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Secondary education

How many waiting for independent results but really as a back up for state school?

8 replies

legallady · 14/02/2013 18:44

I'm just being nosy really! Grin

I've read (and been involved myself) in several of the other threads relating to selection for independent schools but I'm wondering how many of us have entered our children for these exams primarily as a back up if we don't get our choice of state school?

Of course there are folks who are only looking at private but I'm just interested in how those of us who really want a state school distort the numbers applying to independents. We must have a huge impact on the waiting list as well - there must be a significant amount of movement after 01 March!

Do those of you who really want private also apply to state just in case you don't get your choice of independent?

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ThreeBeeOneGee · 14/02/2013 18:47

The timing of this must be quite tricky. If you don't get your first state choice on 1 March but your child is quite high up on the CI list for that school, how long do you hang on for? Don't the independent schools ask for some sort of commitment / deposit?

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legallady · 14/02/2013 18:57

Round our way Threebee (SW London) the schools all pretty much don't ask for deposits to be paid until 4th March - after state school allocation. Well that's for year 7 entry anyway. I think they must realise that there are many of us who won't accept an independent until we know for sure what state school we've been allocated. Is that different in other parts of the country?

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Schmedz · 14/02/2013 20:57

Definitely apply for state schools in case choice of independent doesn't materialise! Also worth accepting an independent place for the cost of a deposit in case a good state school place comes up. Cheaper than paying for the 7 years education and a good back up.

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SavoirFaire · 14/02/2013 21:00

Round my way, indy primary schools expect a deposit before state school offers. Which really p'sses me off and is one of the reasons I have refused to get involved in the sorry affair. Will consider private for Y1 if state doesn't work out.

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SavoirFaire · 14/02/2013 21:01

D'oh just realised this thread was in secondary schools topic. Sorry!

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QueenOfToast · 15/02/2013 12:56

We have applied to state secondary schools, just in case, to cover all our bases.

For anyone who wants to have a good giggle at our middle-class, much-discussed, school-bore, angst about secondary schools; here is our complicated plan of action:

First choice - Any of 3 indies that we have applied for.

Second choice - Any of the 3 partial grammar-type state schools that we put on our list.

Back-up - Not very academic indie that we already have offer for. Currently at their prep school so he's guaranteed a place, if he wants one. Luckily we have not had to pay a deposit to hold onto this place.

In our area there are loads of children who take the 11+ exam in September (results sent out in October) as a dry run for the independent exams which take place a couple of months later in January.

My understanding from reading the scary 11+ forum website is that there is always loads of movement on waiting lists after 1 March in both indie and state sectors.

OMG, I'm boring myself now so I'll stop typing ... Grin

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DeWe · 15/02/2013 13:57

When dd1 was applying the main state secondary for us announced a major change that would have made it very very difficult for us practically (it included a split site 3 miles away). We applied to an independent, and dd1 got offered a scholarship.

However she then got into a different state school, so we turned down the scholarship, which was a very difficult decision. Our problem was that if we went independent we would have 3 children at secondary level at the same time, and although we could afford it for dd1, it would be a struggle for dd2 and ds would be impossible really. As the independents round here are almost all single sex we wouldn't even get multiple child discounts. There were other reasons for turning down the independent as well, although I still wish, in a lot of ways we could afford it as it would have offered dd1 so much.

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PureQuintessence · 15/02/2013 14:29

Yes, we have applied to 3 RC secondaries, 2 are boys schools, 1 is mixed, and 2 mixed CE schools, so a total of 5 state secondaries. Plus 3 independents as back up. We have had one "no", but with over 80 applicants to 11 places, it goes without saying they can cherry pick. DS is hoping for Gunnersbury.

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