Page 29 | SW London Private and Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2023 (part V)

QuiteAJourney · 2023-01-30T18:43:10+00:00

Following from our previous threads, including the latest (link below) https://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

mootwo · 03/02/2023 13:36

Yay! Yes from Surbiton here too. Chuffed

LondonMum20222 · 03/02/2023 13:35

EweCee · 03/02/2023 13:33

Its a YES from Surbiton for us! :)

YAY! Congrats!!!

EweCee · 03/02/2023 13:34

I am literally shaking, didn't realise how stressed I was about this last one!

SamPoodle123 · 03/02/2023 13:34

Redapples81 · 03/02/2023 13:24

to not get an offer after “she aced it” would be criminal!!

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Lol. That is what I was thinking. But I also thought, don't they need to sit down and look at everything together (exam scores, reference, interview)? Or do they have that information when doing the interview and the teacher doing the interview can tick yes or no for each applicant as they go 😂

LoveMyADHD · 03/02/2023 13:34

EweCee · 03/02/2023 13:33

Its a YES from Surbiton for us! :)

Massive well done!!!!!!!

EweCee · 03/02/2023 13:33

Its a YES from Surbiton for us! :)

SamPoodle123 · 03/02/2023 13:32

NellyCortado · 03/02/2023 12:59

@SamPoodle123 "she aced it" sounds pretty emphatic!! Best of luck!

Thank you! I hope so.

iRobot2022 · 03/02/2023 13:27

Workhar · 03/02/2023 11:14

This year, the biggest mystery in SW London has been G&L. They interviewed so many girls (my guess is 50-60%). On top of that, their interview was the shortest.

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Completely agree
1000 - 500 using an Atom test
500 - 200(?) with a 5 minute interview

Redapples81 · 03/02/2023 13:24

SamPoodle123 · 03/02/2023 12:43

@Workhar how do we know they interviewed so many? But I guess it seems schools like to interview around double they plan to offer. And then offer double they plan to accept. I wish I could know how they decide in the 15 mins....or is it purely exam and some dc don't even have a chance that attend the interviews!?

@Redapples81 yes, it is brutal. My dd came out confident from each interview and I still had to explain that we do not know what they are looking for exactly. At one interview, the teacher said to me "She aced it!" He was very enthusiastic and impressed with her use of phrases/description etc. I am wondering if she got in there! A different teacher came out with another dc before mine and just said "Nice meeting you and good luck on your application."

to not get an offer after “she aced it” would be criminal!!

Tolacar · 03/02/2023 13:11

It’s another waitlist here for Reeds, notching these up now. The nerves continue….

NellyCortado · 03/02/2023 12:59

@SamPoodle123 "she aced it" sounds pretty emphatic!! Best of luck!

VickiMent · 03/02/2023 12:56

@Dallasdays that's great, what a wonderful weekend it will be in your house!

Is it decision time now or are you still waiting on some next week?

SamPoodle123 · 03/02/2023 12:43

@Workhar how do we know they interviewed so many? But I guess it seems schools like to interview around double they plan to offer. And then offer double they plan to accept. I wish I could know how they decide in the 15 mins....or is it purely exam and some dc don't even have a chance that attend the interviews!?

@Redapples81 yes, it is brutal. My dd came out confident from each interview and I still had to explain that we do not know what they are looking for exactly. At one interview, the teacher said to me "She aced it!" He was very enthusiastic and impressed with her use of phrases/description etc. I am wondering if she got in there! A different teacher came out with another dc before mine and just said "Nice meeting you and good luck on your application."

Dallasdays · 03/02/2023 12:38

Thank you all! Delighted here... really had no idea how this was all going to play out... best of luck to everyone xx

Original poster

QuiteAJourney · 03/02/2023 12:36

Dallasdays · 03/02/2023 12:26

@Pleasegrowmore - yep - we just received a 'fat envelope' containing an offer from Reeds!

Wow! 3 in a row! What a week!!
Many, many congrats - you have lots of celebrate already (and no doubt more next week!)

OP posts:

NellyCortado · 03/02/2023 12:30

@Pleasegrowmore could not agree more. This is torture. We are waiting for Reeds and our post arrives anytime until around 4pm (if at all). Let's just say this is a distinctly unproductive WFH day....

@Dallasdays congratulations! Hope you and DS are thrilled with the great news.

