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Original poster

SW London Private and Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2023 (part V)

995 replies

QuiteAJourney · 30/01/2023 18:43

Following from our previous threads, including the latest (link below) www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4723610-sw-london-private-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023?page=40

Looking forward to continuing the journey together

OP posts:
Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 07/02/2023 19:30

@alltheleaves (although I am sure it did not seem like that to the DD's mum) that is actually quite funny!

OP posts:
alltheleaves · 07/02/2023 19:26

Lolakath19 · 07/02/2023 18:43

Well I know a bite girl who has a waitlist offer at phs whilst being at the last round of spgs.. which truly reflect the absurdity of the 11+ process and how it does probably not reflect downtime on true capacity of someone.

Don't forget that some kids have it so drummed into them, or have their own ideas, about what school is the favourite, that they can easily slip up on the basic "why do you want to come here?" question. I knew a girl who answered this at G&L with "I don't, I want to go to PHS!" Unsurprisingly, she didn't get G&L.

Also her poor mother wanted G&L and was just 😱

Didsomeonesay · 07/02/2023 19:21

@VickiMent i totally agree. I just want them to do what ever they need. A week ago news of a deferral would send me into a spin. With everything happening at epsom, turkey…it’s really put things into perspective x

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 07/02/2023 19:19

SamPoodle123 · 07/02/2023 19:04

I think it very much depends on the day and exam. Some dc do better in written exams over adaptive. Or sometimes it is just an off day. We truly thought Putney was out after the exam. My dd literally said she bombed it, she failed it. She was not sad about it, just matter of fact. She was confident she did well for the London Consortium though. Even now, I ask her after she got the offer about the Putney exam and she still says, she was having a very off day and she just did not do her best. But she got lucky in the end.

Show quote history

I think that adaptive tests are particularly difficult to predict and can give DC the impression that they have bombed when in fact they have done rather well - as the test get trickier (because they have done very well in the initial section) the DC might get the impression that they are 'bombing' it when it is only normal that they take more time or become more tentative in later questions. (From the conversation at the time, that may well have been the case for your DD - the 'bombing' was actually a good day where she was reaching higher levels of difficulty that, in turn, give more points).
All in all, as you say, very difficult to predict and depending on the type of exam. And, of course, the day... for instance, both KGS and LU have rather similar exams, we know of kids getting offers for LU and not from KGS (and even more the other way round)

OP posts:
SamPoodle123 · 07/02/2023 19:09

Firenze12 · 07/02/2023 18:51

Congrats on the PHS offers.
For those in waitlist, keep the faith. It will move. @SamPoodle123@SamPoodle123@SamPoodle123love that the portal changed in front of your eyes!!

Thansk :) It was pretty cool to see it happen.

SWLParent · 07/02/2023 19:07

@Lolakath19 could not agree more. It is utterly brutal and actually isn’t a holistic or realistic assessment of a child’s potential. Definitely think that the assessment should be based on how a child performs over a year or longer.

SamPoodle123 · 07/02/2023 19:04

Lolakath19 · 07/02/2023 18:43

Well I know a bite girl who has a waitlist offer at phs whilst being at the last round of spgs.. which truly reflect the absurdity of the 11+ process and how it does probably not reflect downtime on true capacity of someone.

I think it very much depends on the day and exam. Some dc do better in written exams over adaptive. Or sometimes it is just an off day. We truly thought Putney was out after the exam. My dd literally said she bombed it, she failed it. She was not sad about it, just matter of fact. She was confident she did well for the London Consortium though. Even now, I ask her after she got the offer about the Putney exam and she still says, she was having a very off day and she just did not do her best. But she got lucky in the end.

Lolakath19 · 07/02/2023 18:59

I think the 11+ process is brutal and might not reflect true ability. A child that stress for exam might underperform or the other way around. I am not sure if any other country have something similar. From where I am from there is a selection to go to the top secondary school based on the school report and grade over the past 2/3 years. They know that if you come from this primary or that one the teacher might marked more severely etc. I find it less stressful and do not encourage heavy tutoring and pressure on children. There are been so much cases of girls that were average in their cohort until year 4 /5 , suddenly being tutored to death and ending to top school where they would probably thrive better in a slightly less academic environment. At my sons school, teacher complains that some boys are still heavily tutored after entering at 7+ (y3). given the level dc now reach at 7/8/11 and 13 you could think that UK will end up with best candidates worldwide .. but then they don’t do anything for the next 2/3 years at their secondary.. until it is time to tutor again for gcse? Sorry for my moaning lool

Firenze12 · 07/02/2023 18:52

Sorry don't know why it did multiple quotes!

Firenze12 · 07/02/2023 18:51

Congrats on the PHS offers.
For those in waitlist, keep the faith. It will move. @SamPoodle123@SamPoodle123@SamPoodle123love that the portal changed in front of your eyes!!

woohooho · 07/02/2023 18:47

Lolakath19 · 07/02/2023 18:43

Well I know a bite girl who has a waitlist offer at phs whilst being at the last round of spgs.. which truly reflect the absurdity of the 11+ process and how it does probably not reflect downtime on true capacity of someone.

That's not that surprising to be honest. Schools look for different things. Plenty of cases of DCs getting into 'more academic' schools and not 'less' academic ones.

