RGS Guildford 2018

[Rianna]

I’ve had so much fun lurking on the entrance test threads in the last years - now it’s my son’s turn .
Still 10 days to go but I’m starting the thread .
Sitting a couple of other schools as well so maybe we could start a general ‘ Surrey entrance exams ‘ thread ( fun ;-)! )
DS ‘s first exam is in two days time .
He’s preparing himself by playing computer games . I let it go as I don’t believe in prepping children too much for these exams - . I just want him to be relaxed .

[gingerclementine]

Good luck! Great school. Where else is he sitting for?

[Rianna]

St George’s and Claremont.
I think he’s borderline RGS so am not too stressed about it . I agree it’s a great school though . If he does get in , he should give it a try ( he’s not so motivated at the moment ).

[trinity0097]

That’s a good mix of schools - well done for not just going for Uber competitive to get in ones!

Is he at a prep school now where he has been doing lots of prep?

[Rianna]

He has done enough Trinity .
He’s been to at good school . Yes he says there’s a few points with maths that he doesn’t get but although he’s not the best of the class , I think he’s good enough . I don’t want to overprepare him as a. I’m too lazy b . He’s lazy too . With us being so lazy , he needs to go to a school that he can do easily . His brother is at RGS but he’s lazy too . So basically if he can get in it’s ok but if I have to prepare him none of us will be able to keep that up :-). VR score has not changed significantly since yr 3 so no point doing that either . He never finishes an essay but the school only sort of noticed that last term and frankly , it’s too late to do something about that now .So his exams are hopefully going to be the sorting hat .
We see where he gets in and then he can choose .

[trinity0097]

A healthy attitude!

[gingerclementine]

St George's is great too. All the children I know from there are happy, polite and seem to be encouraged to play to their own strengths, whatever they are.

[gingerclementine]

Rinaa DS2 was like that - never finished an essay, or any piece of work if he could get away with it. Got into RGS and is still fairly lazy but their work ethic has rubbed off on him more than if he'd been at a more laid back school.

[gingerclementine]

Rianna, not Rinaa

[sazzy5]

Both my DS are at RGS. My DS1 was lazy and still is but doing ok. DS2 is a much harder worker and doing better than DS1 but deserves to. You are doing a good spread of schools and not too many either I remember some were taking over 10 last year. Good luck!

[Rianna]

Nice to hear from you ladies ! I do like RGS , I think it’s very organised , teachers respond promptly to worries , the teachers are enthusiastic, the boys are generally a nice bunch . Only I think there’s no point worrying too much if DS2 will get in . If he does , it’s for him , if he doesn’t , it wasn’t for him .
We like both other schools too .
But even if any outcome is ok for me , I will still be glad when all this is over . I do feel for mother’s who don’t feel they have a good alternative ... stressful days !

[SheilaFentiman]

Good luck Rianna

[Rianna]

We’re nearly there - exam next week . What’s new compared to previous years is all these kids from London competing for places in Surrey schools as well . We’ve done two exams now . One went well , one was a disaster . Am looking forward for this thread to become more active after the RGS exam .

[IvySquirrel]

Just to say good luck to all those doing in the entrance exam today. I have 2 at RGS also, now coming up to A levels/GCSEs and it's been absolutely brilliant for both of them

[cmjmama]

Hi all, here we are again, how did everyone find the exam. Anyone got any details on the train question at the end of the maths exam?

[Evalina]

Hi - DS also did the entrance exams on Saturday - for 13+ entry. He seemed pretty positive especially about the English/Verbal Reasoning. Maths was always going to be more challenging for him, and I doubt he got as far as the train question at the end of the exam as he tends not to work fast enough.

He's also borderline for RGS so if he gets a place it will be upside rather than a real disappointment - trying to keep that thought in mind!

[stressfultime]

Well here we are - having lurked like many others on this site for a year or so, we are now waiting for results too! Like your ds Evalina, Maths was tough - no mention of a train question I'm afraid cmjmama.

[Frazzledmumofboys]

Hi All
My son sat the exam on Saturday. Do you have any idea when the second exam recalls get posted? Given the first possible day is next Tuesday I would hope it's soon!
Do the outright 'no's get posted then too do you know?
Thanks

[sazzy5]

Hi
The call backs, scholarships and out right no's get sent out through this week and I think some still came through the next week. That is why they always say no news is good news. However I know in the year we did it there were no's coming right up to the end of Jan. It's a hideous process which makes you stalk the post each day. Good luck.

[cmjmama]

not my previous experience there are no outright no's for a couple of weeks I am afraid. They may have smoothed the process. For us if we don't get called back to do another test we have not done well enough to even get called back and are definitely out. Two years ago the definite no's came out in three batches over about two weeks. If you hear nothing at all from now until end of Jan you should be in I think he said on Saturday. If you get called back for a second test then you just don't know until the results come out in Feb.

[sazzy5]

Cmjmama last year the out right no’s got sent out over this week and up until the end of a jan. The call backs and scholarships are out very quickly normally from now onwards. The tough bit is not knowing if all the no’s have gone out as I know no one wants to tell you for obvious reasons. We also had someone who got their no on 31sr Jan I seem to remember.

[Rianna]

Hello ladies (?) . Feedback was that 2 pages of maths were hard so fat chance for us . The rejection and interview letters could come any moment now .
The brownie was nice 👍
The chips less .
I’m finding it all very stressful as felt DS was my first child who was not prepared well for the exams - as prep school still focussed more on 13+. I’ve heard the same stories from more mums . I’ve let him sit Reeds in the end too and he likes it there , great chips . So fingers crossed . We applied everywhere for 11 entrance and I hope it’s not a disadvantage coming from a prep school . What will be will be ( as long as I do t have to homeschool him 😂). I met some very nice people on Saturday. It’s a great school and I wish your sons all the best . I’ll keel you updated when our letter comes !

[anthos]

Rianna, DS also liked the brownie and sausages but the chips were weird! Agree with the 'what will be.' Who knows what they do on the day and what the schools are looking for. It is the wait that is painful...good luck!

DS came out happy having really enjoyed a nice day out, despite the dodgy chips! How a bunch of exams can be considered a nice day out, I also have no idea. English/VR was fine, interview 'fun' and he enjoyed the English topic. Maths is a strength but he also found that tricky and was pushed for time as he had a few questions left, that he left blank.

cmjmama DS thinks he remembers a largish train question, said it was straightforward though but no idea where it was and what it was about and thinks it was at the front. I am now paranoid he did the maths paper backwards.

[Rianna]

A nice day out 😂. Not for mine . But I didn’t make him go , I gave him the option . I hear so many stories of children rejected at Surrey schools this year though ...

[Frazzledmumofboys]

The highlight of the day for mine was the Brownie. No letters here yet....

[Rianna]

I asked about the train question . He said he was too tired during the exam so figured it out at home instead....