Pleasegrowmore · 03/02/2023 12:28

Wow, well hopefully at least in your case it arrived promptly!! Just seems a bit bonkers to me that they can't just email the yes/no - then send all the forms/ info/ whatever they need ot in the post

Dallasdays · 03/02/2023 12:26

@Pleasegrowmore - yep - we just received a 'fat envelope' containing an offer from Reeds!

Pleasegrowmore · 03/02/2023 12:24

Good lord are there really schools sending out offers (or not) by actual physical post?! I do hope no one has to wait for the postal service because if it's anything like my Royal Mail deliveries, you'll be waiting until June ..! Surely, SURELY given the known issues all schools are using email even if sending out things too?

Redapples81 · 03/02/2023 11:20

AC7001 · 03/02/2023 10:01

Thanks for all the "condolences" on our SP failure. It was always more than aspirational for us and we did not plan to apply initially and so weren't that disappointed, and in fact, a bit surprised he got through to the final stage.

But for parents planning 11+ ahead and reading this, there are certain observations I can share, in particular on the interview. It would probably be most relevant to the most selective schools (perhaps Westminster, Eton, and St Paul for boys) which are usually the first choice for those that apply. It hasn't come to our mind until the interview date, when we saw quite a different mix of boys compared to what we saw in the stage 2 exam and on the open day, and more obvious after meeting the HM in the parents' interview when he explained the school's ethos. There were just too many of my boys' type. There were some 100 boys in the last stage, and with 36 spaces, maybe they offer 40-50 and a few more on the waitlist. Just some hypothetical number, maybe 10 or so are true geniuses they will certainly offer, but I imagine the exam score will be closer and closer when the ranking goes down to 100, and can easily be different if you gave them another set of exam papers. I think they then look for a mix they want to see to fit in with their ethos with the small difference in the score not really relevant, and for us, within the type of boys my son belongs to, he is at or near the bottom in the score.

For those still planning, you really need to make sure your kid stands out not just in exam scores but in something else that the school wants (and not everyone has).

Although we did not get an offer or wait list (they call reserve list), we do understand why the school choose boys this way, as without the ethos, it would not be the school it always has been.

Agree. I was trying to explain to DD that since she made interview, she’s passed the academic standard and now it is a case of a demographic that fits that school. Hard sell though as you have to be pretty zen to not mind getting nothing out of the whole process

Redapples81 · 03/02/2023 11:16

LondonMum20222 · 03/02/2023 09:35

I completely agree @Workhar. If what has been said on here is true re some other schools - eg KCS and LEH - that they will either offer or WL everyone who was called to interview, I'm struggling to think of a reason why all schools can't do that.
Take SPGS - the second round is a full day of assessments, three papers in English, Maths and the notorious Paper C. After that, together with first round CEM tests, one presumes they have a pretty good idea of who they're offering to, based on exam performance. So why interview 200 girls for 115 places, when their WL is (by all accounts) about 20 places? Why not just interview their top 150 and decide from there who is a firm offer and who's a WL? As other people have pointed out, there can't be that many kids that get red-flagged at this age and at interview stage.
I'm using SPGS as an example, but it's true of so many schools. From what's been said on here, some schools are interviewing 600 kids for 100 places. What's the rationale? And has nobody thought of the impact on the kids? It's unnecessarily brutal.

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Yep, agree. My DD came out of some interviews saying the interviewer was lovely and she made them laugh. She was really feeling positive. I had to explain the odds to her and she said why would they be so nice if I wasn’t getting a place. Brutal.

Workhar · 03/02/2023 11:14

LondonMum20222 · 03/02/2023 09:35

I completely agree @Workhar. If what has been said on here is true re some other schools - eg KCS and LEH - that they will either offer or WL everyone who was called to interview, I'm struggling to think of a reason why all schools can't do that.
Take SPGS - the second round is a full day of assessments, three papers in English, Maths and the notorious Paper C. After that, together with first round CEM tests, one presumes they have a pretty good idea of who they're offering to, based on exam performance. So why interview 200 girls for 115 places, when their WL is (by all accounts) about 20 places? Why not just interview their top 150 and decide from there who is a firm offer and who's a WL? As other people have pointed out, there can't be that many kids that get red-flagged at this age and at interview stage.
I'm using SPGS as an example, but it's true of so many schools. From what's been said on here, some schools are interviewing 600 kids for 100 places. What's the rationale? And has nobody thought of the impact on the kids? It's unnecessarily brutal.

