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Entrance exam... last bit of panic!

98 replies

Labro · 11/01/2013 01:10

This has probably been asked many many times before but humour me! In the unlikely event that ds is ill or the weather stops us getting to the exam, do I ring the school and they allow test to be sat at another time or what????

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JoanByers · 16/01/2013 15:21

Do they give any feedback on how he performed? For the £100 registration fee it seems courteous if they would.

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mimbleandlittlemy · 16/01/2013 15:42

No - standard letter, exceptional number of candidates blah, blah, blah. Cor - £100,000 in exam fees alone. Mounts up, doesn' it? No wonder they can afford lovely astroturf hockey pitches.

He's just rung, having had a lovely day at school and all cheerful. Feel like a complete heel having to go home and tell him.

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JoanByers · 16/01/2013 15:43

He's rung?

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Jiddle · 16/01/2013 15:45

Sorry to hear your DS was unlucky, mimble. Sounds like a very tough exam if he's level 6s and didn't even get an interview. What are the other kids, rocket scientists??

For RGS, does anyone know if the boys called for second interviews get letters,or phone calls? The info sheet they gave out on Sat said interviews start on Tues 22 Jan so I'm working on the basis that if we haven't heard anything before say next Monday, we can expect to be in (as they did say they send the rejection letters quickly). Does that sound right?

I wish they would hurry up! I can't take this waiting!

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BleakSpouse · 16/01/2013 15:56

It does sound right. I would be surprised if the letters weren't sent to ensure arrival by the end of this week, Sat at latest. My understanding was that second interviews would be offered by letter, not phone, but I am not sure if anybody was explicit on this point.

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mimbleandlittlemy · 16/01/2013 15:57

Joan, he does have a phone because he walks home on his own from school (to a house which always has someone, not to an empty one I hasten to add before everyone thinks he's a latch key kid in Y6 Shock) but he rang me from the house to tell me the story of the day, which is what he always does.

Jiddle, I suppose if there are 1000 and they take whatever it is - 120/140 then he just wasn't in the top 14%.

Thanks to all - talking it through on here has helped a fair bit in the last hour or so.

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BleakSpouse · 16/01/2013 16:09

In fact, now I think about it, I am sure the HM said that there would be three types of LETTER sent out - rejection, second interview, or acceptance. Given the interview timescale, I think we can assume that the letters are in the post, or will be by close of play tomorrow.

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Labro · 16/01/2013 16:16

Mimble, have you got any other indies that might take for yr 7 & 8 and then look at 13+ at an indie that doesn't pretest? The local comp sounds horrible for your ds

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Xenia · 16/01/2013 16:39

Ring round. Ring Latimer although that probably won't help. Ring all equivalent independents and the next tier down and you might find a spare place or twist an arm.

Also don't worry about it. Things often work out for the best anyway. We always tried to ensure with our 5 that it was very very clear it didn't matter at all and there were a range of schools and whichever they got in would be utterly fine.

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mimbleandlittlemy · 16/01/2013 16:55

Local comp will be fine for him if that's what it ends up being. It's on the up, Good with Outstanding Features of which teaching is one of the outstanding features which I hope is good news, he does G&T stuff there already so knows some of the science/maths staff and hopefully with a yearly intake the same size as his entire primary he'll be streamed well away from his bete noires as well as being out of a classroom with them even if in the same year. We've also always talked it up at home so it isn't a dire alternative in his head that would have us all wailing like the chorus of a Greek tragedy. Mind you I think there may be a bit of that tonight!

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Jiddle · 16/01/2013 17:07

Did he have his heart set on Hampton ,Mimble*? Am dreading being in this position in the next few days myself!

For what it's worth, I failed my 11+ and was absolutely gutted. Thought it was the end of the world. The following year I got into another (also v academic but slightly less so) school, which I had a fantastic six years at and loved, made lifelong friends and left with straight As so it wasn't the end of the world after all. Just different.

I appreciate it's difficult to convey this to a disappointed child though. I hope your DS is ok.

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mimbleandlittlemy · 16/01/2013 17:11

Heart was a bit set, Jiddle, I have to say.

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Jiddle · 16/01/2013 17:18

Bless him. I do feel for you both. These things are much worse when they happen to your DC than when they happen to you, I think.

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JoanByers · 16/01/2013 18:21

I wasn't being disparaging about the phone, just my DS is hopeless with stuff. I went to pick him up from school today: 'Where's your hat?' 'Oh'. So he went back to get it. Comes back, minus his book bag which he had previously 'Where's your bag?' 'I must have left it in the changing room'.

Wouldn't trust him with a phone.

I would second xenia re ringing round.

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racingheart · 16/01/2013 19:44

Mimble, I also agree about ringing round. And no harm in asking for feedback from Hampton - did they not even give out his scores? With anticipated level 6 and G&T, he sounds well within their boundaries. Did you tutor him in NVR and VR? You could mention what you've just told us about him and ask for them to add him to their waiting list. You have nothing to lose by being keen and a bit pushy at this stage.

