Upcoming girls’ independent SW London schools 11+ exams

I attended the WHS one. Interesting they didn’t address the question (despite it getting asked twice) around prep school children sitting the test over a couple of days whilst girls on site in Jan will do it in one chunk.

SPGS sent a link out 10 minutes before the start of the webinar so all good.
It's been an interesting morning trying to simultaneously attend 3 virtual open days. For the record the HT of WHS did address the issue of the ISEB potentially being sat much earlier than WHS requires by stating that it is age adjusted on the date sat.
I still maintain that not all time is equal. Wasn't brave enough to make that point out loud though!

@PatoPato can you forward her email to a non gmail address and try again? Best of luck, feel for you!

I'm feeling v flat tonight. I'm all booked for the SPGS Open Day tomorrow having already done one (which DH couldn't make as it was midweek) and for the second time in a row the links for the event have not been sent through as promised per the booking confirmation.

Luckily the Registrar picked up my email and sent me a link that was 'secure' but which I am unable to open in Gmail. I've never had this before.

When I let her know (very very politely) I got the distinct impression that I was being a pain in the arse.
Anyone else had this issue? All the other schools have worked really well with no issues.

I feel like my card has already been marked & I'm upset as I hate sticking my head above the parapet but was forced to. Arrgh

The ISEBs have become very widespread now, Tormead in Guildford (my old school) are now using them too.

www.iseb.co.uk/getmedia/74a04c0d-0651-4639-996e-3901db330542/Documentation-CPT-Senior-Schools.pdf.aspx

I’ve heard that most of the London HMCs schools have banded together to switch to ISEB testing (and bringing forward tests) this year as a ‘group initiative’. I know a head at a HMC school and they have also agreed that there will need to be considerable consideration across the group when taking into account disadvantages with regards to study time and missed schooling. It’s Hard not to worry about less time, but schools will make appropriate adjustments when considering applicants results.

pato I feel your pain and have had the same internal debate around WHS / PHS. The cyncher for me was all the Dulwich schools are working to a pre-Christmas deadline and many applicants will be sitting more schools than just WHS and will sit ISEB before Christmas.

My DD bores quickly.. at present she is loving atom due to the novelty factor and I can probably keep her interest up to half term. By Christmas she’ll be tired and worn out. An intense period at half term will probably bear more fruit and she can have a well deserved break over Christmas.

I realise every child is different but I’m trying to find positives to hold on to my sanity! 😬

I also think that this year, with everything being all over the place, that there will end up being more anomalies than usual in the whole process.

The uncertainty has been doing my head in, to be honest, but I've taken a step back now and we're just doing the best we can with what we've got.

I think it will be very interesting for schools like JAGs whose girls go straight through but are still sitting the ISEB to compare the results of their girls in the Prep vs external candidates - and the different times the ISEB is actually sat.

Unfortunately for me there are a few of girls at our school who are sitting WHS but not PHS so it's all I can think about, especially at 2am in the morning!
I know the system is meant to work but I've got little faith in the offer methodology this year.
I could 'ask' WHS about this on the Q&A at Saturday's Open Event but don't want to stick my head above the parapet as a completely bonkers, overly-fussing mother (which I guess I am but try not to be). Might go anonymous

totally agreed ! I don't think the age adjustment is worth the same as the last minute concentrated practice ! grrr
so now debating on whether to apply to PHS

I'm struggling with all the changes and a 'fairness' issue.
G&L have pulled out of the Consortium in favour of the ISEB. It doesn't mean any more exams for us but the date is early (though not as early as PHS)
There will be applicants for WHS who will sit their ISEB almost 2 months later than DD. I know that the ISEB is age adjusted on the date satand 'no special preparation is necessary' but am concerned that the adjustment might not take into account the very concentrated practise time available over the month long Christmas holidays. There will be some that practise on adaptive platforms 24/7 over that period and it could make quite a difference.
Not all time is equal!
I guess because WHS moved their pretest to post Christmas then later changed to the ISEB they felt they could not move the date to pre Christmas again. It does feel unfair that some will have had so much longer to hone their skills before sitting the ISEB. Sigh

I just had a look at the CEM pretest details...it’s only one hour long?! How can you differentiate between 600 - 1000 candidates on the back of a one hour test? It feels like a lottery...

I realise it’s not a girls school but just adding for completeness that Emanuel seem set on running their usual exam process (albeit over 2 dates and with slightly shorter exams) on 9 and 15 Jan. This is a possible back up to having all eggs in one basket with ISEB, although I’d be surprised if existing parents are that thrilled to be having 1200 candidates and their parents on site at the beginning of the spring term..

Interviews will be by zoom, second half of this term.

GHS have just announced they are switching to CEM and moving test to November....quite w change as in the past they didn’t even do verbal reasoning. From what I can gather it’s a one hour test so I am thinking perhaps the school report is going to be just as important?

Thanks for updating @WarmAndco3y - the website is still the old information so this is very useful to know. We may well apply now.

I've also been wondering how on earth the states that do banding are going to handle the banding tests. In normal times DD would be sitting 3 of those as well (Lambeth, Wandsworth and one school that sets its own) - no word yet on whether these are going ahead as planned as none take place in her state primary!

We got an email from Alleyn’s today, confirming the ISEB route. To done this side of Christmas. With interviews ( academic & specialists), in January with some modifications. More information to be sent out over the next few days.

@Mycatslovedreamies , it was SHS that I was thinking of, they have public heath England checking their processes at the moment. Its better to know now than have a last minute change.

That sounds a nightmare Mycats - we'd have to send everyone else out for the exam so that DD wouldn't get disturbed as she'd want to do it in our open plan living area.

SCHS confirmed that they only sit the ISEB once to me. Plus they can either sit the creative writing element either at their school if they can invigilate, or at home with a signed declaration - which makes me think it's a timed exercise rather than working on the best example of their work.

I really can't help but think anything at home is open to abuse.

We just received a letter that Surbiton High School are keeping the math/english format but they expect your daughter to sit the exam at home. You need two computers - one to access the tests and one so they can invigilate. They say they are doing it to make it easier for the girls and parents but I'm not sure this sounds any easier - imagine the stress of having to make sure your wifi is working properly and having your DD in the room next door doing the test?!

I work in the prep system and I think more secondary schools will make exam changes soon. Covid is in some secondary's and once Public health England start going through their practices it hits home that hosting hundreds of children in classrooms in early Jan is highly impractical.

I am feeling totally thrown by this. My daughters prep is on the back foot with the switch to ISEB so we are in no better position than anyone else!

I think ISEB and CEM Select only have one ‘paper’ of questions from what I read, so they will probably take the first set of responses otherwise it would be unfair? It’s very confusing. Are anyone else’s DD schools charging for hosting the ISEB? Ours wouldn’t normally do it and say it costs £120 to enter.
Also just a reminder that a few schools’ closing dates are coming up fast! Sutton High and Woldingham are this Thursday! Thank goodness for my spreadsheet.

That's what it says on the ISEB website - I'm not convinced either though! We obviously missed a term of Year 5 teaching this year, so it's not actually ideal (plus I actually have no idea what the English Year 5 curriculum consists of!).