A relaxed experience for all
We know from experience just how anxiety-inducing the process of finding the right senior school can be for the whole family. That’s why we work hard to make the experience as painless as possible.
Parent Guidance
Bespoke approach
You might know the system well, or you might be new to 11+ and 13+ and need detailed information about the process. Either way, our approach is a bespoke and iterative one, which builds over time, until you are comfortable with your decision-making.
The Head is heavily invested in guiding you to find the right fit, drawing on his extensive experience and strong relationships with the senior schools. At the same time, we are working closely with your child in the classroom to ensure they are thoroughly prepared when the time comes.
In Years 3 & 4
In Year 3, the Head starts looking at your child’s data predictors, built over time from Reception. His role is to match your child to schools in which they will fit and flourish, so this data is an important first step to inform early conversations at coffee mornings.
Your child will start study skills lessons in Year 4, including critical thinking and reasoning, to complement the gearing up of English and Maths curricula for 11+ and 13+.
Preparation
In Years 5 & 6
When your child joins Year 5 a more formal parent guidance programme begins, with information evenings and 3 one to one meetings with the Head across Years 5 & 6, supplemented by as many additional phone calls as you need.
Alongside this, your child will have formal mock exams in Year 5 – tailor made to their preferred school – with mock interviews with a Dukes Education‘s partner in Year 6.
In Years 7 & 8
11+ does not work for everyone – children are not robots who can be programmed to peak at exactly the right time. Sometimes, things slot into place later, or individual circumstances mean your child would benefit from extra time at prep school. Your child might join in Year 5 from another country and need more time to find their feet and succeed. Your child may join in Year 7 seeking a second roll of the dice, having not got their preferred 11+ choice.
In such instances, or if you are interested in 13+ boarding schools, the bespoke guidance and individual conversations continue into Year 7 & 8. The focus remains on finding the right fit whilst giving your child extra time to bloom through mentoring, targeted exam and scholarship preparation and mock interviews.