th form.

Which school is your daughter currently at, OP?
My eldest DD is going into yr 8 at NLCS- happy to chat further if helpful.

So with habs/nlcs : have to take coach
HB - super competitive/havent heard great things about pastoral
South Hampstead- have friends who are struggling with bullying/kids being tutored a lot to stay there
Channing- friends saying loads of social media issues/head isn't available/all smoke and mirrors with facilities
City- too central for me

I know every school has issues but im just feeling like I 'should' be prepping but im not even sure where id want

You might consider preparing her with the aim of strengthening her foundation for secondary school, and then weigh up the pros and cons once the offers come in. Even if you decide to remain at the current school, she’ll have benefited from the preparation. We didn’t set any particular goal at the start either, but after sitting for grammar school exams, we wanted to encourage our daughter to keep up the momentum and understand her capabilities. So, she also tried a few super-selective independent schools – including the two you mentioned – without tutors, just using Atom Learning and reviewing past papers on the schools’ websites.
It was worth it.

@starfall1 did you end up accepting any of the ones you went for?

It's really tough in London I think. There are some genuinely hard to get into schools, and then there are loads that probably actually aren't all that selective anymore especially since vat, but they still want people to think they are very in demand so create an impression that adds to the stress of it all. It is stressful, and you have to decide if there are any schools you want enough to be worth that. But the tutoring is probably worth starting and then you can decide later. My DC is much more confident and ready for y7 having gone through it (although it may have made y6 at state primary even less fun as SATs prep is even more dull after 11+).

@DecisionParalysis youre right, there are children in current year 6 who got into schools which id have thought they weren't academic enough for. And our headteacher confirmed that private schools are having to lower their standards due to the VAT.

I didnt end up tutoring, just trying without. But now ive seen schools, none have impressed me. Haven't seen SHHS and NLCS

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How academic is the school?

Yes, there are some schools where everyone is getting 8s and 9s. But if the top set or two at the current school are also getting 8s and 9s, there's no reason why your daughter shouldn't. If the current school are getting very few 8s and 9s, then that might be more of a concern, as it suggests there will be less of a peer group working at that level.

Some people make the mistake of thinking that their child will do better at a school with 95% 8+ than a school with 70% 8+, but you need to remember that what matters is what your child is likely to get, not how many others get top grades.

Staying local means more time for extra curricular activities. And you can spend the money that would have been spent on 11+ tutoring on any GCSE subject you're worried about later.