What is a selective independent school?
A selective school chooses its students on the basis of their academic ability, with a view to maintaining its own standard or reputation as an academic establishment.
The best selective independent schools consistently top academic performance tables, when it comes to ranking schools according to GCSE and A Level results, and choose students who will not only perform brilliantly but contribute to the academic atmosphere of the place. On paper this may seem reductive – but the best performing independent London schools are far from ‘grade factories’. These schools are extraordinarily well-resourced, employing the brightest teachers and with the most impressive facilities – classrooms, sports fields, libraries, laboratories and halls – and very much look upwards towards the university experience. They are also expensive, and competitive to get into, with a complex admission process to navigate before your son or daughter wins their place.
What are the advantages of choosing a selective independent school vs non selective school?
If your son or daughter has academic ambitions, or rather shows promise during their primary or prep school years, then applying to a selective school may be the right route for them. Some consider the process of gaining entry quite arduous – not just for students but for parents themselves- and it is worth seriously asking whether your child, with their particular abilities and interests as shown at an early age, is best place to handle the pressures this may entail.
The benefits of academically exclusive schooling can be seductive and can sometimes blind parents to the actual needs of their child. Those students who require greater social support, more personalized study, and a greater emphasis on less traditionally academic subjects, might also consider a non-selective independent school.
It is worth noting that the best school for your child will likely offer him or her a place – and if it does not, then it was probably not the right school for them.
Examples of some selective independent schools in London:
Every school in the UK top ten, ranked by A Level performance, lies in the Greater London area (and the vast majority in the top twenty too). Most are day schools and single sex, boys or girls, but some offer boarding as a part of their package.
The St Paul’s Schools, and on separate sites in South West London, are always among the top performing nationally; as are the City of London Schools, and , again single sex and on separate sites. (boys only until A Level) has a consistently strong reputation for academic excellence.
For parents looking for a coeducational school for their child, and always feature highly in national league tables.
Choosing the right selective independent school for your child
All selective London schools will have open days where you can visit and see their offer for yourself, and all have websites which map everything from curricula to sports and the schools’ aims and ethos.
We would recommend looking beyond a schools’ performance in league tables. School league-tables give little more than a snapshot of the degree of academic selectivity of schools. Not all schools contribute academic data and those that do are sometimes selective on what data they provide. Top ranked independent schools in all the main league-tables share a key trait – they select applicants based upon rigorous scrutiny of past and current academic performance. They set highly academic entrance tests and accept the top academic performers at 11+, 13+ or 16+. Successful applicants perform as very bright children should.
Read more about the limitations of school league tables
All selective London schools will place an emphasis on academic performance, but it is also important to look at a school's value-added score and what they offer to motivate academic students. What additional development, learning and overall experience beyond what is expected academically does the school offer?
It’s also worth considering how best, and with what level of formality, your son or daughter learns. Schools such as , emphasise the importance of a liberal education in achieving their academic and social aims. Others may seem more traditionally intellectual, with corridors lined with specimen cabinets stuffed with exotic species and equipment.
Depending on your child’s choice of sport or co-curricular activities, it’s worth researching the school reputation in that field.
Location is also key, of course: there are good selective schools everywhere in London, and maintaining cultural or community links may be on your list of priorities.
The admissions process for a selective independent school in London
Once you have narrowed down your choices, the first task is to register your child with your preferred schools. Deadlines are normally in the autumn, the year before you would like your child to start. There is likely to be a financial cost at the outset – a registration fee now and a deposit once your child has won their place. It is valuable to understand what any financial agreement involves and under what terms you would get your money back.
Some London schools have unusual or complex admissions structures that reflect the structure of the school itself: some schools have lower, middle and upper schools under the same ‘umbrella’, and will offer entrance possibilities at various stages. This could include 10+, 11+, 13+ and 16+, and possibly irregular entry points – so called ‘occasional places’ - in between, so be sure to investigate the requirements of your chosen point, which will be presented clearly on school websites.
Entrance exams for selective independent schools
Many parents will consider the main selection point for London schools to be the 11 Plus, and the entrance tests at this stage will be broadly similar.
As with any 11 Plus assessment, entrants for places at London schools should have a strong foundational understanding of the curriculum in English and Maths as set out on the . Content may vary but most schools will not test students on material they would not be expected to know at their age group. Examination in English and Maths will more often take place alongside questions that test verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, and today these tests are often bundled together into one longer online assessments. As such, students should be comfortable working under timed conditions, as well as familiar with the multiple choice format of questioning.
Today, many schools in London have organised themselves into consortia so that your child will not have to sit more than one entrance test when applying to schools from within the same consortia group. One such grouping is the London 11 Plus Consortium, formerly known as the North London Girls’ Consortium, which represents a group of girls’ day schools in the capital. An application for any of these schools will require students to sit a 100-minute exam that tests Maths, non-verbal reasoning, and English comprehension and verbal reasoning – but also problem solving and analysis. An emphasis on these last two elements may be increasing in London schools.
Should your child make it through the assessment phase then more often than not an interview will follow. This is normally with a senior member of staff and lasts around 15-20 minutes; schools frame this as an opportunity to get to know students beyond exam results. Specific preparation is difficult –learning answers to ‘typical’ questions can railroad students and prevent them from taking part in the conversation or dialogue that schools prefer. Your child should able to answer questions but also justify their choices or ideas.
Tips for parents on how they can prepare for selective independent school admissions
Preparing for selective school admission involves all of the above, but also at base a realistic assessment of your child’s abilities – and suitability - for any given school. This may be academic and involve a tutor or teacher assessing the level at which students are working, and so their chances of making the grade at the school in question. But this is also an atmospheric question, which is why it’s so important to gain an understanding of the qualities, aim, ethos and priorities – in short the culture – at any given school.
Finding the right tutor to help with the application process is also key, somebody who knows the specific entrance exams in question – who have been to or has taught at the school, or has experience of London selective schooling. Schools will tell you that coaching is not necessary but the truth is that few students do not benefit from a certain ‘sharpening’ in the run up to 11 Plus entrance exams.
Finally, it is important to stress to your child that the best schools are often seriously oversubscribed, and that as a result many, many suitable candidates are likely to be turned away. Students should never be left with a sense of having ‘failed’ - there a dozens of brilliant schools in the capital and research and commitment to the process will more often than not lead to them gaining access to the right school for them.
School advisory services
°®ÒºÊÓƵ provides educational advice to families who wish to send their children to independent schools in the UK. With an outstanding reputation for providing dependable, impartial guidance, we have a comprehensive knowledge of the British private school system. °®ÒºÊÓƵ’s advisory team are experienced in providing school-specific support in preparation for school selection and entry from nursery up to 16+. Whether you are looking for a long-term educational strategy, or circumstances have changed and you require an ‘occasional place’, our advisors are always happy to set up a call to discuss how we might be able to help.