Newsletter from our Principal

Dear parents and friends

We are fast approaching the half-term break and already we have seen a great deal of work and activity amongst the children. It has been particularly busy for the Year 6 children and their parents who have had the rounds of Open Days and applications for secondary school transfer. For parents, this is a highly stressful time when there is so much information, some quite confusing or contradictory and they feel the strain of trying to get things right for their children. Other parents will pile on the pressure by talking about the many schools their son or daughter will sit for.

This year, the highly publicised credit crunch has added to the anxiety as more people seek to apply to the already oversubscribed grammar and top state schools instead of private schools.

For many parents, the heartache begins with deciding what order to rank the schools in the application forms. This is understandable since local authorities, including all those in London, operate a policy of offering one school place only; giving parents their highest ranked school with places. This means that if a parent has put top of their list two schools for which their child does not meet the criteria, then their third placed school may be full by the time the application is considered. As a result, the child may be given an offer of a place at the nearest school that has places - often the one offered may be some distance and may not seem to be very good.

The good news, though, is that ultimately, it is not the school that makes the real difference: it is the parents. Even if your child goes to a school you would never have chosen, given the right support at home he or she will succeed and if your child is one of the lucky few who secure a place at the ‘dream’ schools then you are blessed but that does not guarantee results. You may have to continue with extra after-school lessons.

The pressure will continue after the half-term break as the entrance exams begin in earnest. We wish good luck to the many children we are teaching for the entrance exams this year. We have included information for those currently sitting or going to sit for the 11+ exams in the future in this edition of the newsletter.

Every year we are inundated with requests for A-level classes so this year we have added AS-level Maths revision to our courses after the holidays.  We are also starting the course for parents and carers. Please speak to Sylvia if you want more details about the courses.

Sylvia Watts-Cherry

SELECTION EXAMS

Many schools and all Independent (private) schools will use tests or exams for selecting pupils. The exams vary for each school but in general, there are four different tests and it is important that parents contact the schools directly to satisfy themselves of the exam structure. In the London Borough of Barnet and surrounding areas, the most common exam types are:

The Difference between Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning involves the child thinking about words and text and solving problems, sequences etc. It requires the pupil to have a good grasp of English grammar and a wide vocabulary. In many selection tests, Verbal Reasoning tests do include some number puzzles as well, such as number sequences or missing numbers in a sum.

Non-Verbal Reasoning involves thinking about shapes, pictures and patterns and their relationship in puzzles. It makes more demands on the child's mathematical capabilities and less on the understanding of written language.

Mathematics and English Tests
These are used by some state schools and all independent schools. The Queen Elizabeth Boys’ School offers multiple choice Maths and English tests but no other local school offers this.

PREPARING FOR THE EXAMS

Schools will often say that children do not require extra coaching to get a place at a school but as we know, ‘Practice makes perfect’ and most school head teachers would agree that children benefit from a familiarisation of the tests they are going to sit. Most people in the North West of London are only too aware of this as competition for top performing schools increase; that is why the tuition industry is booming when others are struggling.

The choices for preparation are: parent/friend teaching, one-to-one tuition with a tutor or small group. We firmly believe in the small groups as children enjoy the camaraderie and gentle competition but where a child is very behind or has special education needs, we do advocate one-to-one tuition.

Throughout the area, there are many different forms of school selection tests and so our 11+ Courses cover all aspects of the key elements to prepare your child for these very important exams. In Year 5 when we teach the basic techniques of Reasoning, Maths and English and carry on to Year 6 when past papers are used to improve exam techniques. The 2-week intensive Summer Course and October Half-Term courses consolidate learning to ensure that your child is fully prepared. In addition, we cover study skills which are essential for success at secondary school.

This preparation for the eleven plus tests will improve your child's understanding of what is required but parental support and encouragement is crucial to your child's self-confidence and their attitude to preparing for the 11+ tests.

There are many ways in which you can help your child to prepare for the 11+ entrance exams. It is unlikely that this additional work can be done in two or three weeks before the exam is due to be taken but it will require a lot of time and effort from both parent and child.

HELPING YOUR CHILD PREPARE FOR 11+

ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM

Well before the actual exam, practise relaxation techniques with your child. Teach them how to release tension. Remind them to breathe. If you notice their shoulders up around their ears at any point then they are probably holding onto too much tension to think straight. Show them how to breathe out and drop their shoulders and inflate their tummy as they breathe in. It is physically impossible to remain anxious if you are breathing properly, and it only takes a minute to take a few calming breaths.

Make sure that you know the correct date, time and venue of the exam. Do a dry run if necessary to work out how long it will take you to get your child to the exam on the same day and time. You should add a little time for unexpected delays and take a contact phone number for the school in case you are held up by traffic etc. It would probably be best if you have checked the local news/radio or internet/CEEFAX for travel conditions before setting off.

Check you have taken all that is required for the day before driving off.

