Can you transfer from state education to private school?

Yes. Many pupils in independent secondary schools have attended state primary schools, but the proportions vary enormously, from under 1% to over 80%. There is a growing trend for popular senior schools to start their own junior schools and this will naturally reduce their intake from state schools. Looking ahead, parents may wish their child to attend a school that offers the International Baccalaureate in preference to A-level.

For parents the good news is that the majority of secondary heads see no problem in transferring from a state school. Many are more positive ('a very stimulating move'). And the bad news? Very little, but you will need to concentrate on three issues.

Transfer age

It is usually easiest to move from a state school to a private school at 11 (or 12 in Scotland) or when going into the sixth form, as these are the normal points to change school in many children's lives; at other ages it can be more difficult. Schools that recruit at 11 often draw large numbers from local primary schools whereas those recruiting at 13 (usually boys' schools using the Common Entrance) have very few.

Entrance examination

Where schools set their own entrance exams, they are often well suited to state school pupils; Common Entrance is less approachable for children who have not attended private prep schools. Candidates should be properly prepared for the exam, particularly if it is a highly selective senior school, and parents often consider private tutoring to help their children achieve their best.

Settling in

At 11, there are few problems although pupils from state junior schools are unlikely to have learnt a language, in contrast to pupils from independent junior schools. At 16, after GCSE, there can be problems for science pupils transferring into an independent sixth form for A-level, particularly if they are the only one to have taken integrated science at GCSE; they may also find that they are not ready for an AS-level maths course. Neither is a real barrier to those prepared to work hard and difficulties can be overcome with the right approach.

Problems are very rare. Surprises - such as classroom silence after the hubbub of a primary school, or weekly tests in different subjects - are associated with the transfer to any senior school, not restricted to the transfer between the state and independent systems.