7+ - thoughts and advice needed Post Reply

[LondonDwarf]

My Son is currently in Year 1 in an international school in a European City. We are here for another 18 months so he will do Year 2 at this school and we will return to London (currently Tooting Bec) in time for him to start Year 3.

So, one of the options we have is for him to take the 7+ next January and enter a new school with a new cohort (potentially easier than joining a class which has already been together for 3 years). At the moment I am just starting to reseach this option and am wondering if anyone has any thoughts/ feedback for me - specifically

1) which schools should I consider if we return to Tooting Bec
2) How 'hard' is the 7+ - or in other words, did you coach your kids (either with tutors or at home) for the exams, or was normal school work enough?
3) How competitive is it really? My son is likely to be behind academically as the international school goes at a slower pace through core curriculum because of so many different nationalities/ levels of English so does he stand a chance (or do they look for potential?)
4) What are the pros/ cons of starting selective education at 7? Does it mean they get academically hothoused too early?

Basically if you have any insight to share on this issue, I'd be so grateful to hear it, particularly if your kids have done 7+ recently

[Nlconsultants]

Hi

We actually did a similar thing last September. We returned from Joburg and placed our 7yr old into yr3 and our 5yr old into yr 1. The South African system at this stage of duration is approximately 2yrs behind the UK to give some context.

I would suggest doing as much literacy work as you can using a phonics based system as this tends to be a widely used system in London - and certainly the area yin are looking at.

We also used Bonds Assessment books for both boys - verbal and non-verbal reasoning, English and maths. We also got hold of workbooks for ks1 and 2 from amazon - there is a wealth of books out there.

In terms of 7+ if you go onto Kings' website, you can find their past papers for 7+, but not many schools will give these out. The biggest test is going to be simulating exam conditions in order to get your child used to taking a test.

I would get in touch with all the schools in the acres that you are interested in and see what they say. We are at Broomwood and we were very lucky in that we sent a school report through along with letters of reference and a reading test result (York standardised test) so they could use that instead of assessing.

Do please pm me if you need any more info. But hope his has helped x

[LondonDwarf]

Thanks, that's really helpful. I have heard of Bond so I will get some of those. How are your kids getting on - were they behind when they started back in the UK system?

Does anyone know anything about 7+ into say KCS Wimbledon or Dulwich college?

[Nlconsultants]

KCS 7+ is tough. Dulwich less so- but that's coming from a UK education background, not overseas without tutoring support.

Both boys have settled well, and in particular the eldest going into yr3 hasn't presented problems if breaking into established friendships (which was also a very real concern of ours).

We did a lot of work with the eldest prior to our return and it has paid off - he is in the top set for maths, spellings and English and for reading is in the top group (he is an avid reader though and his reading age from the York assessment including comprehension is 11yrs). Handwriting has needed some work though but that is just practise and the difference from September last year to now is phenomenal.

[Mumptious]

Check with the schools as I believe that some schools (including KCS) offer a specific overseas student assessment.

Good luck!

[SREducation]

Hi

Schools are becoming harder and harder with applications rising each year. KCS and Colet Court being the most difficult. Westminster and Sussex House also very hard to gain places at.

Unless your child is naturally inquisitive, has a huge interest in general knowledge, finds Maths easy, can quickly multiply and divide and is an avid reader, he will need tutoring, Bond books alone are normally not enough. Timed exams in Maths and Literacy (comprehension and story writing), mental maths and dictation are all part of the exam in under 3.5 hours. Normal school work is not enough.

An interview before the exam or to follow if you pass.

One parent told me they looked in the car beside them in the Colet Court car park and the 7 year old boy was sitting up in the back seat reading the financial times! Another had her son tutored 3 hours of tutoring each evening, 5 days a week.

Be aware of what your son will be need to do in preparation and don't set him up for failure!

Storek Richardson Education

[dulwichgirl]

Just so you don't get in a huge panic about this. We recently returned to the UK from the US (where the children are at least one year behind in primary school). My son got into Year 4 at Dulwich Prep (one year above 7+). We did do some Bond Books, but had no private tutoring and he certainly isn't reading the FT! I think the school were willing to look at school reports etc. as well as the exam. Obviously it depends on the school but I think that if the child is bright they will pick up on that and you won't have lost out by living abroad. Good luck x

[HikingGirl]

Our son is 9 and is in a 3-11 non-selective private school. It's a small school, and therefor very intimate. However, each year we have had 1-3 children leaving, and therefor 1-3 new ones entering. All have settled well. I wouldn't worry too much about breaking into friendship groups. We 'old hands' are always happy to include new families, as our circle is just very small and it's nice to have a new face. The new boys and girls tend to have to fight off playdates the first couple of months.

Perhaps I am complicating things further now, but it may well be worth casting your net a bit wider and enquiring after school places at the schools you really like in your area too. No harm in phoning around and see what's possible. Eg private schools often like children to come from nearby, some also like the variety of having children enter with different backgrounds.