The Trinity-Whitgift-South London school 10+/11+ thread of 2014

[Ladymuck]

A few days early I know, but most of the entrance exams will be out of the way in a fortnight or so, and I'm sure there are a number of us who are in need of or or as we watch our (still very little) boys forget everything that they may have learned over the last couple of years. And there are many veterans of the process who will hopefully be around to reassure us that we will all come through this unscathed.

[Ladymuck]

Great, a typo in the title. And I was about to say that it would be so much easier if I were able to sit the exam instead.

[makemelaugh]

Good luck! Went through this last year. Trinity exam was a fantastic experience. DS was shown a bit of a movie after arrival, given a hot lunch and afterwards some play time!

[Ladymuck]

Thanks. Yes, I heard that Tintin went down well. We know several girls who have had taster events at their schools prior to the exams, which seem to have been powerful marketing tools (more directly tied into the application process than the sports courses at Whitgift/Trinity say). But in this immediate area there seem to be fair less competition for the girls only schools.

[Ladymuck]

Out of interest how did your ds do last year, and is he now happy?

[havinganightmare]

Did Whitgift two years ago - cannot believe it was that long! You will not only come out unscathed as you know well, but also with a few new online mates to support going forward! Ask away if you need specific W info but it's all a bit sketchy now!!

[bickie]

What was the Whitgift/Trinity debate of other years? This is my first year of 11+ hell so not experienced. Is it hand holding over any schools or just those two?

[Ladymuck]

Never really a debate as such, but more a hand holding in particular during the exam, the 3 week interview process and beyond (stalking the postman). Whether there are more MNers going for those 2 schools or not I'm not sure, but there are several every year, and I know that there are a number of MNers already posting various questions in the runup. As most boys seem to sit 3 schools now I extended the title as I know there are boys also sitting Dulwich, Alleyns, City etc, but W & T seem to always attract MNers.

Ds is still on a break, and we're visiting relatives so our last minute prep starts tomorrow. I'm really hoping that he hasn't forgotten everything that he has learned!

[bickie]

Oh ok - I have a girl and the equivalent in same neck of the wood seems to be Putney High, Wimbledon high, Godolphin and Latymer. Also St Pauls, but happily that is out of our league!

Any one else looking at them? I loved the Wimbledon High head and just received a letter to say she is leaving - big shame as she had great philosophy on educating women.

[Ladymuck]

Did the letter say who will be coming in? Changes at the top are always tricky, though it helps if the rest of the SMT stay in place.

[stressedofstreatham]

Bickie.Ditto your post! Very difficult to tell how DDS will do as Wimbledon is only vr and NVR with no eng or maths. Which is your DDS fav school? And is it yours too? Pm me if you prefer as glad to find another dd mum. Everyone seems to have boys.

[Ladymuck]

I'm not so sure about the thought that everyone has boys, but more that few girls go for the girls only schools. In my neck of the woods Old Palace, Sutton High, Croydon High and Woldingham are the girls only options (Greenacre being the non selective option) but even Croydon High only got 170 external applicants for 60 odd places (and I guess will have offered over 120 girls) so it feels like a very different playing field.

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

I am (happily) done with herding my DSs through Trinity/Whitgift* and have a few years before I have to start whipping Y3 DD into doing practice. :)

• although I now have a stroppy teenaged DS1 to motivate into doing work. I'm not sure it's an easier!

[Ladymuck]

Hmm choosing a school for a dd will be tricky I think.

Can you remember the meal offerings at T? I suspect that the lunches will be significant in ds's decision making process!

[MinesACuppa]

Another one with a dd here. She has an offer at Sutton High already but is going to do PHS and WHS as well. We already have a dd at WHS and are very sad that the head is leaving.
No idea how dd will do on these papers - especially the WHS NVR/VR, so we are glad to have an offer in the bag already. On a good day she'll get 80%+ on a maths paper, on a bad day it is 30%. So it is completely unpredictable
I shall be drinking lots of until it's all done and dusted.
PM me if you want to chat more - I've spoken to some of you under other names before, I think.

[CheezePlease]

Hello everyone! DS doing T 10+. coerced persuaded him to try a bit of timed creative writing practice today having not done any since holidays started. He managed to pen 2 dull paragraphs completely unrelated to the title before flaking out and throwing pen on floor in paddy at end of time. Yikes. Was a lot quicker before the hols, needs to get back into shape by the 11th!

[Teddingtonmum1]

Hi
Taking my seat on the bench DS is just back from his dads where he had done nowt over Xmas, its going to be be head down from tomorrow .... Nerves are kicking mine not his !!!

[Teddingtonmum1]

Sorry we are sitting whitgift on the 9th for the 11+

[Noseynoonoo]

I'm a few years off this. I'm amazed / worried that so much last minute cramming is required. Have they still not devised a way to assess children that shows intelligence/attitude etc rather than how much study/tutoring has been endured. Not looking forward to that at all.

Ladymuck, you seem to know a lot about the process. What is the ratio of applicants:places at Whitgift and Trinity. Are they far more difficult to get into than the CHS?

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

The last week of term's menu at T is here but DSs seem to spend all their funds on things called "Trinity Treat" and "cookies and brownies"

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

Have they still not devised a way to assess children that shows intelligence/attitude etc

I was told that the interview is a good way of spotting the heavily tutored children.

[MrsSteptoe]

I think DS has been heavily tutored at 1 hour/week for maths for Y4 and then an hour for Maths and an hour for English since the beginning of Y5 - we did more because he gets no homework from school and we didn't set much ourselves (till recently) so we thought it sort of evened out - is that heavily tutored? I have no idea.

[Ladymuck]

The ratios vary from between 5:1 for 10+ to around 9:1 for 11+. Those are "applicants per place". The schools tend to be guarded about their offer/place ratio, but as most boys sit 3 schools and can only attend 1, it isn't unreasonable to expect a 2:1 offer to place ratio.

For my part the last minute cramming is more about the nature of 10 year old boys and how they best perform. I know that ds is capable of doing well, but he is equally capable of telling me that 3 x 8 = 32 and writing a story using only the connective "and" and verbs "said" and "ran".

The one problem with MN is that you might get the impression that every child sitting is equally prepared, we are the extreme mothers on the whole. The vast majority of boys who will be sitting probably won't be cramming.

[MrsSteptoe]

Ladymuck, I'm so glad to read your second paragraph.

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

No, that isn't "heavily tutored" :)

[Clavinova]

We have DS1's prep school friend here at the moment - he thinks he ate fish and chips and chocolate sponge cake at the Trinity exam last year.