6th form entrance exam

[Jopeg]

Hello everyone this is my first post on Mumsnet, I have come rather late to it as my youngest DD is 15! However, two questions, she will be sitting an entrance exam for a local private school shortly and can't decide between Maths and Latin as her specialist subject, she has been doing Latin since Year 8 and is one of the best at it, not sure how well taught it has been though! Her Maths teacher says she has a particularly good Maths brain but doesn't seem bothered, she is still predicted for an A* The only chance for her to go to this school is for her to get a full scholarship/bursary do you think this is possible at 6th form?

[senua]

What are her AS/A2 subjects?

[CertainAge]

Can she only sit for one scholarship subject? I would have thought that you could sit for each of your A-level choices. Have the school said she can only do one? If so, ask their advice on the better one to go for.

[senua]

Actually, forget about trying to get a Bursary on Maths ability, especially if she is not that fussed by the subject. Maths is the sort of subject where it is possible to be stratospherically better than other people. Your DD may get her A in Y11 but she will be up against people who got their standard A a few years ago, have probably done the Statistics GCSE to fill in time and are now on to AS Level modules. Go for the Latin - there is probably less competition.

[Jopeg]

Thanks

She is thinking of doing Physics, Latin, Maths and a. n. other could be Class Civ, Further Maths or History.

It is an academic scholarship you do a general paper and a subject of your own choice.

I had been worried about her competing with other pupils who had been at private schools learning Latin for years, but I suppose she will be competing with other state school kids.

[senua]

What is the plan for Uni? I would guess that the school would be thinking that sixth form scholar = oxbridge candidate.

Have you heard about Ogden scholarships

[arionater]

I'd say it depends on which bits of Latin she's good at - presumably an entrance exam will be basically an unseen translation, with perhaps some grammar questions too - they won't be able to ask about set texts and so on because different people will be doing different things. (In maths there isn't really a 'set text' equivalent so if she can do it well in general she'll probably do well in exam conditions too.) If her very good grades in Latin are mostly because she's good at memorising the set text or writing about the literature then maybe the maths is a safer option; on the other hand if she's very good at the grammatical/unseen translation side of Latin then it could be a good option.

Maybe think about the A-level options too - if she's tending towards Maths, Physics and Further Maths with Latin then I think she needs to demonstrate that she is very good at Maths as it's central to 3 out of 4. If she's leaning towards Latin and Class Civ with Maths and Physics, though, then she could demonstrate excellence on either side I'd have thought.

By the way, I am a classicist (lecturer) - what makes you think maybe the Latin hasn't been very well taught at her school?

[mumoverseas]

Don't want to worry you but are you sure the school will actually offer a full scholarship/bursary?

DD sat a scholarship exam last November for entry into the 6th form of a private school and they had several different awards but none were for full fees. Out of the 20 or so kids that sat exams with him I think only about 8 of them got scholarships. He was one of the lucky ones and got an academic scholarship (they had art ones) but it was still only about one third of the fees.

[Jopeg]

No I'm not sure they will offer a full scholarship/bursary, do any of you have any idea?

She could be Oxbridge...she is bright but a strange mixture!

I had heard about the Ogden Trust but how committed do you have to be to do Physics at University?

The old teacher didn't get very good results at GCSE which is why I think it wasn't that well taught.

[mumoverseas]

I don't know any schools that offer full scholarships, particularly into sixth form.
Did you not look into this before you applied? Most private schools have pretty good websites and this information would normally be on there

[Lilymaid]

You need to check with your prospective school as to what scholarships are available and at what percentage of fees. For bursaries, you are usually assessed on income and the amount again varies widely from school to school.
If the school is very academic you will find that scholarships are only awarded to very gifted students.
For an Ogden scholarship you usually need to show real commitment to studying physics/engineering type subjects at university.

[alypaly]

my DS2 is now in lower 6th,on a bursary,got A* at GCSE in maths. Started maths and stats in september and has struggled because the teacher is sooo bad. DS1 had the same teacher 4 years ago and she was just as bad then. D1 nearly dropped the subject.
But after 2 months struggling and near to tears with stress,he has changed to geography and stuck with his latin. He now wishes he hadnt wasted 2 motnths with mmaths and stats.
Maybe if the teacher had been better he wouldnt have dropped it. But she is a nowty so and so,generally intolerant of people needing things explaining and is generally condescending unless you are a mathematician.

She recently vented her anger on him during a badminton practice in front of 16 students,and dropped him from the team,despite him being the best player.sour grapes because yet another student dropped her precious maths.She needs to get her head out of her proverbial backside.

[lazymumofteenagesons]

I wouldn't sit a maths scholarship paper for an academic 6th form unless you are truly gifted in the subject. The questions could possibly bear no resemblance to the GCSE syllabus, they would be testing potential and how her mind works at problem solving. Being able at maths to GCSE level, even scoring A*, is not a particularly good indication of ability to take it to university level.

I think you are much safer with Latin. I don't see how they can test you on any set texts cos everyone's done different. It should only be unseen translations etc.

How academic is the school she is trying for?

[Jopeg]

Well yes, I did look at the website, it says that financial assistance sometimes up to the full amount of the fees is offered subject to means testing. (My husband has been out of work for over a year). I didn't ask about financial assistance when we looked round, it seemed inappropriate.

The school is pretty academic, but my daughter is bright so I don't know how realistic I am being (probably not very) I was kind of hoping she would impress them so much that some sort of 'deal' could be arranged!

[alypaly]

i would say highly unlikely for entrance to sixth form unless you have had previous assistance

[senua]

I still don't understand this. When listing A Level choices, you mentioned physics first but haven't mentioned doing the scholarship paper in physics.
What is she intending to do at Uni? - Maths/Phys/Eng or the Latin/History route - doesn't that tell you which paper to take for scholarship.
I'll bet that there will be an interview (even if informal) where they will try to get an idea of her plans. It will look weird if she says that she wants to read Physics (or Classics) but sits the scholarship paper in Latin (or Maths).
The school will want their pound of flesh in return for the scholarship so she had better get practiced at appearing focussed and decisive about her plans after A Level.

[Jopeg]

The fact I mentioned Physics first was irrelevant...

She doesn't know which way she wants to go, that is another problem!

She is choosing between Latin and Maths as she sees those as her best subjects.

She has always seemed an arts person up to now, but has suddenly gone towards the analytical side of things.

If I'm confusing you, it is because I'm confused myself.

[senua]

"If I'm confusing you, it is because I'm confused myself."

Kids? Who'd have 'em!

[Jopeg]

Just an update, she was offered a ten percent scholarship. A bit disappointing as others from her school got offered 15 and 25 (sporty person), I wondered if the fact she sat the exam after them didn't help. Still 25% wouldn't have been enough.

[senua]

What a bummer. I suppose that offers of only 10% are not that surprising in the current economic climate.
How does she feel about it?

[Jopeg]

She was OK about it, they gave her a good 'write up' but perhaps they always do, I expect she was secretly disappointed that her schoolmates got offered better scholarships (well most of them).

Having said that I said she has to be absolutely sure she wants to go there before I try any negotiation with the school (granted I am clutching at non existent straws) and she said she would have to think about it.

I think maybe after nearly five years of saying she doesn't like her school she is coming round to thinking she wants to stay there!