Show quote history

This year, the biggest mystery in SW London has been G&L. They interviewed so many girls (my guess is 50-60%). On top of that, their interview was the shortest.

SamPoodle123 · 03/02/2023 11:07

AC7001 · 03/02/2023 10:01

Thanks for all the "condolences" on our SP failure. It was always more than aspirational for us and we did not plan to apply initially and so weren't that disappointed, and in fact, a bit surprised he got through to the final stage.

But for parents planning 11+ ahead and reading this, there are certain observations I can share, in particular on the interview. It would probably be most relevant to the most selective schools (perhaps Westminster, Eton, and St Paul for boys) which are usually the first choice for those that apply. It hasn't come to our mind until the interview date, when we saw quite a different mix of boys compared to what we saw in the stage 2 exam and on the open day, and more obvious after meeting the HM in the parents' interview when he explained the school's ethos. There were just too many of my boys' type. There were some 100 boys in the last stage, and with 36 spaces, maybe they offer 40-50 and a few more on the waitlist. Just some hypothetical number, maybe 10 or so are true geniuses they will certainly offer, but I imagine the exam score will be closer and closer when the ranking goes down to 100, and can easily be different if you gave them another set of exam papers. I think they then look for a mix they want to see to fit in with their ethos with the small difference in the score not really relevant, and for us, within the type of boys my son belongs to, he is at or near the bottom in the score.

For those still planning, you really need to make sure your kid stands out not just in exam scores but in something else that the school wants (and not everyone has).

Although we did not get an offer or wait list (they call reserve list), we do understand why the school choose boys this way, as without the ethos, it would not be the school it always has been.

Someone told me SPGS likes to select girls that have a particular passion or focus on one thing outside of the school. So like, what sets them apart. They want someone who gets the high scores and who is an expert pianist or ballerina, scientist etc.

SamPoodle123 · 03/02/2023 11:02

cerealchange · 03/02/2023 08:04

We are waiting on both putney and epsom next week so if that's true @SamPoodle123 we will potentially have two early ones! DD loves both but I think Epsom had the edge- Saturday school is a positive for her as she likes seeing her friends (she's one who loves school). We really liked the new head and felt like Epsom is very much on the up. I admit the fees are an issue but looking around it's easy to see where the money goes, the place is impressive and I felt there was a sense of belonging to something a lot larger. She loved Putney too though and is super tall ans Putney has rowing so has an edge over Epsom there!!

My dd likes all the school she applied to. I hope she is lucky enough to have more then one offer, but she did say it would be very difficult choice to make!

crazymama123 · 03/02/2023 10:54

AC7001 · 03/02/2023 10:01

Thanks for all the "condolences" on our SP failure. It was always more than aspirational for us and we did not plan to apply initially and so weren't that disappointed, and in fact, a bit surprised he got through to the final stage.

But for parents planning 11+ ahead and reading this, there are certain observations I can share, in particular on the interview. It would probably be most relevant to the most selective schools (perhaps Westminster, Eton, and St Paul for boys) which are usually the first choice for those that apply. It hasn't come to our mind until the interview date, when we saw quite a different mix of boys compared to what we saw in the stage 2 exam and on the open day, and more obvious after meeting the HM in the parents' interview when he explained the school's ethos. There were just too many of my boys' type. There were some 100 boys in the last stage, and with 36 spaces, maybe they offer 40-50 and a few more on the waitlist. Just some hypothetical number, maybe 10 or so are true geniuses they will certainly offer, but I imagine the exam score will be closer and closer when the ranking goes down to 100, and can easily be different if you gave them another set of exam papers. I think they then look for a mix they want to see to fit in with their ethos with the small difference in the score not really relevant, and for us, within the type of boys my son belongs to, he is at or near the bottom in the score.

For those still planning, you really need to make sure your kid stands out not just in exam scores but in something else that the school wants (and not everyone has).

Although we did not get an offer or wait list (they call reserve list), we do understand why the school choose boys this way, as without the ethos, it would not be the school it always has been.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and advice. I'm sure it will be helpful for the next cohort of families going through this process next year. In fact i was thinking of pulling together a thread on key information for various schools in an attempt to be helpful to those going through this process in future...