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

Here’s a stat that will make you all feel better, DS2s year at his prep school received 10 offers from KCS (which I would classify as super selective) and only 3 actually accepted place as the others took places at Westminster, St Paul’s and Eton....there was a similar pattern across all of the schools with acceptance rates being typically less than a third....just goes to show that they all over offer because they have to. I also noticed a trend that the majority of boys called to interview got offers (like three quarters)....

How much interview practice are you guys doing with your DDs? I’m not doing much because our prep said not to over-prepare them but I am making sure she has something enthusiastic to say about the school. And I’ve told her if she is asked what she likes doing in her free time not to just say playing Roblox.

We sat Alleyns two years ago and we were number 987... Surname begins with a W and the numbers are done alphabetically. The numbers of applicants on the day of the exam was unbelievable. From what I know from when we saw the school - it was from memory 130 places - 90 external and 40 going automatically to the junior school. My understanding was that the 90 are generally split 50/50 boys and girls. My DS is very capable and got offers from all schools we applied to but didn't even get an interview from Alleyn's. Rumour is (and I have no idea if this is true) that a lot of kids that are accepted tend to be from Honeywell and Belleville school.

@montlieu all i can tell you is that the kids that had offers from our school were the really musical ones...not necessarily the strongest in maths but defintely the strongest in reasoning and english (they also at the time did a new Spacial awareness test - not sure if they did this year ?)

Such a lovely school and now with the added bonus of the great ex WHS head ! interesting to see if the new head will change the admission process next year.

@PatoPato I think it’s 1000 going for 100 places this year as 20-25 places have already been taken by 10+ candidates

@montlieu - I just consulted my copy of the GSG from 2017 (a freebie from some Nextdoor.com mother who'd finished with it and was so grateful to be rid of it!) so it is a little out of date

Alleyns...500 applicants for 125 places with a third coming from the junior school,

@Stircrazyschoolmum
offers for WHS around 5th february so earlier than most, yes !
invitations for interviews out tomorrow for interview 20th/21st

@Montlieu - nothing on Alleyn's as we are miles away

Really the GSG should include all this info as it's the info we all want at this stage!

KGS notes (which I've melodramatically struck through as we didn't apply...I love the school but it's just too far on the bus)

1000 apply for 125 places
They interview 400 for 250 offers
Pass mark (before all the nonsense) is 70%
I haven't written it down but I remember they had a v well balance state: indie ration

@PatoPato you're just absolutely brilliant !

anything on Alleyn's by any chance ?

a few more bits from my notes....

WHS is 40/60 state/ indie intake.
Class size of 24/25 (so with 100 in a year looks like 4 classes)

FHSS 5 classes of 20

@PatoPato I would hug you if I could.. socially distanced of course!

I've got these stats from various open days/websites

PHS (2020 Virtual Open Day)
700 apply for 108 places of which 70 are filled externally and 38 from the junior school
The split is roughly 1:2 state to independent (I assume this refers to the external offers)

WHS (2020 Virtual Open Day)
600 applicants for 60 external places, 40 come up through the junior school

FHSS (2020 Virtual Open Day)
100 places - 90 external, 10 come up from Juniors. No stats on number of applicants

G&L (from their FAQs)
900 applicants for 120 places, no stats on how many are interviewed
25% of applicants are from state schools.
10 full bursaries

I'll keep digging. I love stats

@montlieu I’ve been back over all my PHS notes and can’t find a thing about interview/offer stats! I can’t even find the date they are making the offers.. WHS seems a week earlier than most? Do you know if it’s 4 form entry this year? I kind of assumed it would be as they have the new building?

@Yossahughes sorry I completely misunderstood your post.
Yes the hysteria is worse this year, because of al the curved balls that have been thrown at so.
I honestly never thought I’d be as anxious as I find myself being, sometimes.
To an extent as well, it’s probably because one of the schools will be a perfect convenience for my family, and is a very good fit for DD. In previous years, I would’ve been more more at peace than I am this year

does anyone know how any are called for interviews back at PHS ?for how many external places and the rough split of those places between state and prep/private ?
... by any chance
thanks

Yes, this is all super reassuring to hear (the idea that some children in particular will receive many offers but can only accept one), even for those of us who have been through this already multiple times! Good also to remember that many schools are truly lovely, so important not to rule out or discard mentally something you may have applied to perhaps as more of a "safety" school. I myself am guilty of that time time around. Must remember to keep an open mind.

I see that KGS have moved result of exam back to 20th, with interview on 23rd. 😬

@Singingrain1223

....and a lovely photo it is

They averaged just over 3 offers each, with the vast majority trying for 5 schools as recommended by the Head.
Numbers for that year 6 were very low , with only 12/13 in each of 2 classes, so that helped.

Best of luck to everyone in this very stressful year.

LU called 450 to interview for 120 places.

I wonder how many are being called to interview at the different schools, presumably a lot more than in previous years, given the exam chaos.

@Flossietea - me! and nothing so far from FHSS

For those interested in LEH there are 75 external places up for grabs and last year there were 430 applicants....so just under a 1 in 5 chance....WHS had 600 applicants last year for 60 external spaces and surbiton had 600 for 100 places ...Sutton was 290 applicants for 80 places. If girls are applying to at least 5 schools the numbers start to look a little bit less challenging. I would imagine that unless you are SPGS you might need to over offer at least 100 percent...

Also worth remembering that large schools like Surbiton High can have 6 classes in Year 7 so 150 places so 100 spaces to fill excluding the junior school girls so they will offer at least 300 places and use the waiting list.
For a school that is a back up for many like Notre Dame in Cobham they will offer to a really high % to those who sit because their decline rate is high.

I might have mentioned this before but if you look at the Kew College prep school Senior School results website page and count the number of children in the photo and the look at the list of offers you get an idea of how many offers are made in SW/W London!

Anyone else doing FHSS? Have you heard anything about interviews? They’re supposedly happening next Wednesday but we haven’t been given a time slot yet or any other information

@warmandco3y that’s exactly the point I was trying to make....if it’s the same set of 1000-1500 applicants then there probably is space for everyone but we are all hedging our bets as paranoia is so high. At DS’ prep there was one boy in the scholarship set in the year above who didn’t choose a “banker” as his parents thought surely he will get one of those 3 choices as he’s really bright and has very high CAT scores etc...he passed all the written exams but got turned down at interview for all of them so was left without a school - luckily he was able to apply again at 12+ but it put the frighteners on parents who the following year then added 2 or 3 bankers to their 3 choices....and so the mad cycle gets perpetuated...not sure how it can be stopped though?