Anastasia Hatvany and Catherine Kelsey are among the team of specialist Gabbitas education consultants answering many questions for parents wishing to obtain the best guidance and advice for educating their children at state and independent schools. Here are two examples covering common entrance exams and tutoring. Don’t forget to contact us for free and impartial advice.

 

Q

Many schools require common entrance exams to get in; how can I help my child prepare?

A

First and foremost, all good prep schools are focused on helping all their students prepare for the common entrance exam and will be very aware of the work required to help their students sit this important exam. Schools start the process from year 7 to ensure that their pupils have a thorough understanding of the academic requirements across all the key subjects. They are fully aware of their students potential and will in most cases have had a major role to play in helping choose the right senior school for each student taking the exam.

Parents however also have an important role to play in helping prepare their child for any exam in minimising stress and anxiety and to ensure their child is calm, confident and ready. Some of the best advice from Prep School Heads, with whom we work closely, is to encourage families to keep their child engaged in some form of learning outside the classroom, especially during the long summer and winter holidays. Reading is key and most schools offer a list of books they encourage their students to read during this time away. It is also a good idea to read to your child so that the process is two way giving them the opportunity to ask questions and debate the issues covered in the text.

Comprehension is key. Watching films together as a family and then discussing the storyline and the emotional content is another positive fun way parents can help their child develop important skills. Going to exhibitions is another good way of engaging your child in important dialogue – ask then what the exhibits mean to them, what do they feel when looking at a specific painting or sculpture or artefact.  Practising creative writing is another good option for the holidays. Take on a project as family that involves active discovery and research – helping broaden minds is always useful no matter what the subject. It does not have to be curriculum based.

It is also advisable to obtain past papers for the exam to get a clear idea of the possible questions that might be included and to use these for practice. Prep schools will have access to the papers or can advise how to obtain them from the Independent School Education Board. By completing past papers children can see how much time it takes to answer all the questions and can as result of the practice be better prepared and therefore more relaxed about the exam ahead.

Q

I would like to enlist the help of a tutor for my daughter taking the 11+ next year but I am unsure where to start – what would you recommend?

A

As you have another year before your child is due to sit the exam be careful not to put them under too much pressure. The School will be preparing your child for the exam and will have a plan of action to ensure she is ready. Discussion with the school to find out if there are areas of concern at this stage is the first port of call. The school will be able to guide you in looking at the subject areas where help might be beneficial.

Is she struggling with Maths or English or is there another subject which she finds difficult?

It is important not to provide your child with too much extra support so that they become overloaded and therefore not able to cope with the pressure. If you feel a tutor could help then it is very important to select a reputable company offering tutoring support who have tutors with the right level of experience.

Choosing the right tutor is paramount as it is important that they understand the current demands for the 11+ and the body of work required to pass the exam and are therefore able to offer the right level of tuition. Finding a tutor who can work with your daughter is also key – it is not just about the academic input it is also important that they are able to relate to your child. Do they share an interest in common such as dance or sport? Personality is just as important as academic qualifications in selecting the right tutor.

Once you have identified the right tutor be careful not to make the sessions too long. 40 minutes for a subject is about the right level and there needs to be a break between subjects if you are looking for help in more than one area. It is important to be realistic in what can be achieved so that your child is not overwhelmed by the process. Plan carefully so that you can get the best from the tutoring relationship and make sure you have some fun activities timetabled to balance out the study time.

 

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This article from the education consultant team at Gabbitas, first appeared in the Spring 2020 edition of Absolutely Education

Our team of highly skilled education consultants here at Gabbitas in London answer many questions of concern to parents about educational options for their children at state and independent schools. Here are just four examples. Don’t forget to contact us for free and impartial advice.

 

Q

How do we decide whether our child is best suited to a prep school that finishes at Year 6 or Year 8?

A

A well-chosen prep school will provide a solid foundation for a child’s academic career. It will play an enormous part in determining the options available to them when it comes to senior school and will prepare them for a smooth transition. If consideration for the prep school is intrinsically linked to the senior school, one must look at the intake ages at the desired senior school. Does the senior school provide entry at age 11, age 13, or both? This is vital not only so there is a smooth flow from prep to senior, but also to avoid a ‘small fish in big pond’ scenario whereby an unprepared 11 year old may be overwhelmed by the additional demands and expectations of their new environment.