Incidentally, one indie head (not Hampton) told me that some state school heads send lousy two line reports or nothing at all. You might want to follow up and see what sort of report he has had from school. A non-committal one from a head who doesn't believe in private education might tip the balance on a borderline candidate and there's lots you could do to redress that.

Where are you based? Have you thought of some of the other South London private schools. Dulwich College may be a push at this late stage, but I've heard good things about St Dunstans. What about moving into a prep and reapplying for 13+? A friend's son got into his 1st choice school second time around by doing this and has loved his time there.

Good luck with Emmanuel (of which I hear good reports) and Latymer (don't know this school at all.)

DH asked why there was such a boom in private school applications if there's supposed to be a recession. Does seem higher than ever this year.

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JoanByers · 16/01/2013 20:46

There is Radnor House.

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stillfeel18inside · 17/01/2013 11:14

Mimble - we had a "no" from Hampton for my DS1 3 years ago and reading your post brought it all back. Now I'm so glad he didn't go there as he's very happy where he is (kgs), and much better in a mixed environment (yr 9 they've suddenly all woken up to the fact there are boys/girls in their class and that might actually be quite exciting!)

But I remember that horrible feeling when someone says "we don't want you" to child. The competition has obviously got ridiculously fierce this year if your DS is around level 6, that's mad, mine was level 5s and I was up in arms! Hope you get offers from the other schools (I would think your DS must be a sure thing for Emanuel, at least). Having had two boys through this process now, all I can say is that things really do have a way of turning out for the best - they're both at schools which really suit them. Good luck

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racingheart · 17/01/2013 11:21

How did he take it Mimble?

I have a friend (perhaps it's you stillfeel?) for whom the same thing happened. Brother at Hampton, but DS2 didn't pass and went to KGS which he loves and where he thrives. I do believe they end up at the right school. And Emmanuel is supposed to be wonderful. Just too far away from us to be a consideration.

We have an interview for Hampton. Letter came today.

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mimbleandlittlemy · 17/01/2013 11:29

Thanks for everyone's really kind support. He has taken the news like a trooper (rather tearful one but a trooper nonetheless) and is stalwartly waiting for the others. Latymer letters go out for rejection/interview invites on 29th Jan I believe and then Emanuel send out offers to arrive for 15th Feb. At least he's already had an interview there.

As they make the wait list out of the interviewed candidates at Hampton and do more interviews than they have places and as he obviously bombed the exam somehow we will move onwards and upwards. Our additional problem, which I'm certain makes him a less attractive prospect, was we were asking for a bursary and he has an SEN diagnosis so it's sort of a double whammy.

I'm sure he got a good reference from school as the Y6 teacher who writes them is incredibly conscientious on that front but what will be will be. Coming over a bit Doris Day this morning.

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Jiddle · 17/01/2013 11:29

Any RGS post today?

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racingheart · 17/01/2013 11:36

He's brave, Mimble. I hope he gets a place at a really brilliant school. Hampton is huge and very much a sink or swim school, so it may not have been the right place for him, despite his obvious academic ability.

Not heard from RGS yet.

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mimbleandlittlemy · 17/01/2013 11:43

Really well done to your ds racing, that's very good news. Fingers crossed for him.

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papalazaru · 17/01/2013 12:32

Sorry your DS had a disappointment Mimble. It must be very tough news to break. We still haven't heard from anyone so I am assuming we're in the same position as you. I am hoping that we might get an offer from one of the 'lesser' academic schools - which incidentally was the most helpful and welcoming in all my dealings with them. Which gave me a better 'feeling' as we haven't even been able to visit any of the schools yet!

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musicalfamily · 17/01/2013 14:54

good luck to everyone still waiting for letters.
My DD1 is going for the 8+ at a selective independent but we are not in London so a lot less competitive. We haven't done much prep and I am now slightly anxious that we should have. Too late now as it is next week!!!
Looking forward to hearing how others are getting on. For what it's worth I got her to do the Kings' papers (only ones I could find online) to see where we were at and she found the Maths easy but the English pretty hard!!

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castlesintheair · 18/01/2013 17:57

mimbleandlittlemy, I am sorry for your disappointment. My DS also got turned down for the same school this week. It is interesting to hear what you say about your DS as mine is also on a 6 in sats and has a SEN which is now not needed but it is printed in BOLD letters on the report his (state) school sent. Head is very anti private schools and particularly so in DS's case for some reasn. I got a copy of the report yesterday out of curiosity and really I'd be very surprised if anyone offered him a place having read it Sad. The 4 boys from his year who had interviews at Hampton and were all assured they would be offered places are on similar levels to my DS so my feeling that they just don't like anything out of the ordinary there could be true. That and they are so oversubscribed they can just pick what they think is the best in all aspects. Of course it could be that he completely messed up the exam but I don't think so as he said it was the best he did out of the 4 he's taken! It makes me sad but I do think there are schools out there who overlook anything different - King's is one school.

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