Pre Prep Entry assessment interview - what happens?

[Hulababy]

When DD was a year old we put her name down for two local Prep schools. Having had a short time of thinking of state schools we are now reconsidering these schools again.

One of these schools - the one we most favour - has just called DD, who is now 3y 6m, for a "short, friendly 15 minute assessment in the preprep department". This will be at the start of November. Acceptance at the school is dependent upon the decision of the Council of Management.

In other words I guess if she passeds the assessment she's in, if she fails she isn't.

I know that DD is a bright, alert little girl who will be more than ready for school in September next year. However, I also now that she can become a little shy when first meeting people. Now 15 minutes seems a very short period of time to make an assessment.


So, those of you with children at preprep (or been through it)...

...what is the assessment like? what will be involved? how will the assess in such a short period of time?

The letter is very brief and doesn't answer any of these questions at all.

This isn't in London BTW.

[ladymuck]

I'd double check with the school, or with other parents exactly what is involved.

At Ds's school they register 50 boys each year. There is a selection morning in the January where they "assess" the boys on skills such as independent toileting, the ability to listen to a short sotry in a group, playground skills, ability to take turns. All assessed as appropriate for a 3 or 4 year old. Basically only the very "young for their age" ones are not offered places (or biters for example!).

Ds's assessment lasted for 2 hours, and was fairly similar to a morning at preschool.

The girls school locally seems to have a more academic approach to the assessments - girls are asked to recognise letters, numbers and pick out their name. Totally different. Basically you'll need to find out more about yours!

There is an organisation which inspects prep schools, and certainly my school's report mentions the selection process, so that might be worth a look.

[Hulababy]

Thanks. When Dh confirms the date and time with them tomorrow I shall get him to ask. The letter does just say it is a short 15 minutes assessment though - nothing more. There is actually an Open Day this Friday which we are going to call in at, so may find out a bit more there too. I vaguely remember at the appointment 2 years ago they said it was informal to see whether she was "ready for school".

[LIZS]

dd didn't have to have an assessment as such which was a huge relief as she matured significantly between the age of 3 and 4 and wouldn't have been ready then. She just went along for a morning in the summer term to check her readiness - so was expected to join in the nursery activities and fit in socially. She made a windmill with another child and a teacher, for example.

Have heard of specific interviews, hothousing and so on but the other ones I've heard about require a brief series of simple tasks including puzzles, drawing a particular object, attempting to write their name and/or identify it and perhaps a chat about a story or something of interest. 15 minutes is not that long really and her start a long way off so they may still review it next summer. All the children in dd's class including those from the nursery department and new entries went along for a few hours to meet their Reception teacher and go around the classroom just before school broke up for the summer.

hth

[frogs]

Heard about this endlessly from various friends with younger children. Tests featured:

drawing shapes to order (draw a circle, a cross, a man etc)
counting
build structures with bricks of selected colours
describing pictures
retelling stories, either read to group or that you know from home
talk about what you like doing at weekends
taking part in group sessions
and (my fave, this) threading beads against the clock (this last in v. academic n. london prep school)

[frogs]

Ah yes, jigsaw puzzles too. And name writing. And naming shapes/colours.

These are not all from the same school, btw.

[Hulababy]

Hmmm, so all different then... have instructed Dh to ask tomorrow on phone, and I will definitely be asking at the Open Day.

DD can do all of this type of stuff - most letters, numbers to 10, counting well beyond, spot the difference, odd one out, drawing, shapes, colour, as well as interacting with other children, taking turns, sharing, etc.

She's been to nursery 2 days a week since being tiny so used to all that side of things. But she can get a little shy when first meeting people - she isn't really shy, just a bit ... I guess... unsure for a few minutes.

I do remember then saying they'd visit children in their nursery settings - not sure when that would be though.

Hmm...

[LIZS]

Oh and also I suspect it is as much about whether the parents are interested in their child's development and school life. Do you have to drop by for coffee whilst she is there ?

[Hulababy]

O - jigsaws. She has only just gotten into this recently but can now do some jigsaws with biggish pieces. To about 20-25 pieces. But she lacks patience at time with them.

She can write her name though (we gacve her easy letters to draw!)

[Hulababy]

We are invited there too - not DD on her own. As it is just 15 minutes I doubt my coffee will havecolled down enough!

[LIZS]

Are you hedging your bets now as regards schools ? Be warned that you may have only a week or so to accept the place if offered and that may well not tie in with the dates the LEA would confirm at which school she is allocated a place. Then you enter the world of non- refundable deposits, needing to give a full term's notice or fees in lieu etc

[Hulababy]

Yes, that's fine. We are 80% decided I think. We don't haveto put in for state schools until Jan here, but once we accept (IF she gets in) at a private one, that's where she'd go anyway.

[LIZS]

Are you looking at more than one private as they can also play a game so their dates don't tie in. Might be worth checking that with any other potentials just so you know the timescales.

I'm sure your dd will be fine at an assessment. dd is the youngest in the year but the boys particularly, many of whom are almost a year older, are not as focussed as she is. There were only 2 newbies in her Reception class out of 16.

[Hulababy]

School is girls only. DD will be 4 in April. In state here she'd not be starting school until january. At prep it would be September instead. I do genuinely think she will be ready then though.

We are only looking at one other prep school - another girl's school of similar size, possibly slightly smaller. This weekend I will set my task to get in touch with them and sort out when assessemtns will be, and deadlines.

[Tanzie]

The DDs' school does this. DD1 sat and glared at the headmistress for the full 15 minutes and refused to say a word. They took her two terms early.

DD2 chatted away happily, counted to 10 in English and French (didn't know she knew any French at the time), sang Twinkle Twinkle, recognised numbers and drew a lovely picture (in her eyes anyway) for the headmistress. They wouldn't take her early.

I think, at the end of the day, they are a business. They clearly had a space to fill, and DD1 got it and went early, but were pretty full in DD2's year, so she had to wait. I don't think ability had anything to do with it. They were both about 3 at the time.

[marialuisa]

Would agree that the assessments are not worth getting stressed about, esp as you're not in London. If the school is the one whose name begins with A, a former colleague's DD was accepted there even thouigh she was still in pull-ups on assessment day (no medical/developmental reasons, the parents just weren't that bothered about getting her trained). The DD just had a chat with the teacher and did a drawing. There's no way they could fit much more than a jigsaw into 15 mins anyway!

[Hulababy]

Marialucia - it is a school which begins with A

DH confirmed and asked about the appointment The lady on the telephone told him it would be more like 30 minutes, and part of that time we will be taken for a cup of tea whilst DD des some stuff with a teacher, who is more than used to little girls being a little shy at the start.

[Hulababy]

Now been to the Open day which was really good. DD was pretty quite throughout it, with us. But she did speak a little bit.

I asked about the assessment interview and the whole thing is about 30 minutes. We are together to start with and then DD is taken off with pre-prep teacher for 10-15 minutes. Not sure what goes on yet though. If it all goes wrong or DD doesn't spea at all or something, she gets called back for another try.

[Hulababy]

For those who gave me some advice erlier, thank you.

Dd has now had her assessment, which seems to have gone well. We should know if she has one of the 18 places available by Monday.

[marialuisa]

Hope things go as you want Hula-I'm sure they will!

[Hulababy]

Thank you; only a few days to wait.

The "interview" was pretty much as you described - a chat and a drawing. DD drew a picture of Dora And the teacher came back knowing all about our holiday this year and last, our friend's baby, Dora the Explorer and more! Not sure if she let the teacher talk much!

[LIZS]

Sounds promising - fingers crossed !