MOVING ON
When the time comes for your child to leave Walhampton to move on to senior school it is always a time filled with mixed emotions. We work to make this experience as natural and exciting as possible. However, experience shows there will be the inevitable tears and laughter, goodbyes and hugs, memories and dreams as the final days of the final term arrive. No one would have it any other way.
Dedicated senior school liaison
Transfer to senior school usually takes place at the end of Year 8. To help parents through the application process, we have a team which includes:
- the Head, who has forged good relationships with senior school heads
- the Future Schools Coordinator and the Deputy Head, who have experience of the academic levels and options available
Our team will support parents and pupils in selecting suitable schools and then in understanding their application process through to gaining a place. The process of identifying future schools typically starts during Year 5 but we work with each family individually and if you are joining Walhampton in Year 6 or 7 we can advise on the right course of action for your child.
Most pupils moving on at the end of Year 8 will sit Common Entrance exams in the June of that year, however some entrance tests are earlier in the year. Papers are generally marked by the senior schools. An increasing number of schools also use pre-tests which are generally taken in the autumn term of Year 6 or Year 7. These are computer-based adaptive assessments which include verbal and non-verbal reasoning, mathematical reasoning and an English task.
Those leaving at the end of Year 6 generally sit papers in English, maths, verbal and/or non-verbal reasoning. These are usually in November or January of Year 6. Some schools set their own papers and others use Common Entrance 11+ exams.
By the time they leave Walhampton, we aim to have nurtured and supported every pupil to ensure they have the roots they need to grow strong and sure. We also strive tirelessly to give our pupils the wings of inner confidence and resilience that they need to succeed in the next stage of their life.
We work closely with parents and the child to consider and narrow down their senior school options. Our senior staff will then assist parents, up to and including the admissions process to private senior school, as they make their final decision.
We proudly send girls and boys on to some of the most highly regarded schools in Hampshire and Dorset, as well as the rest of the UK. The main ones we regularly deal with include:
Scholarships and awards to senior schools
Senior school scholarships, which can be an important factor when considering your choice of senior school, are not limited to academic subjects. Schools may offer awards at age 13 in music, drama, art, sport, equine and technology or a combination of these as all-rounder scholarships.
Our Heads of Department have years of experience and knowledge about the scholarship process and will be able to give parents informed but unbiased advice on their child’s chances of success. They will also help and guide the children as they prepare for scholarships.
Track record of Year 8 leavers
Our Year 8 leavers typically move on to 10-15 different senior schools each year. The top 10 destination schools for our 2022-2025 13+ leavers are:
- Ballard
- Bryanston
- Canford
- Embley
- Eton College
- King Edward VI School
- Radley
- Sherborne (boys and girls)
- Wellington College
- Winchester College
Our current Year 8 have been awarded 19 scholarship or exhibition awards to their future schools. 46% of our Year 8 have been participating in our Hordle House Scholarship Programme which helps in their preparation for their senior school scholarship assessment.
There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give to our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings.
— HODDING CARTER
The Educational Journey
