Part 2: SW London Girl's Indies 11+ Pandemic Panic!

Thank you everyone - we need to weigh it up against our state options on March 1st - but I've always thought JAGS the best fit for DD so I just need to persuade DH (and DD - does anyone know whether any of the schools will do offer holder events - even online!).

@MumsRule20 I have no idea which they used - I just let them know she'd ended up sitting both so they had the information and left it at that! I'd love to know (and do wonder whether she has been a useful comparator between CAT scores and ISEB as she sat them on consecutive days - I suspect she wasn't the only one though given how events unfolded!).

@montlieu, did you apply to NHEHS? They emailed around again yesterday asking how schools handled lockdown provision to try to gauge what kind of education was delivered during the first lockdown last year in an effort to view the whole picture for each student. I found it interesting that they were asking this for the second time yesterday. Let's see if in the end it does actually level out the playing field a bit? Before that second email I assumed they too would be focusing mostly on test scores (ISEB) despite also interviewing all girls, so let's see?

@PatoPato thank you good luck !
@stellagibbons well done !

it seems our ISEB has given some random results (i.e. much lower than expected based on various online and paper mocks) so not sure where it will take us now :(

but hoping that schools look at the whole child and also take into account the school reference/report
oh well !

One more interview done, one more to go next week, the last one
@PatoPato DD also came out smiling from her FHSS interview, she really enjoyed it. Whatever the outcome, I'm glad she had a positive experience.

I must admit I initially had a negative impression of the school given the lack of anticipation and communication last year but the more I think about it, the more I believe the change of approach deciding to only look at references and interview makes a lot of sense (especially when reading these posts about very able girls who have missed out on all their schools following one single computer exam). And it is so much easier on the girls compared to all these exams.

@stellagibbons AMAZING news, well done to your DD, you must be SO relieved!

DD finished her LEH interview.....not sure how it went but it was very quick and add seemed happy....just WHS to go now. Finally on the home straight!

@tiggermummy70 - all finished. It was a lovely interview in stark contrast to the one DD did on Friday. She got lucky as had a maths teacher & she loves maths so the interview was mostly the exercise & some maths questions with some though provoking philosophical questions thrown in. Her confidence is much boosted after this experience so I'm thrilled.
The only downer was the teacher said DD was very pixelated although sound was clear. I've gone to such lengths to make sure our connection is strong and stable (echoes of Teresa May ) and even tested it out with a friend beforehand so it was probably an issue her end. Very frustrating

@stellagibbons that’s AMAZING news! Well done! That’s definitely a place I think.. and on that basis a SCHS offer too! x

@PatoPato I hope it went well albeit I'm sure very quickly!
When DD2 interviewed they had to name words from a picked letter then use model clay to illustrate. So mine made a guillotine with decapitated body to represent Executed! They still offered her a place.
They did this for parents evening. Booked all your appointments with relevant teacher and then call started automatically at booked time and ended after 5 mins..
We did have a bit of a game going by the end as we had gaps between some of ours. So if teacher was still talking when it cut off I had a drink & DD2 a chocolate If we were talking it was a lap of the garden! Glad to say we didn't get caught out.

@stellagibbons Congrats and good luck with next interview.

I think it's FHSS? We are sitting surrounded by marshmallows, spaghetti & penne pasta waiting for a 9.30 interview. They are using one of those systems that just cuts you off once your slot is up so no room for overrunning!

Wow, JAGS are early too, sending out emails

Well done to your DD @stellagibbons wishing her the very best. That’s a relief, I’m sure

@tiggermummy70 which school is that ? wow

Congrats @stellagibbons .All those anxious times of ISEB moving around has ended in a pleasant outcome .

Fantastic news @stellagibbons! Well done your DD!

What wonderful news @stellagibbons

Yes, I'd say good odds on a place at least!

Anyone up for a scholarship interview has got at least a normal offer!

Congrats!

Just heard from JAGS and DD has an academic scholarship interview next week! Very relieved (and proud of her, even if she doesn't get it) as I'm assuming this means she's got a place at the very least?

Yes some schools are doing group interviews but KGS are doing all their interviews on Saturday. I’m in awe!

School has no live teaching tomorrow. Just preset work.
But her home school timetable is 9-4 each day.
Her older sister (dif school yr9) is finished by 14.30 🤷‍♀️

But it is mind boggling how they will do it.

Perhaps group interviews???

It’s all rather mindblowing. How many members of staff does it take to carry out 600 interviews in a day!!

This is just a good luck message for those doing 11+ now.

I know there are almost 600 interviews being done at our school tomorrow!
I found the process quite challenging last year and the idea of doing it all now following the past year

I bow to you all.
Fingers crossed for all!!!!!

Interesting comments @slipstitch1 Were you at the school recently and do you think it's now addressing these issues in light of the BLM movement etc? And do you think other selective girls schools in London are really any different? Genuinely interested to hear your perspective.

The prep school which hosted our DC's ISEB exam asked us to provide them with a list of ISEB schools we were applying to and they also asked us to highlight our first choice, so that they (the prep school) could use the specific code of that first choice school when they entered the login details for the exam. This ensured that the first choice school receives the results immediately. We were told all other schools have to contact ISEB to request the exam results.