Trinity/Whitgift 2021 entry

‘Suggest’ not ‘suffer’ 🙄

Sorry @EnolanotAlone I’m a bit confused by your post. The query was regarding when interviews are. No one has received their offers etc yet as no boys have sat the exam yet. If you haven’t received any correspondence from the school yet and you say you were late in registering (?) I’d suffer following this up with the school as they have sent out lots of info about the exam process this year.
I can’t really comment on Whitgift - DS has friends there but it is a very different school.

My son is Yr7 at Whitgift and the most unsporting child ever. He is on exactly zero teams at the school. In the first half-term they had to do tasters for rugby, football, hockey and swimming and the kids are then asked to attend the various training sessions. Because my son had never done any team sports, he wasn't expected to attend but he could if he chose (he did not) The teams are all organised A-F but there's movement over time as they improve, the older kids leave etc.

My son has instead taken up fencing, squash and golf lessons as well as a few academic clubs, orchestra etc. He has plenty of non-sporty friends. They're not all athletes

@JustJuice187 may I ask if was this a general interview or scholarship letter? We have yet to receive any update from Trinity or Whitgift on submissions or interviews, so keen to understand what we might expect as we were delayed on submitting our application.

We would be delighted with an offer from either school, however starting to swaying towards the academic, pastoral care excellence of Trinity (vs Whitgift) due to a pecking pecking order with the school of the Alpha A teams vs the rest.

This sentiment was reinforced with Whitgift's application form expecting National, county or regional level representation level for a 10/11yr old - were we the only ones with a blank lines, feeling somewhat initimated by stating the Saturday morning football team on the common.

Can anyone share the reality what Whitgift would be like for a smart, capable all rounder. Just trying to think of the whole child and potentially being on team M, N, O, P for rugby, football, swimming, cricket.

A letter went out yesterday - I believe interviews are in January.

The chaperone service is a really good idea. Is it for the coach too or just the train?

Do we know when interviews will start?

yes it's correct
Trinity organise a free optional chaperonne service to school for the first weeks of the school year by matching 6th formers to new boys.
It's been tremendously helpful to us and our boys both helping with the journeys and also meet new boys !

At Trinity 6 th formers were providing travel escorts in the first term. There are tonnes of Trinity boys all walking / bussing it together from East Croydon and the teachers keep a very close eye on behaviour at crossing and bus stops. The bus stop is immediately outside the school . My DS goes on the tram from Wimbledon.

Hi no he’s been there for a while. The boys travel by all means of transport - he comes by tram and train, some take the bus and some get dropped off although I’d say that’s the minority- I guess it depends on where you live.
I appreciate the travel must be a worry initially but honestly they take about a week to get used to it. They soon find friends going the same way.

@JustJuice187 thank you for your insight. From what you say, the balance of prep and state appears a good combination. Was this your DS1 first year? How do most boys travel to school? I’m safe groups walking?

Yea lots of boys from Bromley Croydon Streatham Wandsworth Wimbledon etc - some even further - mix of prep and state but seem to be slightly more state school boys.

I haven’t found a problem with socialising outside school - they seem to find a way - obviously not so much at the moment.

I have been so happy with the school for DS1 - he’s made some really nice friends - really down to earth boys - and the travel has really brought him out of himself.

Lots from the Bromley area.

And it really doesn't matter if he's not sporty. Lots of the boys aren't. And many of those who weren't discover something that they really enjoy.

thank you montlieu! that's really good to know, well balanced and relatively local

@tewetehoo
I would think it's 50/50 state/prep school and then lots of local boys from Bromley/Beckenham/Croydon/Shirley

It is a community/local school for many, though they have boys from further away like Wandsworth area or Caterham etc

thank you yey22.

@tewetehoo complete mix, lots of boys from Bromley.

Good luck everyone

Hi... rather new to this and Trinity is one of DH's aspirational choices for DS8 (despite him not being sporty at all...)
Can i ask, either ex, current or prospective parents here, are most children there from surrounding state primaries and preps, what's the mix? We are in Bromley.

Best of luck!

Thank you all. It does sound like Trinity is a lovely school, where bright quirky boys find their place

@seeline oh yes those super bright have a place and are looked after ver well too.
It's cool to be a bright one at Trinity

@montlieu Exactly this! The academics are strong - the really bright kids fit in too.

Whitgift have brought their 10+ forward to December- will trinity follow suit?