Top girls’ schools scrap 11-plus

A GROUP of the most elite girls’ private schools is scrapping the 11-plus because it puts too much stress on children.

The North London Independent Girls’ Schools’ Consortium is dropping its tough entrance exams from 2019 in a bid to halt the ‘dreadful prepping’ and ‘overtutoring’ many girls are put through.

There have long been concerns pushy parents are putting excessive pressure on their daughters to perform well, paying through the nose for tutoring.

Lucy Elphinstone, headmistress at Francis Holland School in Sloane Square, which is part of the group, said the consortium is scrapping the tests because it ‘is so concerned about mental health of children arising from over-tutoring’.

She added: ‘We want to see what a child’s baseline potential and ability is, and cut through the ability of a parent to pay for tutoring – which will do so much damage to the child’s emotional wellbeing it’s completely a waste of time.’

The 11-plus features a maths test and ‘full written test’, including comprehension and creative writing.

The 12 schools of the consortium – which also include Queen’s Gate, and Godolphin and Latymer – will have a shorter ‘verbal reasoning’ test, but the main focus will be on interviews.

Mrs Elphinstone said at the Tatler Schools Live conference in London that the new approach would be fairer for pupils whose parents can’t afford tutors.

She said the verbal reasoning test will be similar to those carried out in primary schools so children will be used to them, and are ‘tutor-proof’ because ‘you can’t sit a child down and endlessly do verbal reasoning tests’.

The interview will aim to find those who are ‘intelligent in different ways’, such as problem solving and being creative.