Lolakath19 · 07/02/2023 18:43

Well I know a bite girl who has a waitlist offer at phs whilst being at the last round of spgs.. which truly reflect the absurdity of the 11+ process and how it does probably not reflect downtime on true capacity of someone.

SamPoodle123 · 07/02/2023 18:41

1forward2back · 07/02/2023 14:50

Please please please release any offers you don’t want asap. It’s torture to be on a waitlist and even worse to be called late on and offered when your DD has already felt she is going elsewhere. DD’s best friend was on three waitlists last year and was called by one in July. Even if you are down to a top two, release your others! Someone somewhere will be glad you did.
well done to all the PHS offers. The PHS list does move, so don’t give up hope. It definitely moved last year I think.

Yes, it will def move, as dc applying there might also apply to G&L and SPGS. My dd saw a bunch of Bute girls at the interview and they mostly go to the 3 hammersmith school with only a few going to Putney.

VickiMent · 07/02/2023 18:18

Didsomeonesay · 07/02/2023 18:07

Also wondering if Epsom will send offer letters.

The school has had to deal with so much that it’s impossible to say. They are prioritising the students and staff. They are closing the school for pupils from this evening until the end of half term to allow the children and staff the time they need to process what’s happened.

x

I think they will communicate tomorrow but I wouldn't be surprised if it is a comment to bear with them while the get things in order and the offers come later.

Didsomeonesay · 07/02/2023 18:07

Also wondering if Epsom will send offer letters.

The school has had to deal with so much that it’s impossible to say. They are prioritising the students and staff. They are closing the school for pupils from this evening until the end of half term to allow the children and staff the time they need to process what’s happened.

x

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 07/02/2023 18:04

swgeek · 07/02/2023 18:00

Last year Emanuel went to WL very quickly, certainly before state offer day, as they had been too conservative with their offers. Might mean this time they will offer more generously and hence go to WL later. SPGS was mostly close to acceptance deadline and a bit after if I remember correctly.

Thanks for the intel - really appreciated. So it seems that there is variation and indeed potential hope for early movement in some cases.

OP posts:
swgeek · 07/02/2023 18:00

Last year Emanuel went to WL very quickly, certainly before state offer day, as they had been too conservative with their offers. Might mean this time they will offer more generously and hence go to WL later. SPGS was mostly close to acceptance deadline and a bit after if I remember correctly.

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 07/02/2023 17:53

@invigilator I am definitely one for managing expectations (hence my question on people's experiences) but also hoping that people's behaviours help and that they don't think that giving up offers before the deadline is necessarily useless.

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invigilator · 07/02/2023 17:46

@QuiteAJourney - possibly they will move earlier but don't want to give people false hope. Been through it twice and most DCs were applying to 5-6 schools and I don't know a single person that got offered a WL place before state offer day.

Pleasegrowmore · 07/02/2023 17:44

Gosh so much news - big congrats to everyone for offers, hope there are some smiling kids out there tonight. And thoughts with everyone riding the WL train!

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 07/02/2023 17:34

invigilator · 07/02/2023 17:17

We got a WL place the day of or day after State offers day.

In SW London and know lots of people who will take State over Private if they get eg Tiffin, Lady Margarets, Sacred Heart, Fulham Boys, Oratory etc.

Obviously some will never consider state in a million years but plenty of others do.

Agree that there are significant numbers considering state alternatives and also significant numbers that don't. Impossible to say, out of the cohort applying for private, what are the precise numbers beyond saying that they are large.

My comment referred to the fact that the movement happening on or about state offer day could also be related to people holding multiple offers until close to the deadline ... in a world, like this year, where a number of schools have to be cautious with the offering because of over-offering last year (and might rely more on WL), I would not disregard the impact of this "extreme offer holding" and would very much encourage people to release their offers.

OP posts:
invigilator · 07/02/2023 17:17

We got a WL place the day of or day after State offers day.

In SW London and know lots of people who will take State over Private if they get eg Tiffin, Lady Margarets, Sacred Heart, Fulham Boys, Oratory etc.

Obviously some will never consider state in a million years but plenty of others do.

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 07/02/2023 17:11

invigilator · 07/02/2023 16:59

I agree with not holding on to multiple offers but in reality it doesn't make much difference releasing offers before state offers day as WL are very, very unlikely to move before then anyway.

That is an interesting comment. I would have thought that there are many people applying to private schools for which the state offers are irrelevant and that, therefore, that would suffice to potentially move the dial.
A different issue is that schools might be naturally wary of moving into the WL unless that they are sure that they are not covering quota with straight offers..but that comes from that fact that be people are holding until last moment (which coincides with state offer day). So if behaviours were to change (admittedly, no small ask, although we can all contribute) WLs will indeed move.
As a related matter, I would be quite interested on people's intel on when WL offers have materialised. [Probably preparing myself for it.. 🙃)

OP posts:
invigilator · 07/02/2023 16:59

I agree with not holding on to multiple offers but in reality it doesn't make much difference releasing offers before state offers day as WL are very, very unlikely to move before then anyway.

HawaiiWake · 07/02/2023 16:49

Agree always release if having multiple offers and not wait till after offer holder days, grammar schools etc. I know a few families last 3 years with multiple offers and knowing it is between 2 schools and holding on to all offers until deadline. I don’t think this is fair for those on WL.