What will my child gain from Year 7 and 8?
Whilst children in the maintained sector of education transfer to their next school at 11+, the majority of Public Schools have long opted to take pupils at 13+. This recognises that there are definite benefits to the child by allowing them to remain at their Preparatory School for these two vital years in their academic and emotional development.
There are many opportunities for pupils to experience responsibility and leadership: they can be prefects, team captains, etc... In fact, they can be big fish in a small pond, a chance they will not get again until their final year at senior school aged 17 or 18. At this stage children mature considerably and the social skills learnt in the final two years of Prep School instil confidence for the next stage in their learning. At Holme Grange your child will be taught to Common Entrance level by the Head of Department in each subject. In comparison pupils joining senior schools at Y7 rarely receive the top calibre teachers who are focused on GCSE and S Level sets.
Early transfer at 11+ is, more often than not, very competitive. In contrast, transferring at 13+ involves close consultation between the Prep and chosen senior school Heads and the parents. The personal service offered by the Prep Schools attempts to match the individual child’s abilities to the careful choice of his or her future school. There is a great deal of mystique attached to Common Entrance which is, after all, merely a benchmark, a basic academic standard which many of our pupils far exceed.
The one question many parents frequently ask is, "what happens is he/she fails CE?" This question is, in all honesty totally unfounded because the Prep School takes a very active role in matching the child to the right senior school. Failure is extremely rare and tends to result from unrealistic parental expectations than any shortcoming of school or pupil. Many parents make a choice at 11+ based upon financial necessity; this, of course, is completely understandable. However, if you have the means at your disposal, leaving your child for the final two years at Prep School is, in our opinion, one of the best things you could do for them.
Year 8 Pupil
