OHS: Future Schools Guide 2022/2023

Future Schools Guide

The purpose of this guide is to help parents understand the 11+ process, the various options that are available and how Orchard House will support them in choosing the ‘right’ school for their child. At Orchard House, we know that every child learns differently. Accordingly, we embrace different teaching methods to support their learning and are proud of our broad and balanced curriculum. We aim to ensure that all children reach their potential and we take great care to advise parents from an early stage on the school which would suit their child’s ability and personality, and we receive excellent feedback from senior schools about the achievements and success of former pupils. We firmly believe that there is no such thing as the ‘best senior school’, just the ‘right’ school for your child.

This guide has been prepared to support you through the future schools’ process and will include:

—Advice focusing on some key questions you may have.

—The application and assessment processes at various schools.

—A comprehensive list of some of the schools that Orchard House parents have selected in the past. —An overview of the awards and scholarships our Form 6 children have recently received.

We do hope that you find this guide useful and that you feel well supported throughout the whole process. At Orchard House School we are proud that our children are awarded with so many excellent offers, scholarships and awards but above all else we are pleased to see the children enter their new schools confidently and happily.

Examination Timeline

Senior school application process timeline

Form 4

Informal meetings with the Deputy Head to have an individual, initial discussion aboout senior schools.

Form 4 and 5

March -Talk given by the Head, Deouty Heads and Form 6 teachers.

Once every two years this will be followed by The Schools’ Fair.

Form 5

May - Meeting with the Head and Deputy Head.

Attend Open Days (with or without your child)

Form 6

See the Headmaster about boarding options (the earlier the better)

Register for schools, usually by end of November (parents’ responsibility

Submit the ‘right list’ of schools to the office (November)

Form 6 – Spring Term

Vast majority of 11+ entrance examinations Interviews

Firm offers, or waiting list offers, are made

Final decisions by early March

Advice for Parents

Making the right choice for your child’s next school, is always a difficult decision and it is important that each child aims for the school that will best meet his or her needs.

A meeting to discuss final choices will take place in the autumn term in Form 6. However, some parents who are less familiar with the process find it useful to discuss choices before this. Meetings take place in the spring term to discuss your initial thoughts on your child’s next school.

However, when choosing a school for after Orchard House there are a number of different options and a wide variety of schools that you may wish to consider for your child.

A few options to consider:

1. Maintained, co-ed or single sex day schools

2. Boarding schools either co-ed or single sex

3. Location

You will, above all, want to ensure that you are confident that the schools you choose have an ethos and values that you as a family deem important.

Open Days and School visits

Attending school open days is an important part of selecting your child’s next school. You will most likely, although every school is different, be offered a tour of the school, listen to a speech from the headteacher and more often than not have the opportunity to meet some of the current pupils.

Open Days will offer you the chance to see the school as its best! You will be able to get a feel for the school, inspect the facilities and ask questions about the curriculum on offer. This process will help you to start compiling your ‘shortlist’ of schools.

Find out more about future schools

It is a good idea to visit more than one school and taking your child with you can be a useful exercise. Do remember to take away their marketing brochures and flyers and to visit the website for a comprehensive overview of life at each school.

Further information can be provided by a number of helpful organisations, including:

1. Good Schools Guidewww.goodschoolsguide.co.uk

2. Independent Schools Councilwww.isc.co.uk

Applications to schools

Registration to each school is important and most websites will have a downloadable version of their application form, alternatively, these can be obtained from their school office. Each school will have varying deadlines for applications and it is important to ensure you keep a record of key dates in advance and make contact with their school registrar so you fully understand each school’s admissions timeline. It is important to note that registrations for the majority of 11+ independent schools are during October and November, however, there are exceptions to this with some schools having earlier registrations than others.

The number of schools to which you will need to apply to will vary according to the nature of each school’s admissions process and we will offer advice during our meetings. However, where application to highly competitive London day schools are preferred, a greater selection of schools will be recommended.

There are no two schools with the same admissions procedure or set ‘benchmark’ for success so it is important to keep your options open. It is imperative that all of the schools on your list are schools that you are happy with, should your child be offered a place.

Common Entrance

If any of the schools to which you have applied are boarding schools, for which your child will need to take the Common Entrance Examination, the application must be registered through Orchard House by the end of November.

ISEB common pre-test

If your child is applying to any of the schools which will require him or her to take the ISEB computerised, common pre-test, this will only need to be taken once. Please let us know if this is the case. Parent’s register for these exams online.

Scholarships

Please contact the school office if you are considering applying for a scholarship for your son or daughter. Supporting references are normally sent directly to the school to which you are applying.

Examinations and procedures

Upon completion of the application forms the senior schools procedure usually involves three aspects:

1. Examinations

Again, each school will have a slightly different timeline for the above. Some schools will interview all children, whilst, others may only offer interviews to those who pass their entrance examinations. These details will be made available through the admissions guides for each senior school.

Examinations

The examination plays a key part of the admissions process. In most cases the children will be tested in maths, English and verbal reasoning. However, the girls’ Consortium, which changed in 2018, test all children solely by using adaptive cognitive ability tests. It is important to consider that some schools are more selective and competitive than others and further details on this will be provided during our meetings.

Interviews

The interviews at senior schools may take varying styles. Some may offer small group interviews, whilst, others interview all children individually. The children will be provided with ‘interview preparation’ from the beginning of Form 6 in their weekly timetable and as a before school compulsory club. We shall also provide mock interviews with various members of staff to ensure the children understand what to expect during this process.

References from Orchard House

Every school will request a written reference from their current school and these will be completed by the form teachers in Form 6. These are detailed references, which comment not only on academic performance but your child’s interests, achievements and contribution to school life.

In some cases, schools may request the most recent report in addition to the written reference.

2. Interviews

3. Written reports provided by Orchard House

Senior schools

Below in a selection of the schools which children from Orchard House have applied to in previous years.

11+ London Day Schools

11+ Co-Ed schools

—Latymer Upper School

—Kew House School

—Emanuel

—Portland Place

—St Benedict’s

—The Harrodian

—Kingston Grammar

—Epsom College

11+ Boys’ Day schools

—City of London

—St Paul’s Boys’

—Hampton

—King’s College - Wimbledon

—St James Senior Boys’ School

—Westminster Under School

—Wetherby Senior School

11+ Girls’ schools

—Putney High School

—Notting Hill and Ealing High School

—Godolphin & Latymer

—Queen’s Gate School

—St James Senior Girls’ School

—St Paul’s - girls’

—More House School

—Francis Holland SW1

—Francis Holland - Regents Place

—The Lady Eleanor Holles School

—Surbiton High School

Boarding Schools

Girls from 11/13+

—Benenden

—Cheltenham Ladies’ College

—Downe House

—Queen Anne’s - Caversham

—St Mary’s - Ascot

—St Mary’s - Calne

—Wycombe Abbey

—Tudor Hall

Co-Ed from 11/13+

—Bradfield (co-ed)

—Charterhouse (co-ed)

—Epsom College (co-ed)

—Wellington College (co-ed)

—Marlborough (co-ed)

—Oundle (co-ed)

Boys from 13+

—Eton College

—Harrow School

—Winchester College

Prep Schools

—Lambrook

—Fulham Prep School

—Notting Hill Prep School

—Durston House School

—Sussex House School

—Cheam

—King’s House - Richmond

State Schools

—Chiswick Community School

—Tiffin - girls (grammar school)

—Tiffin - boys (grammer school)

—West London Free School

—Holland Park School

—Gunnersbury

—London Oratory

—Lady Margaret School