DS is at a state primary and we are looking around at options for Year 7.
One option (he is bright), and we like the look of it, is Westminster (the main school, not the prep).
The prep (Westminster Under) is nice too and an obvious choice if we would like him to go to Westminster Upper. However, we are put off by the fact that entry at 11+ does not guarantee a place at Westminster Upper. You still need to pass common entrance at the appropriate level.
This came up at the open day the other day and the Head addressed it in her speech. She said that there is no guarantee, but that any boy that enters at 11+ "should" (easily) be able to get to the right standard. Indeed, asking around separately, that is the consistent theme from staff. If your son gets in at 11+, barring a catestrophe, he will make the standard.
This sounds all well and good, but it is still a risk. There can always be a catastrophe (illness, bereavement, emergence of special needs, a "bad" year, onset of a little laziness, bullying, and so on and so on).
Given the stress we are putting ourselves now in the run up to the Year 7 move, are we not just adding two year to the four three two year or so of stress we are going through now?
Or perhaps is it the case that if such a catastrophe happened at another school (eg City, Alleyns, Dulwich) which didn't have the 13+ test requirement once you have started, you'd get "managed" out anyway. So it amounts to the same thing.
Added to this, coming through the state system, I have absolutely no idea what the CE is all about anyway. Is that also something that people tutor to high heaven for to get the DCs to an appropriate standard? [Perhaps I should start a separate thread for this.]
Sorry for long OP.
Interested in people's views.
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Westminster Under at 11+. A good choice or two additional years of stress while waiting for CE?
46 replies
OhDearConfused · 02/10/2012 12:58
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