Withington Girls School Entrance Exams

[yummymumoftwoandanangel]

We have registered our 10 year old daughter to write the secondary school entrance exams in January 2013. Can anyone please recommend any private tutors who are specialised in this particular entrance exam? Thanks.

BTW I think there are 2 types of interviews , the first are those who passed comfortably , the school in now in " selling mode" and will do almost anything to persuade you and your child to accept the place,
and those who are borderline ( any child can have a bad day even very bright ones, especially when you are only 10-11 yrs old ) this is when they may re-visit a question in the written assessment , or may ask a more nuance question like " if you were a instrument what kind of instrument would you be and why )? every reasonable child should be allowed a second bite at the cherry! all they want to confirm is , is the written assessment consistant will the actual child-if that makes sense

r/c 123
have a look at this meta-analysis of the "top schools in the N.W
www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=32210&start=10
take a look at bns analysis

This dropped off my TIO, but I see some of you were asking about my comment about some LBHS pupils struggling there.

I wasn't very clear in my post, I didn't mean all Ladybarn girls would struggle there. But there are some who probably wouldn't have got a place if they'd been to a school other than Ladybarn, because Ladybarn do prep incredibly hard for the entrance exams.

These are the ones who find it hard.

Obviously my evidence is anecdotal, but my DSis's year was probably the first that sent very high numbers (15+) to WGS (my year only had three or four). My DB was at Ladybarn, so we saw it from both sides. His year was ridiculous, with around 25 places offered to Ladybarn girls.

Now I refuse to believe that all the girls at Ladybarn are just that much cleverer than the girls at all the other prep schools in the area! Or that much cleverer than the cohort was two/three years previously... It therefore seems reasonable to believe it's down to the way they're now being prepared for the exam. I know my DB did much more exam preparation than my DSis and I did (another prep school).

And, yes, once some of them were there, they did struggle. The work at WGS is fast paced. If you spend most of year 5 and 6 doing past papers then you'll be good at them, but when you're expected to learn new things very quickly, some people do come unstuck.

Ok, that was a long post!

Basically, if you would have got in from another school you'd be fine. If you only got in because you'd been at Ladybarn and knew the exam back to front but perhaps weren't as academic, you could struggle.

Obviously this would apply to anywhere that 'overteaches' an exam, it's just that Ladybarn (along with Withington Juniors) is particularly bad for doing it.

It's the same principle as if you have a tutor for hours a week to pass.

Hi,
My ds passed sgs/chs and kings but decided he wanted to go to sgs as he found it more friendlier and he felt more comfortable. I would suggest you take part in the taster days (the kids get to spend a full day at the school and take part in activities/lessons)that are provided by sgs and chs (not sure if kings do one)and see how your ds feels. My ds attended both and decided pretty much straightaway he wanted to go to sgs. I attended all 3 schools on the open days plus ehen ds had his interview and agreed sgs was the better choice. Everyones different though hence why I think its a good idea to enrol your ds on the taster days and contact each school and ask how they would support him with his dyslexia.

Good luck to all those sitting enterance exams after X-mas-it will soon be over Hooray!

Is all this infighting going on at all of the Manchester private secondary schools? From my small amount of knowledge, it seems to be.

It's been a while since I started this thread and thought I would give an update of my daughter's progress. She has been at Withington Girls School for a while and absolutely loves it. Most of the girls and their parents are really down to earth. Unlike a lot of misconceptions and stories about posh and privileged parents in the independent sector, most of the parents I have met including myself are far from privileged. We all have high standards and expectations for ourselves and our children. We come from a plethora of socio economic backgrounds. WGS has been an eye opener for my daughter. The journey has not been an easy one. She has learnt that she can't relax and just use her natural intellect to cruise through life and expect great results. WGS has helped her to focus, better organised, develop her critical thinking skills and be very proactive. Also there is a lot of emphasis placed on fostering emotional, moral and social intelligence. The teachers and authorities are extremely proud of the success of the school. Rightly so! It never ceases to amaze me how many times I have heard " WGS has very high standards". I now have a better understanding of how they maintain those standards and get those amazing exam results year in and year out. Also, they don't take any prisoners and would give it to you straight because they actually "know" your daughter. No fluffiness. Last week, I was asked whether I thought moving my daughter there had been a good decision. Without a blink, I answered yes. WGS brings out the best in its girls. It separates the wheat from the chaff. If you want your daughter to get one of the best education in the world, send her there. You won't regret it. However, you as a parent must be willing to muck it and work with the school to bring out the best in your child. You must be ready to teach your daughter coping and resilience skills because it won't be an easy ride. After all who said the world is an easy place. Your daughter can't just fly by the seat of her pants at WGS and expect good results. She would have to knuckle it down and work hard. There is nothing 100% foolproof in life, however a WGS education will enable your daughter to become resilient, face challenges head on, smart as a whip, confident, secure and prepared.

Also, I must add that the girls are far from nerdy or geeky. They may be smart but they know how to have fun. The do and act like all normal Tweens and teens. Films, dressing, sleep overs, boys, shopping you name it. As I often tell my daughter, "fun with brains and beauty with brains". They have it all at WGS. Also their headmistress, Sue Marks rocks. I guess in life you can't please everyone. Not everyone will like you. However, I can personally vouch that all the parents and staff I have come across, have the utmost respect for and think she is a great leader. I personally, have not had any reason to question her ability.

Thanks for the update. I imagine there must be a lot of pressure on the girls there but encouraging them to work hard and do their best obviously works.

Hi I just wanted to say I found the information on this thread very helpful. I am at the moment going through the process of applying for my daughters secondary school. I have recently visited the Withington Girls School again on the open day my daughter as set her heart on going to this school. I do worry because we are not fortunate enough for my daughter to be at good primary school, she is doing well she is at a level 5c at the moment. How can I help my daughter achieve this dream?

Hi I just wanted to say thank you I have found this thread very helpful. I am going through the process of applying for secondary school for my daughter. My daughter as her heart set on going to Withington Girls School, but we are not fortune her primary school is not very good. She is doing well because I am helping her at home she is working at a level 5c. How can I help my daughter achieve this dream?

Hi Sammads123
At Level 5c, your daughter is at a really high level and this should give her a good standing in the exams. Work through as many of the WGHS past examination papers repeatedly. I guarantee you, the Year 7 maths tests are nothing like what my daughter practised for her exams. LOL! The interviews are just as important including the parents interview with the headmistress. I know some girls who excelled in the exams but were not accepted after the interviews. Good luck. Good choice.

Hi Sammads123
Wishing your daughter the best of luck on Monday.

Anyone hear from Withington yet? My daughter took the test on Monday and I don't know of anyone who has heard either way.

No phone until now.....??

I thought the offers go out on the first week of March as the independent schools in the region have agreed that they all send offers that week.

Sorry I meant had anyone heard whether they had passed the test

I heard that internal candidates are bein interviewed now and we shouldn't expect to be called until next week

Thank's Wotsit123 I'm really nervous.... ;-)

Me too! I don't think my daughter cares in the slightest!

Btw papag13 this is something I picked up from another parent not the school!

That's fine thank's just to know makes me feel a bit better because I expected the call yesterday or today to be honest....

Oh you mean have they been invited to interview which means they have passed the written exams part?
I didn't realise that WGS interview the prospective students (I don't have girls). I thought they used a process similar to MGS who hold assessment days and then have the formal exam.
Hope you hear soon.