As the Tiffin deadline looms, is there a girls SW London grammars / indies thread yet?

Gosh no, if you get a wait list place, just go for it. There will be little difference between those that get offered and those on wait lists. You wouldn't be on the wait list if they weren't happy to have you! And yes, it seems to get harder and harder these days. So much competition.

I really wouldn't worry about accepting a waitlist place if it's offered. I know quite a few children who got in via waitlists at a lot of the schools mentioned and they've all been absolutely fine both academically and in terms of the school being the 'right fit'. Hang in there everyone!

In 2 years' time when i may (or may not) do this with DS i expect they will have to jump through hoops of fire and and land neatly on a tigers' back whilst reciting Paradies Lost.

Can't. wait.

I genuinely think each school looks for a ‘type’ of kid which then makes me sceptical about choosing a school which DD is on a waitlist for. Would she then really fit in if she was waitlisted and not an automatic yes...Also makes it much easier to explain to the kids - that school is simply not suited to you. After all they are all bright able kids.

I find this ranking thing super tough. Having gone through this once already I know plenty of boys who got into KCS but not KGS and vice versus. Boys who got into KGS but not Ibstock and vice versa. Am not so up on the girls WHS vs PHS vs SHS etc. But this ranking thing is not easy now.

@FlumePlume genuinely don’t know how we would choose between PHS and KGS so quite hoping for them to make the choice for us! Sometimes too much choice is a bad thing! And then add WHS into the mix and the confusion really starts given that is only a walk away. My DS is at KGS and absolutely loves it - as do we. So genuinely would be flummoxed if too much choice. So whilst of course it is nice to be offered a place in a few places it would also be confusing. Then add a fave waitlist to that and things really get messy

So wish they would send by email.

Better for the environment and for fees.
One of older DC didn't hear when others did for one school.
She till got it and the letter finally arrived 2(!) days later.
So sit tight everyone who didn't hear.

Why can’t they email and follow up with the post!

Just makes the whole thing more stressful for poor DD sitting waiting for the post that doesn’t come. Will no doubt plop through the letterbox tomorrow. We don’t know what our first choice is yet. KGS (she had a general interview), SHS (positive), WHS, PHS and Ibstock. We were going to wait to see where she got into and then see.

Ours didn’t arrive either.

Bad post, I imagine Bool......
Fingers crossed for tomorrow for you.

DDs PHS letter didn’t arrive yesterday. Anyone else? Bad sign?

Thanks #FlumePlume, and best of luck to your DD too. We felt the same as you about the feel of WHS. I strongly suspect that will be waiting list, Tiffin will be waiting list and we won't know where we are going for a few months. I'm sure it'll all come out in the wash, the most important thing for me is DD hadn't found this process stressful. I on the other hand am quietly going grey 😂 We are also from a state primary and don't know anyone who did the same schools so this thread has been fantastic for us.

On the other hand, I feel like I can’t get away from 11 plus as the whole year are doing at least 5 schools each!

It’s still feels like a parallel universe to me though, even though our DC have been in the independent system since reception, as I’m not British and grew up in very different circumstances and DH’s family were refugees, so no personal experience whatsoever of the independent school system or how to access “top” schools and / or unis.

I think anyone reading this thread outside London is probably .

Thank you 1ndigo and littlemisslucky2. The letter specifies that people shouldn't call for waiting list position I don't think they will give any information. It's not the favourite but the first reply. My DD wasn't bothered by the letter today but will be disappointed if WHS is the same, that was her favourite.

Well done on PHS*1ndig0! It’s a great school.

Sweetnhappy - is it your first choice? Might be worth ringing to see where you are on waiting list and telling them you are definitely interested in a place if offered. So many go for multiple schools it must be hard for the schools to assess who would actually take up a place if offered. Hopefully the waiting list will move.
Flumeplume - my dd is also coming from state and this thread has been so useful as there is no advice from a state school when applying to private or grammar. There are also very few other children doing 11+ from my daughter’s school so I haven’t really had anyone to discuss it with. This thread has kept me sane to know we’re not alone!

I’m sure that w/l will move a lot SweetAndHappy. Could be worth giving them a ring on Monday and see if you can find out where you are on the list. Was it your first choice?

The post has finally come, it's PHS waiting list for us

I think the problem with VR / NVR is that it comes in and out of fashion. For instance, LU used to use it as part of the entry exam, but then they made a statement about how they had tracked pupils progress throughout the school (ie those who scored very highly versus those who didn’t) and came to the conclusion that it was meaningless. I remember the head stating in a talk to parents that it just meant uneccessary tutoring for thousands of DC who would be far better off learning something useful. Hampton didn’t use VR / NVR either and tbh most schools didn’t, but now the Girls Consortium have made the move to use it exclusively.

Also, I think there’s a difference between VR / NVR papers (that you can bang away / hire tutors for Tiffin etc) and CAT tests. As I understood it, CAT tests are more like the IQ tests used by Ed Psychs and you can’t really alter your performance in these tests by repetition.

I know at SPGS the computer CAT test was “adaptive”, so a correct answer leads you into the next level. I’m not sure you can really prepare for this too much as it’s very different to the kind of VR or NVR in Bond books etc. That’s just my understanding though. It will be interesting to see how the new exam works out for the Consortium girls schools as nobody really knew anything about the format beyond the example on the forms they sent. I did no extra VR or NVR with DD at home, but they did have at least one weekly session on it within school. There was some homework and there was an after school club as well which they mostly all did last term.

Well done 1ndigo! Another nail biting morning waiting for the post. We also have a scholarship offer from one of the schools with a junior school (prefer not to say which one), and we are from a state school. So it can be done, and I’d say if anything they are more likely to incentivise external candidates who could be holding several offers.