Moving from prep school to senior school is a poignant interval in your child’s educational journey and it should be one full of excitement for the new opportunities and experiences ahead. At The Hampshire School Chelsea, our priority is to ensure that your child is fully prepared for the transition and that your child’s development continues at their future school with the right level of challenge. Finding the right fit is key to a successful transition to senior school; it is not only a matter of being successful in the entrance assessment or navigating the first term in a new school, it is about having a real sense of belonging and being able to access the breadth of a school’s curriculum.
 
There is also something else to consider... the timing. Senior schools in the UK traditionally have entry points at Year 7 and Year 9. Within the independent schools sector, at age 13 the transition from prep school to senior school follows a pre-determined and clearly defined path. That said, choice is opening up for your child to transition to senior school at the end of Year 6 in the independent sector; the traditional time for most children in English state schools to move on to secondary schools. In London, the 11+ Consortium schools for girls and some co-educational and boys schools follow this trend with an ever increasing burgeoning of applications for a relatively small number of places. It may be worth considering that your child will be competing with private and state children for a place at 11+, whereas at 13 they are competing mainly against traditional 13+ prep schools. The majority of HMC schools, considered to be top-notched schools, only accept pupils into Year 9. Consequently, whether to support your child’s transition at 11+ or 13+ is one that you will want to weigh-up carefully.
Staying on has clear advantages. At The Hampshire School Chelsea, we are fortunate to be able to offer tailored educational provision in the prep school due to exceptional staff:pupil ratios and generous resources. Further, we can offer a personalised programme of preparation in Year 7 and Year 8 for your child through Common Entrance or the senior schools’ own entrance tests which provide an excellent transition and preparation for the challenges of GCSEs and beyond. This is delivered within a nurturing, personalised, learning environment, whereas, in a senior school those in Year 7 and Year 8 might perhaps have less of a key focus.
Our staff know your child well, their individual strengths and ambitions as well as family circumstances. We are ambitious for every child and we take great pride securing first choice places at senior schools at 11+ or 13+, with scholarships where appropriate. Our leavers’ destinations are testament to this. Whether it be at 11 or 13, we know that every leaver goes on from The Hampshire School Chelsea intellectually confident, socially adept and ready to meet the challenges of senior school and the world beyond.
My advice to you is to decide on the right senior school, at the right time, based on what your instinct tells you.
Building on the success of the inaugural Senior Schools Fayre in 2019, this year’s virtual Senior Schools Information Event and 2020 Senior Schools Transition booklet were designed with you in mind, and I look forward to supporting you through the 11+ and 13+ process.