SW London grammar and private year 7 entry 2024.

Not for DD this year for 11+ but am considering Harrodian for my DS in a couple of years time (or even try for an occasional place already to try and avoid 11+ if possible!!) How selective is Harrodian considered? It’s the ISEB test right and then interview? Thank in advance!!

Thanks @QuiteAJourney it is helpful indeed , will be checking my emails regularly 😉

In case helpful, the invites last year came on Monday, in the early afternoon

@Mamahappylove that’s really helpful and very nice to hear you are pleased with the school. Good luck to your DS for the 10+.

Yep could be any day next week for Harrodian …

So sorry we are doing 10 plus this time and I have got in a muddle with my threads. We did year 7 for our eldest who is now in year 10. We absolutely love Whitgift, they made all of us feel very relaxed at interview and yes they give feedback on how they have done. They gave us a rough idea of where he scored but DS is saying they told him he scored ‘around x percent for maths’. We don’t know if we should believe him or not 😂

@Mamahappylove out of interest has your DS had an 11+ Whitgift interview yet? I thought they started this coming week. My DS has one and is very keen on the school. I wondered if they give them feedback of any sort at the interview. We too had a no from Emanuel but I do trust that it all works out for the best in the end.

Huge well done on Emanuel interview. We got a no from them at 6.30pm on Friday (bit disappointed with their admin systems). It defo all works out though as our son appears to have done well at Whitgift from interview feedback. Hope your interview goes really well and leads to a place. We have lots of friends with children who are very happy there

It was so difficult to know how many to enter considering the fact lots of 'security' past ones are now very competitive to get in. Hopefully my DS will forgive me one day.

@lolo99 i know anxiety is all relative but I’d be feeling pretty good about life if I was you! Sounds like he’s going to have his pick - fingers crossed! Gosh knowing you also sat St G’s and Epsom he must have really done the rounds!

Yes DS passed through to interview stage at Hampton and LU and KGS and the others, like you, we don't know as they do it as a package. Now waiting for Feb and we have two music scholarships left to do. It's painful. Wish we knew sooner. My DS is not genius level so not getting academic scholarships unfortunately.

Another nail biter @Wondermumof4 I don’t think we have a day so we? Just week ending Friday? Actually better I found Friday email refreshing very distracting!

Hey ! Emanuel interview next Saturday and also waiting for the harrodians…

Just interviews and one scholarship day here. Still waiting to hear if through to interview at Harrodian as well.

There are lots of boarding school assessment days this week like Wellington too.
Not for us but lots of friends going for that. Suspect those are more holistic!

@lolo99 very anxious. It seems your DS has sat many of the same exams as mine although from what I can tell you’ve already got Hampton and gone for lots of scholarships. All we’ve had is a no from Hampton and all our other schools were a combo of exams + automatic interview so we have no idea how he’s done. My confidence is low (DD got in everywhere and I was secretly very smug so this is my comeuppance 🤣) and I just hope to god we get a decent offer somewhere. DS is a pretty bright, sporty, kind all rounder but the numbers are crazy and I am anxious.

Last year there was a short group exercise (that some DC did before the interview and some DC after). The interview itself was very straight forward and quite chatty. DC were asked to take something with them that they would like to speak about / were proud of / represented them. Questions were the usual ones but I do recall that it was one of the schools that asked which other schools the DC had applied to and also why they had applied to Emanuel ...

Are there any exams or interviews this week? Is anyone feeling very anxious? I am a bag of nerves.

Any pointers for Emanuel interview please? What should we expect, types of questions? Thank you

We come from state and I would suggest little and often covering all of the areas that each school requires. Don’t rely on the state curriculum to get you through as it’s far off the mark. Focus heavier on weaker areas eg creative writing or maths, whatever is relevant but do keep up sports. Don’t listen to people who say their DC doesn’t do much, they are just geniuses. It’s nonsense and just focus on your own needs and instinct to what your child can cope with. For lots of the v competitive they want brains AND other skills.

Is anyone doing music scholarships for entry at the moment? Which schools and how are your DCs coping? The long lists of candidates is so nerve wracking 😳Anyone been through it and can offer some light?

That's nice, @Hatty999. Welcome to the internet.

Sorry I don’t have any insights but would love to know as well!

Like yours, DD came from a state primary and I have had to remind her a few times over the years that her primary school was a much better reflection of the spread of ability in the real world!

DD was also much better at English and other things. And we have to remember that being 'bad' at Maths in St Paul's terms probably equates to getting an 8 or maybe a 7 at GCSE rather than a 9, though actually plenty of the lower sets get 9s too. These are excellent grades that the majority of people would be delighted with. And then she can give it up anyway and do something she likes better for A Level!

😂😂