Upcoming girls’ independent SW London schools 11+ exams

@Stircrazyschoolmum we were told W Test results by end of January

@dazedandconfused11plus I hear you! We’ve lost all the usual bribes!! I’ve resorted to offering to play scrabble, jigsaws or baking which has just about limped us through but the novelty will wear off...

@MumsRule20 that’s interesting about the art scholarship, they did the same for drama.. the monologue had to be recorded on a usb stick and hand delivered! DD is ‘supposed’ to be sitting the exam at her primary in her bubble with Emanuel invigilators but I guess that depends on the school remaining open!

As an aside, has anyone any insider intel on when the Wandsworth Test results might be released. In borough have been told ‘Jan’ did out of borough candidates get anything more specific?

DD's last exam is Surbiton. I "think" it's going to be ok...! (and kudos to them for taking a proactive approach right from the start to all this)

Does anyone know if Surbiton age-standardise the results? I have a vague recollection of LEH mentioning they do, so wondered if other schools doing paper-based assessments will be standardised??

Hard to motivate the DD with any revision right now. It's not like we can say, oooh don't worry darling - after the exam we'll go out for a meal/cinema/playdate/shopping spree/insert something actually fun!

Definitely it will be not ISEB. But not really sure how they expect the students to put answers on paper noting down the correct question numbers from screen and do all this in the same time as a written paper.
Also , additional time for scrolling the screen to go back to any questions left . Just think it is very unfair rolling it out so late on the day !

Yes definitely - no multiple choice at all. Comprehension/ creative writing for English and word problems for Maths I would imagine. Argh!

Yes and I don’t think it will be multiple choice - more there will be a space to enter or upload answers (plus creative writing)

Yes there’s an English and maths paper rather than an ISEB/ CEM format

I don’t think the KGS exams will be like the ISEB ones. Reading the email it sounds as though the questions require a “written” answer. They can be typed in directly or written on paper, photographed and uploaded - although don’t quite me, I just read it quickly! That way they won’t be different to the kids taking the tests at their primary/ preps

Every child was put into groups with different times/ days and those will remain the same now. I’m pretty sure they use their own papers. Won’t know more until a sample arrived next week! It’s all pretty head-spinning :-)

@NoToMisogyny thank you ! Are they to be taken at a specific time ?
You don’t know what board they will be using yet ? Or using their own papers ?
We are not applying, just curious.

It says that if your child was going to sit the exam at their school they still can. No idea what that means in terms of the process though - presumably the teachers will then invigilate but the kids will still need to sit the exam online.

The KGS exams are going to be sat at home

@Stircrazyschoolmum I am with you on Emanuel. Personally, I cannot see that they will shift anything at the moment as their paper is so school specific and some things you would have thought they might have done, they haven’t (yet).

However, they did change the process at later stage for those applying for Art Scholarship. A task which traditionally by invite only has now been set to be done at home and then submitted with physical portfolio which has to be dropped off in person at beginning of Jan. Oddly, City of London did theirs via a digital submission and decided some time back and I haven’t been able to work out why Emanuel didn’t opt to do the same and make it an easier process at this time all things considered?

The whole thing is painstaking navigating and keeping the motivation at this time. Not sure how I feel about my child going to sit another paper exam at this time with all so fluctuating.

About KGS moving online, where will the DC be sitting the tests now ? Is that still going to take place on site or are they trying to get them done in the DCs own schools ?
It sounds like there is a format out there, but I believe they generally don’t need to show their workings

KGS only want parents in the room at the start and end of the exams. Their staff will be remotely invigilating and it will all be recorded in case their is suspicion re cheating. All sounds very thorough and as cheat-proof as humanly possible. Although I find it depressing that anyone would even think of cheating!

Argh! I knew the ones that stuck to their guns would come unstuck!

I’m wondering how late in the day Emanuel will leave it to declare something similar.. I hate the fact poor DD could be wasting precious holiday time practicing the wrong thing...

@Trialsat11 big hug to you and your DD.. and to any others in the same position.

@Trialsat11 are they asking parents to supervise the exam at home?

KGS has changed their exam to online now and the sample paper doesn’t come in till next week :(
Does anyone know how online paper exams work as we haven’t given one before except the ISEB . Can students skip a question and come back to it later ? Do they need to show the working for Maths on the answer sheet ?
I have so much empathy for anyone sitting the 11+ process this year . Sheer madness with so many changes !

[quote Stircrazyschoolmum]@blackheathdad. You have a valid point and I think if indie school fees are going to compromise your lifestyle in anyway then absolutely this is the right path to take (always assuming you have a decent state option). I think also, if you have a middling bright child and only uber academic indie options then a good state choice can allow your child to be top set as opposed to bumping along the bottom and this is what we did for our DS who is very happy and getting 8’s/9’s at his good state comp.

