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Original poster

Help! 10+ interview in City of London school for boys

194 replies

koss · 03/02/2013 14:21

Hello, I am new to this site. My DS has shortlisted for the CLSB 10+ interview. Has anyone got any previous experience? Just want some help what type of preparation needed etc.

OP posts:
Farewelltoarms · 12/02/2013 15:50

Thank you all so much for taking time away from your finger biting/wine drinking to answer my questions. I think you've all successfully put me off! I do know a couple of boys who got in and their parents both said they applied very last minute, did a couple of papers with them, it was no big deal etc. If I could be like that (if they were indeed like that) then I'd probably go for it with my son. However, I know myself and I'm not laid back about anything and would inevitably get myself worked up and risk transmitting this to ds. The process written about by you all seems far more likely (possibly those parents were not be entirely honest...).
One last question before I forget about all this for a while, is it true that they've gone from 110 applicants to 200 in a year? This is for 40 places isn't it? Part of the appeal of the 10+ was that the odds seemed so much more favourable. However, presuming that there is a higher take-up of offers, then perhaps the proportions are very similar. I presume that City just want the best boys so they calibrate their 10+ and 11+ so that the intakes are of similar intake.
Enough already!

Farewelltoarms · 12/02/2013 15:51

Sorry, that should read intakes are of similar ability...

OhDearConfused · 12/02/2013 15:54

Yes, indeed farewell. 200 applicants (up fron 110) for 45 places. It doesn't sound as if 10+ is more favourable than 11+. If last year is anything to go by, the vast majority of offers at 10+ will be accepted so they won't over-offer to the same extent as they do at 11+ in order to fill places.

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 16:09

When we went on our tour we were told the odds were similar for the two entry points. They have many more applicants at 11+, but those applicants are going for more schools too.

FWIW we truly decided to give this a go the day before the application went in and I delivered it to the school myself! We did not have a tutor, but I did work quite hard on past papers, bonds books and essay writing. We aimed for an hour a day and probably managed 5 or 6 hours a week for the six weeks or so between the deadline and the exam. DS is at a fairly laid-back state primary.

I am rather thrown by the possibility of him getting a place now, but more scared of him not getting one having made it to this point. I have told him we don't hear until Thursday.

OhDearConfused · 12/02/2013 16:21

And when they said that, TooMany, I bet they didn't expect 200 applicants. It went up from 99 to 110 to 200!

So 10+ is more difficult.

Double well-done for getting to this stage.....

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 16:28

Where did you get the figures from ODC?
And do you know if there has been a similar rise in applications at 11+?

Shaded · 12/02/2013 16:31

Farewell sorry if we have put you off - certainly did not intend to and you must review our views in the context of our nerves just some hours away from the results. I asked a mum whose child passed the 10+ if it was worth going for it and she was very positive - so ask me again tomorrow if we get good news and am sure I would be submitting the application on your behalf.

There are many pros (with rose tinted lenses) from my point of view.

  • We like many others entered for the exam at the last minute so if we do go through we have not spent many months preparing (although we worked hard over the holidays)
  • whatever happens, it is good practice for the 11+ and the work we did has translated to my son's school work
  • indeed less pressure on the child i.e. no one else at school asking about the results as no one knows we are sitting for this.

And so many more.......ask me tomorrow.

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 16:33

The other positives for me are

  • not being part of sats looniness in yr 6
  • a gentler introduction to the big step in expectations at year 7
OhDearConfused · 12/02/2013 16:35

TooMany: figures for 10+ were posted on this thread by Shaded above: Asked the school today and was told that of the 200 boys that took the 10+ exams, 80 have been asked to interview. There are 45 places at 10+.

Don't know about 11+ - but yes, if that also went up (almost doubling!!!) then the comparative odds will have stayed the same.

Do you think they will answer the phone if I called and asked the result???

Only 24 hours to go.

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 16:39

I was wondering if I could call and say we're on holiday with no access to our mail for the next week, but I'm too scared!!

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 16:40

Oh yes, I did see the numbers you quote, but wondered where the ones for previous years came from. My DH was told 186 sat the exam this year.

OhDearConfused · 12/02/2013 16:56

I think it was last year's thread ! (Or it could have been a thread on the 11+ forum.) Sorry - can't easily find where it came from.

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 17:04

Off to pancake party - take my mind off it all or bore others silly about it. Oh dear, how ridiculous I am.

Shaded · 12/02/2013 17:04

I think the numbers are increasing as more parents find out about the 10+. I had no idea until I went to the open day as I was doing the rounds of school a year early. If we are successful we will certainly inform others and am sure their instinct will be to go for it as a trial run, then your child shocks you by passing and you are suddenly in the finger biting stage!!!!!

OhDearConfused · 12/02/2013 17:06

Found it! The Heads report to the governors is at this link:

In it he writes (about 2012 process):

"Group 1 (10+)
In many ways this entry point has become our most successful and certainly the
easiest to administer owing to the lack of competition from other schools and the parents? ability to pay. This year we again had a record number sitting the entrance examinations (110 compared with 99 last year) and this increasing popularity of the 10+ intake has meant that we have now settled into taking two classes in Old Grammar as a matter of course. Despite the large number of applicants we still wished to limit the year group to 40, in order to maintain a high academic standard, but the take up rate of full fee places was so high (86% compared with last year?s 76%) that we have filled 45 places, without taking any boys from the Reserve List. Four Academic Scholars and one each of Music and Sports have enriched the quality of the intake."

Shaded · 12/02/2013 17:14

ODC thanks for posting this. I wonder what the headmaster is going to write about this year's cohort of 200. The chances were clearly better in previous years.

Original poster
koss · 12/02/2013 17:37

Hi everyone, couldn't communicate yesterday. Although I read all messages. Very scared now. Another few hours to go.......

OP posts:
sicutlilium · 12/02/2013 18:00

Ha ha! Thanks for that link - DS1 is part of the 13+ "strange year". DS2 will have to do the 13+ pre-test, so I shall be biting my nails this time next year.

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 19:31

Good research effort ODC! Perhaps our DCs will all prove so brilliant (and lovely) that they'll extend it to three OG classes.

Suitably fed and lubricated after pancake (with cava) party - plan to sleep well and wake refreshed to face the post tomorrow.

Farewelltoarms · 12/02/2013 19:43

Shaded et al, you haven't put me off in a bad way, just that by reading your nerves and your sons' expectations makes me realise that although some people can be relaxed, I'm really not one of them. If you're going to do something, you might as well really go for it and if you really go for it, then there will be an inevitable emotional investment.
Are there just more children trying for the 10+ as opposed to the 11+ or is there a similar increase in the numbers applying for any good secondary?

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 12/02/2013 19:51

I would also love to know whether the numbers have gone up for 11+ entry too.

Shaded · 13/02/2013 09:35

Good morning and good luck for today's news.

hellsbelles · 13/02/2013 10:14

I'm horribly nervous. DS has 3 really good friends that also got to interview and it'll be so hard for them if some of them don't get through. But DS seems very relaxed about it all though - thank goodness. What time does your post normally arrive. DH is working from home so I'm waiting for a call from him.

Our post doesn't usually arrive till about midday though!

OhDearConfused · 13/02/2013 10:38

Yes, that will be tough. Our post is not til 1.30/2.....grrr.....

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 13/02/2013 11:10

Actually very calm today - reading the Head's report linked above left a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth. Didn't like the way it was all about money and results and not about small boys. I know I'm naive.

My post also doesn't come until after 1.
Oh boy.