“I hope my teachers will be happy to know that the friendships I created in LJS have survived all my way through Oundle and hopefully onwards to the next chapter. I would like to thank everyone at LJS for everything they provided for me, as the memories I have will undoubtedly stay with me forever.”Rufus, Lower Sixth pupil at Oundle School
The majority of our pupils will move to Oundle School as the natural next step and we work together as one School to ensure this move is as seamless as can be. Whilst this is true, the priority is that our children move on to the right senior school for them. In some cases Oundle will not be the best option and we work closely with families and alternative senior schools to ensure that all decisions have the children’s best interests at heart.
Most pupils who have been with LJS since Reception and for whom Oundle is the right School, do not need to sit the 11+ entrance exam for Oundle School. By Years 5 to 6, we are confident in our knowledge of their academic ability and potential and in most cases, we work with Oundle to guarantee a place into either Scott House (Oundle’s Junior Day House) or The Berrystead (Oundle’s Junior Boarding House).
In the few cases where we do not feel that Oundle is the right senior school for a particular child, we work with parents to consider all options and a pupil may ultimately sit the entrance examination to ensure he or she will be able to cope with the academic rigour of an Oundle education. It is important to note that any child joining LJS after Year 4 will need to sit the 11+ entrance examination.
All families choosing Oundle as the next step will need to register with Oundle as pupils are not automatically allocated a place in Scott House or The Berrystead. This is a simplified registration process and we work closely with Oundle at both an admissions and House level to ensure the smoothest of transitions for our pupils.
In their senior years with us, we help our pupils build up both their knowledge of Oundle School and the resilience they will need for the longer school day at a larger school. We follow the progress of our pupils at Oundle with personal interest and we take great pride in the fact that in recent years, several LJS pupils have gone on to become the Head Boy and Head Girl.
It is important for parents to be aware that moving up to Oundle School cannot be guaranteed. Places at Oundle, as with all excellent senior schools, are merited and we expect all our pupils to work to the best of their ability. If we feel that the move to Oundle may not be the right one, we will start a discussion with families as early as we can, usually during Year 4.
Our approach is always supportive; every child develops at a different pace and it is therefore a real advantage to be able to gain a sense of their development and learning throughout a period of time and rather than at a single assessment point. This enables ongoing discussion between us, parents and Oundle right up to when the final decision is made, usually by the end of Year 5. A child’s happiness and the fulfilment of his or her future potential is always at the heart of our decision-making.
We are proud that each year, a number of LJS pupils achieve Academic Scholarships and Music Exhibition awards for Oundle School. Academic Scholarships can be applied for on the recommendation of the Head of LJS, with candidates then sitting the 11+ entrance exam, achieving highly, and performing well on the subsequent scholarship papers.
Music Exhibitions can be applied for by LJS families under guidance from our Director of Music; children then audition alongside other candidates and the top musicians are awarded a Scholarship or Exhibition by Oundle School.
"The interests I developed at LJS, like playing chess and numerous sports, definitely equipped me for Oundle. In hindsight, I am especially glad I seized the opportunities that LJS provided me with as it definitely smoothened the transition to Oundle.”Amy (Upper Sixth pupil at Oundle School)
You are more than welcome to visit Oundle School for a tour of the wonderful school grounds.
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