HOWEVER.. if you have a perfectionist, competitive DD who needs extra pastoral attention, or a DC who is very into extracurricular activities, one who might flourish more in single sex or one who
gets very agitated by mischievous kids, then maybe (not always, just maybe) an indie bound deliver something more tailored to their needs.. purely a personal view and actually not what this thread is all about. However, I didn’t want your query to go unanswered. State is getting really
squeezed for funds right now so it’s a very individual decision based on your circumstances, your DC and your options.. hope that helps a bit?

Ps.. purely cynically.. some academic indies will of course choose brightest kids as their GCSE / A Level output is their best marketing tool. Not saying I agree with that but it’s definitely happening.. plus they want kids to be fast learners and keep up so they have band width for multiple extracurricular activities which are also good marketing tools.. they are businesses after all..[/quote]
hello stir crazy .. all the reasons you state re wanting to go private is correct .. i just dont think the schools look at it that way

@blackheathdad. You have a valid point and I think if indie school fees are going to compromise your lifestyle in anyway then absolutely this is the right path to take (always assuming you have a decent state option). I think also, if you have a middling bright child and only uber academic indie options then a good state choice can allow your child to be top set as opposed to bumping along the bottom and this is what we did for our DS who is very happy and getting 8’s/9’s at his good state comp.

HOWEVER.. if you have a perfectionist, competitive DD who needs extra pastoral attention, or a DC who is very into extracurricular activities, one who might flourish more in single sex or one who
gets very agitated by mischievous kids, then maybe (not always, just maybe) an indie bound deliver something more tailored to their needs.. purely a personal view and actually not what this thread is all about. However, I didn’t want your query to go unanswered. State is getting really
squeezed for funds right now so it’s a very individual decision based on your circumstances, your DC and your options.. hope that helps a bit?

Ps.. purely cynically.. some academic indies will of course choose brightest kids as their GCSE / A Level output is their best marketing tool. Not saying I agree with that but it’s definitely happening.. plus they want kids to be fast learners and keep up so they have band width for multiple extracurricular activities which are also good marketing tools.. they are businesses after all..

Yes, Merry Christmas everyone and thank you so much for starting this thread Ocean11plus

It is definitely very difficult to stay motivated this year with so much uncertainty and other more pressing issues. I've had to have a word with myself as I was getting quite wound up, but now feel better having had a dose of perspective.

Hoping 2021 brings us all the outcome we want from this process - our DD's at a school where they will thrive and develop a strong mindset to cope with whatever life throws at them.

I do try to see it from the schools' perspective and it must be particularly difficult this year for the admissions departments. I genuinely believe that some schools consider the experience on the girls themselves very carefully. WHS and PHS have certainly given me that vibe. Others, I agree, don't appear to be placing that so high on their list of priorities.

It would be really helpful if there are any mums of DDs out there who went through this recently who could tell us how their preconceived ideas of the school they selected played out in reality after one / several terms at the school. Could be a welcome distraction before any of us have firm decisions from any school.

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Perhaps the schools could send us an offer or two for a Christmas present? (I wish!!)

We are slogging through ‘traditional’ past papers so as to be ready for the Emanuel exam in a couple of weeks.. in the back of my mind I keep wondering if it will go ahead as the chances seem to get slimmer every day. (Unlike my good self who is beginning to resemble a Christmas pudding!) Finding it hard to stay motivated when the goal posts keep changing. (Thanks Alleyns) and not overly convinced zoom calls allow kids to show their ‘true’ self in interview or group tasks.

Hey ho.. it’s a distraction from all the other rubbish news. Hope everyone is doing ok. xxx

@lalaland1999 Haha, that’s fortunate you had a school choice early enough with a “guaranteed offer” as it were! Would def help to ease the way.

We tried for a secondary state music aptitude test carried out in October but again huge competition and so didn’t make the mark. Still holding out for some good news come Jan. Otherwise, we do have a good state back up first choice so all will not be lost.

Other than the ISEB results, I know LU also asked for the last school report (covered until before lockdown in our case) and a reference from head. Ours was very positive.

Fortunately and in recognition of Covid-19 disruption, the other schools we applied except for City of London have interviewed all applicants in advance of exam and requested a head report and statement of educational provision from school during lockdown.

Just have to wait and see how the rest all plays out now and hope for the best.

But you don't know that these schools (not just LU) are not taking other things into account as well as just the IESB scores. They may well have done but there will be still be 1000 odd children who won't get an interview.

I know it's tough - have been through it more than once- but there are always some children who get 6 offers, some 1, and most somewhere in between. It's not nice if the first feedback you get is a 'rejection' but I'm sure others will be more positive! (At my DCs state primary there was one secondary school nearby that offered earlier than all the others and almost everyone seemed to get an offer so loads of people sat it to get a bit of good news early on in the process!)