Key stage 2 education & secondary schools

Your daughter will by now be happily enjoying school life. She will be taking on more responsibility within school, getting used to homework and a more exciting and demanding curriculum.

If she is attending an independent school, your daughter is likely to:

• Encounter more specialist teachers
• Have a more formal timetable than before.
• Have more homework
• Have more opportunities to join clubs and after-school activities

It will be important for your daughter to learn to look after her own belongings and to remember to have the right books and equipment at home and at school. You can help her learn to be organised by encouraging her to think about everything she needs to do each day rather than doing it for her.

The extra-curricular options open to your daughter will increase dramatically during this time. This is a chance for her to discover new interests and talents. She may have the opportunity of representing her school in sports teams or competing in local music or drama competitions.

There will be local organisations she could join such as Brownies, youth theatre and music ensembles. She may want to pursue her individual skills, perhaps in sport or music.

Time to play is important, too, so make sure your daughter’s schedule gives her time to relax!

In some schools she will be preparing to take her Key Stage 2 tests at the end of Year 6. The results of these tests may be used by her secondary school to help them assess her academic ability on entering the school. Many independent schools do not do Key Stage testing, and many independent secondary schools do not use these test results in any part of their admissions process.

However, if your daughter is taking Key Stage 2 tests you will want to help her prepare and do her best. Click here to learn how you can help your daughter prepare for SATs (Q7 in the FAQs)

Choosing a secondary school

You will be starting to think about which is the best secondary school for your daughter. Choosing the right school can seem a daunting and stressful task. Here are some factors you might like to consider to help you make your decision.

Location

Be realistic about how your daughter will get to and from school. Remember that she will have after school or weekend activities including matches, drama rehearsals, music evenings that happen outside normal school hours. You will also want to attend many of these activities, so don’t underestimate the additional burden that a long journey may entail for all of you.

Academic standards

Remember that exam league tables are only one measure of a school’s success. You will want your daughter’s education to be more than just her exam results. Find out where leavers go on to continue their education. Do they reach their first choice of destination? What does the school say about its “value added”? This is a measure of pupils’ final achievements compared to what might have been expected, based on their attainment when they joined the school.

Size of school and class size

The size of a school can have a big impact on how a child feels about school. Will your daughter thrive in a large, bustling environment or would the opportunity to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond suit her better? Check average class sizes, too. Smaller classes generally mean more teacher input per pupil.

Single-sex or co-ed There is lots of information about the benefits of single-sex education for girls on this site for example What Girls’ schools Offer or What the Experts Say

Again, this isn’t necessarily an either/or question as there will be schools which are co-educational for some age groups but offer single-sex teaching for others.

Independent or state?

Find out about all the secondary schools in your area. Don’t assume that fee-paying schools are beyond your means. Many offer means-tested bursaries and/or scholarships. Read more about finding the fees…

If you live in an area where the best and most popular state schools are oversubscribed, find out about their admissions criteria well in advance and what the options are if you don’t get your preferred choice.

School facilities

Don’t get seduced by state-of- the-art facilities. The ethos and “feel” of a school are more important than buildings and excellent teaching and learning can take place in very modest surroundings.

Changing at 11 or 13

The majority of girls will move to their senior school at 11. However, some maintained schools operate a middle-school system with transfer at 13 and many independent prep schools continue to 13 with senior schools beginning in year 9. If this is an option in your area, think about it carefully. Some pupils benefit enormously from the extra two years of being the oldest in their school between 11 and 13.

All-through schools

Some schools will take pupils right through from the age of 2 or 3 to 18. This can give fantastic continuity of educational provision and the forming of important long-lasting friendships – for parents as well as pupils!

Day or boarding?

This is not necessarily an either/or question. Many boarding schools offer weekly or flexi-boarding which can be an ideal solution for busy families where both parents work. Families whose work may cause them to relocate often choose boarding schools so that their children’s education is not interrupted at a crucial time. It’s not only independent schools that offer boarding, either. For information on state boarding schools go to www.sbsa.org.uk and for more general information about the benefits of boarding, see www.boarding.org.uk or read a family’s experiences in our Case study section. Also click here to read about all aspects of modern boarding.

Special needs

If your child has additional learning needs, requires support or is particularly gifted, you will want to know that the school you choose will provide the right environment and resources for her to thrive. Ask to meet the special needs co-ordinator as well as the Head when you visit to discuss these issues fully.

Faith schools

Faith schools have received a great deal of publicity recently, both positive and negative. Critics argue that they are exclusive and do not promote religious tolerance. Supporters argue the opposite – that pupils learn about other faiths and that such schools often have dedicated teachers, a caring and supportive ethos and excellent results. Visit and talk to people – and make your own decision.

For more top tips on choosing a secondary school click here

Smoothing the Move to a New School

Your daughter’s new school is decided and soon she will be heading off for her first day. Click here for tips on how to help your daughter settle into her new school.

Remember, the school wants your daughter to settle quickly and well-just as much as you do. Her teachers will be sensitive to her fears and experienced in dealing with them.