Moving from State Education to Private School
Are you considering moving your child from state to private education?
There are many reasons why parents may decide that their children will benefit from a move to private education at some point during their school life, for example at age 11 or after GCSE. If the private school you are considering is selective, your child will have to sit an entrance exam, and it's worth engaging a private tutor to help in preparing for the exam. A tutor should not be there to ‘hot-house’ your child, but to demystify the exam process and fill in gaps.
Begin a year ahead. The exam process can be daunting – there are literally hundreds of children sitting each exam. However, schools are very sensitive and provide snacks and rest periods. Also remember that children only need one school! Most of those sitting each exam are likely to end up choosing a different school, which puts the pressure on places into some perspective.
The school will also want to interview prospective pupils (occasionally with their parents) so a practice session with some coaching in interview techniques would be a valuable investment. Generally independent senior schools are very positive towards ex-state school pupils, welcoming the breadth and diversity of their primary education.
Find out more about choosing a private school and see how we can guide you through the selection and decision making process.