If the child is assessed as being confident and ready, then a prep school with progression into a senior school at age 11 would make sense. If there is doubt, however, then a two-year gap can be a useful testing period.

There is never a ‘one-size fits all’ solution to choosing the best prep school for your child, and that’s what makes my work so interesting. From our experience, the best decision ultimately relies upon an unbiased (and unemotional) perspective on a child’s abilities and needs. Every family has a different set of circum­stances and its my job to understand them and advise objectively. Some parents are surprised to hear that their first choice prep school might not be the best place for their child to thrive and prosper, but with hindsight they are always grateful they took good advice.

Catherine Kelsey, Director of Elite Clients

Q

My daughter’s schoolfriend has told her that she is already being tutored for an entrance exam for our preferred senior school which they will sit in 2021. Is this over the top or are we falling behind?

A

First of all, don’t panic! It’s very easy as a parent to worry about what other families are doing but common sense will tell us that each individual child should be treated as just that. What we would suggest you do is take a look at your child and decide whether there are any areas that a private tutor could help you with. If the entrance exam is written by the school it will normally focus on verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, Maths and/or English. If the school uses the Common
Entrance, core subjects are Maths, English and Science. If your child is at a prep school, then the school should have already given your child some coaching. If your child attends a state school then it might be sensible to prepare your child.

In either case, use a good tutor agency who can provide an objective assessment test and a mock interview so you can understand where your child is now and recommend a plan of action. And although starting a year in advance seems excessive, it’s never too soon or too late to start: remember, preparation is everything!

Kirsty Reed, Lead Tutor Consultant

Q

There is a lot of talk about gender and diversity at our school gates, in the press and in general. How are schools changing to adapt to this new environment and how can we as parents help?

A

Whilst it is positive that increasingly young people feel comfortable identifying as who they wish to be (straight, homosexual, non-binary, trans, faith, no faith etc), with this comes a responsibility for schools and families to understand what this means for their young people.

Written by educators, educational specialists, consultants, diversity practitioners and parents, Inclusion Matters is the first resource of its kind to provide background information on English state and independent schools’ statutory obligations under the Equality Act 2010. It offers practical questions in an easy-to-use checklist format to help empower parents and carers to consider and discuss a school’s commitment to LGBT+ inclusion. More and more young people are rejecting the rigid boundaries that society puts on gender labels. Schools need to catch up in order to provide an environment that young people can thrive in. Encouragingly, steps are slowly being taken; last summer saw the first independent school participating in the Pride March in Brighton, a growing number of schools are embracing the need for inclusion training for staff, and more schools are providing non-gender specific uniforms. But there is still a long way to go.

The Inclusion Matters guide is available online at diversityrolemodels.org.

Helen Semple, Senior Consultant, Executive Team

Q

A family at my son’s school recently became the guardian family of a nine-year old girl from Thailand. I have a son the same age and am interested to find out more about what it involves, the rewards and how it could affect my son.

A

International students who study in the UK should have a UK-based Education Guardian appointed by their parents to represent their child and act on the parents’ behalf in the event of an emergency. Some families choose a family friend, but many families now appoint a professional Guardianship Agency to find, check, approve, support and monitor their Guardian Family.

Guardian Families come in all shapes but most importantly they will all be ‘caring families who like the idea of supporting an overseas student in the UK. Guardian Families also need to be homeowners and provide a room with some space for clothing and a desk for studying and they will be paid according to the amount of time a student stays with them.

Having a younger child should not be a concern as the agency you choose should work hard to ensure you have the right student to fit in with your family. So whether you would prefer a similar aged child so that they can grow up together, or an older child who can act as an elder sibling, it can work to suit you. It is a wonderful experience for UK families to participate in, and to know that you and your family have helped a young person to settle in and make the most out of their UK school experience is a rewarding achievement. Friends are made for life.

Danielle Flood, Student Support Services and Guardianship Manager

 

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This article from the education consultant team at Gabbitas, first appeared in the Spring 2020 edition of Absolutely Education