In this guide, 黑料社's experienced 7 plus tutor, Kathleen, outlines some key factors to consider when looking for a prep school at 7 plus entry. From school ethos to academic outcomes, Kathleen's advice will help you make an informed choice on the 鈥榬ight鈥� prep school for your child.
Parents are often thinking and planning far in advance for their child鈥檚 future. This sometimes involves a move at the 7 plus entry point to a prep school with the intention of the 鈥榬ight鈥� school being able to build the child up for the usual 11 plus transition point.
So how do you find the 鈥榬ight鈥� school? What is the 鈥榬ight鈥� pathway?
There is no simple answer to this question as what might greatly benefit one child could be a real struggle for another child. It is so important for parents to consider their child鈥檚 unique qualities when looking for what school is 鈥榬ight鈥� for them. This can be both a daunting and exciting decision to make.
Factors to Consider when choosing a 7 plus school
There are a wide range of factors to consider when selecting potential 7+ destination schools. Ultimately, your decision should be child-centred to ensure the best possible outcome for your child. While planning for their future, years down the line, you also have to work with where your child is currently at.
These factors are not listed by importance; you need to determine which considerations have higher priority for your family goals.
1. Location
- Will the commute work with your family schedule?
- Does the commute limit their 鈥渙ut-of-school鈥� activities?
2. Day-School or Boarding School
- Would the boarding environment benefit your child?
- Do they have the maturity for a boarding environment?
- Is there a transition option of weekly boarding when they are younger which becomes full-boarding as they get older?
3. Pastoral Care
- Is there a focus on the individuality of students?
- How does the school support well-being of students and faculty?
- What accommodations are there for students with diverse learning needs? (SEND, gifted & talented)
- Does the school environment seem relaxing and nurturing?
- How much parental interaction is expected/allowed on a daily/weekly/monthly basis?
- Does the school feel like a community engaged across students, parents, teachers, staff?
4. Academic Outcomes
- Is the school鈥檚 curriculum rigorous?
- Do they cover a wide range of subjects (not available at their current school?)
- Do they prepare students to take the (11+) or (13+)?
- What is the quality of teaching?
- How big are the class sizes?
- What is the expectation around homework?
You can use the prep school league table rankings as a starting point.
5. Diversity of Co-curricular and Extra-curricular Activities
- What is their philosophy around sports: elite competition or more of an inclusive 鈥榮port for all鈥� ethos?
- Which disciplines of art and music are offered? Are children able to participate in external examinations (RCM, RAD, LAMDA, etc)?
- Is there a range of clubs for students to participate in?
- What facilities are on the campus for the various activities? Do students have to travel to external venues?
6. Leavers Destinations
- What schools do their students typically move onto?
The 鈥榬ight鈥� prep school is the one which will meet your child where they are currently at and guide them through these early, formative years. At the 7+ entry point, there can be a wide gap of maturity between students applying. Girls tend to mature faster than boys which is more obvious at the 7+ entry than the 11+ entry. Autumn born babies are almost a year ahead developmentally than summer born.
How to Research and Compare Schools at 7 plus
- Visit: Most schools will host open days, experience mornings and/or school tours.
- While visiting, try to visualise your child in this environment. Are there opportunities for your child to excel?
- Get a sense of the school鈥檚 atmosphere and community. Does it feel welcoming to parents as well as children?
- Take your child with you to see how they respond to the other students, staff and facilities available.
- Read:
- The provides a comprehensive look across a range of considerations.
- Prep school websites should give you most of your individual answers along with entry process dates and exam requirements.
- ISI () reports will give you a look at the most recent inspections and their findings.
- Discuss:
- With other parents 鈥� What have their experiences been like?
- With teachers 鈥� Why do they teach there? What types of students do they see thriving in this environment? What happens when something goes wrong?
- Ask questions about the school鈥檚 values and policies.
While you research schools for your short-list and balance the various decision factors, do ensure to keep your child鈥檚 current developmental state at the forefront of your mind. A school which might seem perfect for them at 11+, might not be right at 7+. There is a lot of growing, learning and maturing to do over those 4 years!
How many schools to apply for at 7 plus?
The examination process for 7+ entry is a big jump for most children. They will likely have 2-3 formal exams to write at each school they apply to. If they are invited to the second round, this will be a day or half-day of activities including an interview.
Ahead of the 7+ exams, most students do not have a lot of experience of writing formal tests. If they are coming from a state school, this could be limited to a weekly spelling test with the introduction of longer English and Mathematics tests starting in year 2. Independent schools will likely begin preparing students for the 7+ testing requirements in year 2.
It is important to anticipate how your child might cope with extended exams over multiple days when considering how many schools to apply to. The other important factor is the timing of these exams. Most schools run their testing process between November and January of year 2.
Within your list of schools, ensure you have both realistic and ambitious goals. Research the timing of when each school on your short-list sit their exams so you are aware of any clashes or 鈥榠ntensive鈥� weeks with multiple schools. Use this to help determine the number of schools you will ultimately apply for. Some families like to include a school with an earlier test-date as a 鈥檖ractice鈥� to assess how their child copes with the mental and academic stress of testing.
Try to downplay the 鈥榠mportance鈥� of these exams so your child can stay more relaxed during the process and feel like the overall experience is positive.
7 plus tutors & Prep School Advisory
For families looking for additional support with the 7 plus admissions process, 黑料社 Tutors offers expert 7 plus tutoring to help children build confidence and excel in their exams. We also offer a Prep School Advisory service which provides tailored guidance to help parents navigate pre prep and prep school selection with ease. Our consultancy team has worked with hundreds of families over the years to help secure the best fit of school for their children. The services we offer range from forward-planning well in advance of entry point, to last-minute Occasional Places. Our Schools Shortlisting service provides a sensible, evidence-led list of appropriate schools based off academic ability and the family鈥檚 specific requirements. Our full advisory service builds on this by managing the whole process and, where required, liaising with the school on a family鈥檚 behalf.