I need help about Westminster School Interview

The westminster letters all go out at once (unlike the drip feed from St. Paul's) so ages to wait yet. As I recall they come about 10 days into March , but they started interviewing a week early this year, so maybe that will feed through (I know this because they do all the Wus boys first)

Also, he did say that interviews go into early Feb and offers are made sometime after half-term. I have a date of early March for offer letters in my head from somewhere. Most people will know their day school offers by then except for SPS and maybe Eton/ Winchester. I think the registrar interviews ? I liked the head. They were all very impressive without being arrogant & the sixth formers we met were equally down to earth.

Hi Pani, we have not had our interview yet but have had our heads turned by another top school so our focus is elsewhere now. Thought the open evening was so-so. No new info there and everyone seemed to be in the same boat as us - no clue as to whether their son has a realistic chance or how he did on the ISEB. Were they boarder line cases or near the top?

"Westminster is highly academic school and that's all they are looking for. I may be wrong , it is just my personal opinion."

I am not sure this is true, at least by the time they get to interview. When DS went for his SPS interview, albeit a decade ago, the person interviewing explained that they would be taking a certain number from Colet and a certain number of very very bright boys had aced the exams. This left quite a large number of bright boys chasing quite a small number of remaining places. All could cope academically and none should feel they had failed if they did not get a place. Essentially the interview would be trying to indentify which boys were naturally curious and would enjoy a SPS education.

Our son was not particuarly competitive but enjoyed learning and having clever friends. (Oh and no art, no music and decidedly B team football.) He was offered a place at SPS but accepted Westminster instead and completely loved it. I would treat the interview as a constructive process. They know a lot about your sons academic abilities and would not be interviewing them if they were not good enough. It will be about fit, so your sons should just be themselves and look forward to an interesting conversation. There are lots of good day schools in London and not all bright children do best at very selective schools.

Can we take any comfort from the fact that they got through to the interview ? Hard to know how difficult the ISEB is. There could be a wide range of scores in the top 50%. Do only the top few in a class get through l wonder? Everybody is quiet in his class on the subject so l don't know how many got through. Looking for crumbs of hope going into the 11+ exams.

The last few years they about half the field at interview , down to about 250-300 boys for 150 places, although this slightly overstates the chances as this includes circa 66 westminster under boys, most of whom get places. There is no financial incentive for them to interview excess numbers as you paid your registration fees last year before the prescreening

Well l am glad to be doing my bit to shore up Westminster School with my registration fee. I will sleep peacefully knowing that perhaps my small contribution has in some way made the Westminster boys life a little bit easier (softer loo roll or something nice like that). Suspect my DS is there to chummy up as originalmaris explained so well. Of course you never know (except you do really).

The letters do go out in dribs and drabs. No one can work it out bit tbe boys do tend to be grouped on the day by their school.

Fortunate. (I can spell really...)

Thankfully we had this all last year, so are lucky to be in the fortinate situation of having two 13+ offers on the table (assuming DS pulls his finger out and does sone work for the exams).

Where else have you applied for OP?

I suppose they tag the likely ones early on and we invite squillions along to chummy up to the schools. Entrance fees make a nice annual income for schools.

One day?? Is that for the ISEB or to register? I would have thought they'd let you slip in given the whole process goes on for years before they have the numbers of who accepts the place. I'm wondering if it's a big deal to get to the interview stage anyway? I suspect that they offer to the highest scorers in ISEB & the written exam. Doesn't matter what you say in the interview. If you are not in the top% you're not going to get in. Am l being too negative?

Hi Pani, are you going to the parents evening on the 12th ? I'm wondering if the evening will feel like I'm being led to water but not allowed to drink. We'll see how great the school is, everyone will be very nice and kind to us only to tell us a few weeks later "thanks but no thanks". I'd rather just get the whole thing over with as painlessly as possible but I suppose a no show won't look good. Have you applied to SPS?

St Paul's is (2015) a maths paper on computer and a written English paper (write your opinion about a given topic).

Then theres an interview which covered the paper and the usual questions - hobbies, subjects, books read, how would you change things at your current school, etc. Parents are also met by the head for a chat. They seem to be looking for sparky kids.