Despite the weather many of us currently have, we're crossing fingers and toes that the sun reappears and that our children’s attentions turn back to summer sports, outdoor play and holiday fun. But for those of you with children in the upper years of primary or prep school, the dreaded ‘where next?’ question will never be far from your thoughts. This month, we tasked ourselves with tackling all your questions about secondary school entry, whichever path you are hoping to follow.
Unless you’re one of the lucky ones who aced the catchment competition and has the assurance of a place at an outstanding comprehensive, or whose child was fortunate enough to win a place at a linked preparatory school with no entrance exam requirement to move up to the secondary, it’s never too soon to start weighing up your plans.
As consultants, we always advise clients to have three secondary school options: an ambitious target, a realistic banker and a back-up. But whichever way you look at it, your child is going to need to prove their mettle in the entrance exams and for first time parents, it’s hard to know where to start.
To make matters even more confusing, state grammar schools tend to set a totally different kind of exam to independents. So where on earth to begin? One thing at a time: our article on preparing your child for entry to a selective school outlines the key considerations before you embark on this rollercoaster of a journey. And if you like the thought of a private education but don’t think you can afford it, this month’s blog looks at how to go about securing a scholarship or bursary that could help bridge the affordability gap. If you are London based, the Independent Schools Show Summer Fair at The Hurlingham Club on 22nd June presents a great opportunity to meet representatives from over 50 schools. Come say hello at The Good Schools Guide stand and look out for our scholarship and bursary expert who will be giving a talk full of invaluable advice.
If you live in catchment for a state grammar school (firstly, our congratulations), it’s most likely that your child will be asked to master the dark arts of verbal and non-verbal reasoning in preparation for entry. Don’t believe the hype that these are untrainable skills – targeted practice can lift raw scores considerably and trust us when we tell you that few children will sit these exams without having done at least a year of focused tutoring beforehand. For an insight into what you can expect if you plan to travel this route, check out our article explaining state grammar school admissions.
Finally, if you want to ensure that no matter what life throws at you (as if we haven’t had enough over the last twelve months) you can always manage to pay the school fees, our financial planning article by leading advisors Brewin Dolphin should help you get the ball rolling.
Good luck with your school searches and remember that our team of expert consultants is on hand to advise and support you every step of the way. Our services are more affordable than you think and we love solving your educational dilemmas. Find out more about our education consultants
With warm wishes
The Good Schools Guide Team