Make sure your child stopped studying well before bedtime and resist last minute testing as this can only add to the stress of the day, and they cannot add to their knowledge at this late stage. Ensure everyone has had a good sleep (a warm lavender scented bath can help) and get up in time for a relaxed breakfast. Encourage your child to eat something, no matter how small, as there is nothing as off putting as a rumbling tummy during an exam.

If you arrive too early, don’t stand in the cluster of stressed and nervous parents and children, go for a walk instead and try to talk about anything other than the exam. It may be difficult, but you have to try to not show how nervous you are feeling as your child will pick up on this. Remember to watch the time as you don’t want to be late back.

Encourage your child to go to the toilet before the exam as they may not get the opportunity when the exam has started and sitting an important exam with a full bladder is no fun.

If the school offers a short break, remember to give a small snack to your child or give them £1 to spend at the school (Henrietta Barnett School offers this). Any small lucky teddies etc. can be allowed to be taken to the exam but they may have to stay in the car.

Make sure you reassure your child and let them know that all you want is for them to do their best. Remember, doing well is also important to the child as they have worked hard. They should have an enjoyable experience.

POST GCSE – WHERE TO NEXT?

At this time of the year, we get many enquiries from Year 11 pupils and parents looking for guidance about whether the young person should stay on at their current school or to move on to another school or college for AS and A-level studies. For some it is a chance to leave a fee paying school and save money before university and for others, there is a feeling that the young person may be moving to a better school. It may even be that the current school does not have a sixth form.

Of course, there is no easy answer as to whether the young person should move or stay; there are probably as many answers as there are young people. The first question has to be, ‘What school or college offers the young person their preferred options’.

Whether your child remains at a school or moves to a college, sixth form involves a lot of change; they won’t have to wear uniform and they will have more freedom. The biggest change is the new attitude by teachers as your child will be left more to their own devices. For example, they have to be responsible for their own work and teachers will not chase them for homework as they were doing up to Year 11. This can be a blessing for the dedicated student but for those who have had to be chased all the way, the freedom can be a big burden. If your child is the type of person who needs encouragement and a "push" to do anything then they may be better suited to the more disciplined environment of a school.

Schools offer similar facilities so that your child will get the same experience whether they decide to stay or change schools. However, opting to stay at the same school has the obvious advantage of familiarity but if your child has had a poor experience of a particular school, they may not get the chance of having a fresh start if they have the same teachers.

Advantages of Staying at the Current School:
Familiarity: you will have the same teachers and surroundings and do not have to cope with change and making new friends. The teachers know your strong points. This may be advantageous when teachers have to write references for you when you apply for university at the end of Year 12.

Opportunity: opportunities such as being a prefect, headboy/girl or head of form are usually offered to students already at the school.

Flexibility: you may be able to study a subject even if you have not achieved the minimum GCSE grades. Most of the new students will only be accepted to study a subject based on them having achieved a minimum requirement (usually A* and A).

Disadvantages of Staying at the Current School:
Everyone knows your weak points and you may be tarred with previous misdemeanours.

The school may not offer subjects you want to study and you may have to compromise your options. A new school or college may offer more choice of subjects.

Moving to Sixth Form College
These are dedicated colleges for students aged 16-18 which usually offer a wide range of A Level subjects and sometimes other courses. They may be private (fee paying) or state run.

Advantages of Moving to Sixth Form College:
You will meet lots of new people and everyone is in the same situation of being in a new place.

If you were at a single sex school you have the chance to meet members of the opposite sex.

Less structured than school – you will not have to waste time on subjects that you don’t want to do e.g. enrichment studies and you can come and go as you want. If you are mature, independent enough to motivate yourself to work and are able to adapt to change quickly, this option may suit you. If you want to go to university, going to a dedicated sixth form college sets you up in the work ethic of doing it because you want to, not because you are forced to.

Sixth form colleges may offer more choice of subjects than a school.

Disadvantages of Moving to Sixth Form College:
If you are not an independent worker, you may struggle; no one will chase you up.

Less extra curriculum activities – sixth form colleges may not offer as many activities so you may have to work harder to make friends.

HOW TO MAKE DECISION FOR SIXTH FORM

UNIVERSITY STATISTICS FOR NEW ENTRANTS

This table shows the percentage of students from state schools or colleges who entered university in the 2006/07 academic year. They are:

UNIVERSITY Percent from state schools
The University of Bath 76.2
The University of Birmingham 78.1
The University of Bristol 63.1
The University of Cambridge 57.6
University of Durham 61.8
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 62.0
King's College London 71.3
The University of Leeds 73.3
The University of Manchester 77.2
The University of Nottingham 67.4
The University of Oxford 53.0
The University of Reading 82.4
The University of Sheffield 85.3
The University of Southampton 83.2
University College London 66.6
The University of Warwick 76.4
The University of York 79.9
Cardiff University 85.8
The University of Edinburgh 68.0
The University of St Andrews 58.7

Source: HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency)