The Trinity-Whitgift-South London school 10+/11+ thread of 2014

[Ladymuck]

A few days early I know, but most of the entrance exams will be out of the way in a fortnight or so, and I'm sure there are a number of us who are in need of or or as we watch our (still very little) boys forget everything that they may have learned over the last couple of years. And there are many veterans of the process who will hopefully be around to reassure us that we will all come through this unscathed.

Didn't realise the car park exit was going to be SO slow. Can people please try not to live to the right of the school .

LadyMuck if he gets an interview, then will put his skiing badges around his neck!

LadyMuck if it's any consolation, DH's work and consequently financial situation is what I can only describe as hither and yon, so it's swings and roundabouts!

Back to worrying about interviews and what on earth DS is going to talk about. He's a bit of a tangible achievement free zone - we clearly haven't pushed him hard enough. God, as parents, we are so not cut out for this process....

Favourite author. Always a safe one I think.

Have you seen the baldworm interview sheet?

Also they have a website where they've collated all the interview questions that their girls can remember, eg here are the one for St Benedicts

Sorry - wrong link - that was exam questions.

falconsinterview.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/st-benedicts-questions-2009.html

"Are you religious?"
Given that he announced that evolution was all wrong yesterday and that it doesn't work because God made everything, I can only hope that Dulwich doesn't ask him that question, though it's a natural one for St B's. He hasn't quite grasped Pope Benedict XIII's concept of Intelligent Design.

Thanks for these links, though, LadyMuck, fantastic resource. You are an absolute gem!

Just caught up with the weekends comments.
My DS was state school primary and did no timed writing at all, barely did any comprehension and as far as I am aware that was not timed either. Even the creative writing was drafted, edited re-edited and finally produced - which is not particularly helpful for time-critical essays!! He did perhaps 3 or 4 practice 'stories' as we called them prior to his 10+ exams, and got interviews at T and W (and writing really isn't his strong point).

For interviews, the staff are used to chatting to kids of this age and getting the best out of them. Make sure they have knowledge or a a recent 'favourite' book, and have watched the news recently. If they have a hobby - fantastic. They don't have to have 'achieved', but it does give them something to talk about. My DS talked about his cub camp. One interview was with a science teacher and he ended up chatting about space, which he isn't really interested in, and knows nothing spectacular about, but was happy to talk which I think is the important thing. Also make it clear that some questions don't necessarily have a right answer, they are just looking for a bit of a spark eg what would you do if you won the lottery/were PM/could travel anywhere type questions. Some ask for the child to take something along to talk about which is really only to help things along if the child really needs help relaxing.

Good luck to all who have exams this week (even if it means my DS is off school on Friday - he hasn't even gone back yet )

Thanks, Seeline. It's good to hear stories from the state trenches!

Having been brought up by a staunch atheist, I hope he doesn't get asked that (should he be called, of course).

Just listened to Mr H's interview podcast. Ummm. He is telling his kids to lie ("don't say you don't like maths, say you do!").... Who is this guy?

He's Head of Learning at the Alpha preps. I mainly like his English resources, but I know he's tried to cover interviews too (some of the girls school questions look terrifying!).

I wouldn't suggest that he is recommending lying as such, just how one presents the position in the best possible light. I suspect his advice is more appropriate for girls as I suspect boys tend to be more forthright and honest about their faults...

He does make interviews sound so scary though. I though it was all supposed to be a nice chat - schools being used to getting DCs to speak etc, making them relaxed. Looking at his blog its almost like looking at the 11PlusForum (scary stuff). ("Turn a negative into a postive" ).

Thanks for sharing though (genuinely), but for us, we might just take it a little bit more chilled...

