Magdalen College School tutors
Magdalen College School entrance guide
Magdalen College School is an historic and prestigious educational institution that boasts a truly impressive alumni. It prides itself on being ‘rigorous’ but ‘relaxed’, ‘ambitious’ but also ‘down to earth’ – it could also be described as ‘elite’, ‘historic ‘and ‘thorough’. Beyond academics, the opportunities that are on offer at the school are second to none.
Below, you will find a guide put together by one of our school entrance tutors, who has extensive experience supporting applicants to Magdalen College School (MCS).
11 Plus Magdalen College Guide
Ally, is a qualified teacher and experienced school entrance specialist, who has supported a number of applicants to Magdalen College over the years. So, the claim on the school website is that boys don’t need to have special preparation to sit the 11+ entrance tests. This is a popular phrase with most, if not all academically selective schools. Unfortunately, children are not born with a natural ability to pass tests, and this is a skill that needs to be learned. Whilst you don’t need to use a tutor to succeed in obtaining a place at the school, you will probably have to do exam preparation outside of school due the sheer fact that these processes are extremely competitive.The Magdalen College School Selection Process (11 Plus)
The MCS selection process has a slightly different format to most of the London schools; namely, the English exam comprises of two written tasks (rather than the standard comprehension and written task); one fiction and the other non-fiction. This is accompanied by an hour-long maths and a 45-minute verbal reasoning test. These are closer to the assessments found in other schools, but it is worth ensuring your child is working towards the upper end of their year. For example mental arithmetic practice will not only help them in their assessments, but also during the interview stage. In the afternoon, boys remain at the school for an afternoon of activities which are designed to be relaxed and fun. This will also be an opportunity for pupil's to experience 'School life' and meet representatives from the current cohort of students.The 11 plus Interview at Magdalen College School
It's worth bearing in mind that although the formal assessments have ended, boys will be monitored for courteous behaviour, as they would at the current schools. The results of the entry test determine who are invited back to interview and this is where the panel take the chance to assess the pupil’s analysis of a short text, which they will be required to read and comment on; carry out some follow up maths questions and get to know the boys’ interests and hobbies. It's important that pupils are not over-prepped for interviews as the interviewer (usually a senior member of staff) will be able to distinguish between recited responses and genuine thoughts. A great way to prepare is to have frequent discussions at home about current affairs, favourite books and hobbies etc. The more your child discusses these things, the easier they will be able to talk about them in a new environment. These assessments are designed to select the ‘most promising’ pupils for their schools. It is no secret that these tests are challenging, and push children far beyond age expected expectations. But every year I see pupils develop, grow and exceed what they thought they were capable of!Click here to access the official Magdalen College School website
Amy was an amazing tutor to my two boys while we were based in London. I have just received feedback from my son’s school teacher that the work Amy taught him while we were away had extended him beyond the curriculum and she was super impressed with what he had learned! Lovely person, we are thankful to her. Highly recommend.
My daughter was very close to her Science GCSEs and had asked us to arrange a couple of months tuition for her to increase her confidence and help her to increase her grades by a point or two. I was delighted and relieved by how quickly I was put in touch with John and how quickly we were able to schedule sessions. I shared her mock papers with him and he was able to pinpoint where to target his sessions providing her with relevant practice questions in the interim. She came out of Chemistry saying it was the best exam of her life ! Thanks John for delivering exactly what we needed. Will not hesitate to reach out to Owl in the future.
Alison is an excellent tutor, who engaged immediately with our daughter, quickly establishing the gaps in her knowledge and the exam techniques she needed to master in order to succeed. We had a limited timeframe to prep for an academically challenging exam, but Ali filled us with confidence that our daughter could achieve what she needed to. Ali taught with kindness and encouragement and our daughter actively looked forward to her sessions and felt motivated by the feedback Ali gave her. I would not hesitate to recommend Ali to any family looking for a tutor.
