4 young school girls

Results are in! Bowdon Prep finds the right senior schools for its pupils

5th April 2019

At Bowdon Prep School, we’re once again delighted by the results of the 11+ examinations and the quality and breadth of schools that our girls will be moving on to. This year, 96% of  Bowdon Prep girls sitting exams for selective independent schools, secured offers. The majority of these schools place exceptional academic attainment high in their selection process, so this is an incredible achievement, especially for a non-selective school such as ours.

 

In fact, 83% of our girls as a whole, have secured places at selective schools within the state and independent sectors. This breaks down as 42% of girls going to Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, with several others heading to Loreto Grammar School. And 41% attending independent schools including Manchester High School for Girls, Withington Girls’ School, Alderley Edge School for Girls and Cheadle Hulme School, many with academic, music and sporting scholarships. The remaining 17% are going to excellent state schools, such as North Cestrian, Wellington and Knutsford Academy.

 

Mrs Helen Gee, Headmistress of Bowdon Prep School, comments:

 

“When we enrol girls at our school, we don’t select by academic ability. For 83% of them to achieve places in highly selective schools, shows their hard work and focus, and is a testament to the academic excellence of the school. This percentage of girls is conservative too, as some of our girls achieve places in selective schools yet actually choose a different school. There are also a number who don’t take any examinations at all.

 

What matters above all else however, is that each girl goes to the school that’s right for them; a school where they feel happy and one where they will be in an environment where they flourish and succeed in all that they do.”

 

We find the right school for your daughter

With our close school community, Bowdon Prep is well placed to work with parents and offer support and expert guidance in choosing the right senior school based on your daughter’s individual needs. This is particularly important for those parents who are embarking on the senior school route for the first time. Our understanding of each girl, coupled with our first-hand knowledge of local independent and state secondary schools, enables us to advise parents on finding the school for their daughter where she will thrive. Additionally, we arrange talks from the senior schools which we feed into. This involves staff members and former pupils sharing insight about life at their school, from which our girls reap a great deal of insight and benefit. We also hold parents’ evenings and ‘Pupil Review’ meetings to support parents in making informed decisions about school choices.

 

Preparation for senior school:

Bowdon Prep is proud to give your daughter the best possible foundations for senior school. We prepare girls for moving on to a wide range of schools and familiarise them with competitive entry into some of the leading schools in the country. We are passionate that this support starts from a young age. Exam preparation for example, starts in Y3 when we start to explore reasoning skills. The 11+ preparation we offer is gradual and structured, so that the girls have a positive, stimulating and happy learning journey. The girls work with specialist teachers to devise individual targets that enable them to improve on their performance without experiencing needless pressure.

 

Our focus on academic preparation is strengthened further by encouraging extended skills in our girls such as resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness and reciprocity. This progression of emotional and social intelligence and critical thinking skills, enhances the girls’ confidence and gives them a greater breadth of capability and increased mental agility. Coupled with our top academic standards, small class sizes, extensive extra-curricular activities and outstanding facilities, we’re proud to offer an holistic education at Bowdon Prep School which will serve pupils well at senior school and in their wider future endeavours.  

 

We’ve received many positive and excited comments from our Y6 parents about the senior schools that their daughters will be moving on to, and the support that BPS have provided as part of that process. We’re proud to share with you a selection below

 

  1. Mrs Gilbert, Y6 parent, April 2019:

 

“We’re thrilled – we never even thought Alty Girls was possible. Flora had a big learning curve when she joined BPS in Y4, as her English and Maths teachers advised us that although she had grammar school potential, there was clear blue water between where she was at that point, and the entrance exam’s pass mark. The academic and wider support from BPS however has been incredible, and we can hardly believe that she went from that, to passing!

 

BPS have also ensured Flora’s thoroughly ready for the transition to senior school. Her maths teacher for example, came from a secondary school so she knew exactly what was needed. And Mrs Hughes’ pastoral care has been excellent in helping the girls develop strong emotional and social skills that will stand them in good stead.”

 

2. Mrs Birkett, Y6 parent, April 2019:

 

“We have been impressed and incredibly grateful with how BPS has supported us in deciding which senior school would be best for our daughter Harriet. Harriet was fortunate to have offers from four schools – Altrincham Grammar, Alderley Edge, Manchester High and Cheadle, and while it was a privilege to have this choice, it did make the decision process really challenging as they are all such excellent schools!

 

Mrs Gee, Mrs Walsh and Harriet’s Year 6 teachers were all there to support us in coming to the best decision for Harriet. As they know her so well and, like us, want the very best for her, they were able to provide advice tailored around her personality, academic ability and extra curricular interests. We really felt they went above and beyond  and we feel extremely happy about our final decision of Alderley Edge School for Girls.”

 

3. Mrs Cross, Y6 parent, April 2019:

 

“Our three girls are all going to North Cestrian in September. As parents, we made a decision for our girls not to sit any entrance exams. Instead, we were keen to find a senior school which mirrored BPS’ nurturing environment and one that would offer a smooth transition. BPS have been so good at accommodating our individual learning and pastoral requirements, and our girls have enjoyed a huge variety of activities whilst at the school. We’ve done everything from drama and football, to dancing and musicals!”

 

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