Having been brought up by a staunch atheist, I hope he doesn't get asked that

To contextualise, JustAnother, that's on the St Benedict's list - although St B's takes those of any or no faith, it does have a mission to prioritise baptised Catholics, so I think as a question it's fair for them (though I really hope DS doesn't suddenly start to sound like a raving creationist, because that's definitely not how we're bringing him up!). I'd find it a harder one to justify in state, but for independent I take the view that it's their house, their rules.

we might just take it a little bit more chilled

DS is apt to go "ummmm........" when asked questions to which he could make a perfectly good answer if he was a bit quicker on his feet, so I think we'll have to take a middle ground - make sure that he has thought about his favourite authors, that he can remember what his hobbies are (I know it sounds stupid, but he tends to only remember whatever it is he's done in the last week - so he'll forget to say anything about his saxophone or Chess club because he's been playing with Lego for a week solid), and that he does actually quite like maths because he's good at it (otherwise he'll say he hates school and is rubbish at everything because he thinks he's being funny #facepalm)

And I think we'll watch a bit of Newsround (is that the kids' one? You know what i mean) and look at the papers a bit, because Dulwich do try to get them to answer a current affairs question (which I assume they fish around to try to pitch to something that DS knows about, but that'll be tricky if he can't comment on anything at all!)

Oh, and Ian Scarisbrook (sp?) said that they usually ask a moral question during the interview as well - "what would you do wtih a million pounds" is the usual example, but I guess if DS gawps at him, they will keep asking until they find one that he can answer fluently!

Thanks, Mrs S - yes appreciated that about St B's. I was a little tongue in cheek.... I'm actually sure DS would be great at answering that (well brought up little atheist that he is ) if DC or W were to venture there (which I doubt).

Yes - your middle grounds sounds right to me. Make sure he knows what he likes before he goes in there. And Newsround - absolutely!

It is probably worth taking the time to wade through last year's thread as I know the T interviews came as a surprise to some. I suspect you'll see some familiar usernames too!

Thanks, LM

linked
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/a1685781-The-Trinity-Whitgift-thread-of-2013-continued

DD had a couple of interviews already at schools that interview before exams.

The way I try to prepare is to be able to explore any question asked in depth and branch out. It seemed to have helped as that's exactly how the interview went a couple of times.

Basically, choose an answer that allows you to explore further. E.g. DD likes both science and art (favourite subject question). However, there isn't much she can say about art except that she likes doing it. If they started asking about her favourite artists, styles, museums, exhibitions, etc, she wouldn't have much to say. With science, on the other hand, she can talk for hours - about robotic surgery, DNA, viruses, black holes, space, cell structure, tadpoles, growing things, etc. Regarding art, we said keep it to one of the hobbies (she does an art club) and we did take her to Pollock exhibition.

Similarly, if there is a favourite book, we talked about why, any other books by the same author, what it is that you like about it, themes explored, etc. What are you reading now? etc.

Also, personalize - e.g. everybody will know about Nelson Mandela's death in current events or if you use him as a person you admire/find inspirational, that's pretty cliche. But DD's father is South African and took parts in protests against apartheid when at university there. So he talked to her about it, how it felt, why students took risks to do this, the split in attitudes between the boers and the rest, etc. Similarly, her grandmother did rowing big time at university and talked to DD about it so it was natural for her to say she'd like to take up rowing because her granny did it when asked about what you like about the school (with rowing schools) etc.

I think you get the gist - whatever question/answer it is, try to go deeper within that topic.

BTW, she is not interested in current affairs whatsoever, so we are going to stick to heads of state for most important countries, still struggling with chancellor (just asked her - it's Charles Osborne!, at least we are getting there with the last name). But she can talk with passion and insight about issues in society - education, taxes, immigration/emigration, budget deficit, etc. Ask her who is an education secretary and you get a blank!

So we'll stick to 2-3 key events in the last couple of months and leave it at that.

Thanks, LM and MrsS, The link MrsS posted was the continuation of the original (which deals with the offers). This is the earlier thread from last year: T-W-2013

And in searching for that - I found this rather very heated thread: D versus W.

LOL - just reading the start of the at D v W thread. Chealseatina talks a load of rubbish

as a matter of fact, I do not recall Whitgift ever making the published list of league table data, as it came so far down the list

That will probably be because they withdrew from appearing in the league tables along with the other Whitgift Foundation schools.

And she disappeared from the thread after having it pointed out to her :)

One down, three to go. All sounds ok. Was fearing a panic/breakdown, but DS upbeat enough. Phew.... onto W on Thursday.

Yup, DS quite Tiggerish.