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.

be not get

MrsSteptoe, surely you realised that the DC interview was at your house, and you will be tested on your Victoria Sponge baking skills?!

[ That said, there have been moments where I have wished that I could be tested, and not ds]

Am still miffed about yesterday's test. I am confident that ds could hold his own in a class at any of the schools we have applied for, and yet one school seems to be trying to test what he can't do, rather than what he can. Grrr... And chill. No January dryathalon in the Muck household...

Ladymuck, no dry house here either, despite the nickname. Only 1 girls' school in our radius has sent out offers, still plenty more to wait for unfortunately.
Good luck to you all in these nail biting weeks!

Ladymuck don't some exams have more questions than most children could hope to finish in the allotted time?

Possibly Soupdragon, but given he has sat multiple grammar tests in Kent and Sutton as well as other indies without leaving a single question undone, to come up against a paper where he didn't even touch nearly half of the questions at this stage of the process feels a bit brutal. I guess that I would have liked some form of "heads-up" about the format, whether from his prep school, tutor or even older sibling . I'm just having an (over)emotional reaction to him feeling a bit hijacked really. Rationally I know he'll be fine, and this school, of all the schools he has sat, should make an offer. Irrationally I'm in lioness mode...

Just reading back - when I referred to being in a hideous position, it is more about the fact that the majority of his classmates have at least one firm offer already, some two. It is only the boys who haven't heard anything yet, and for the most part they want grammar places not indies anyway. So there are only 3 of us who particularly want an indie school for a boy and have not yet got an offer (and obv won't until 14 Feb, but as you know, usually the interviews give you a pretty big clue). The girls are already picking over the relative merits of their schools.

Ladymuck, ftomthe timings you spoke of in that VR paper I wouldn't imagine anyone would have come anywhere near finishing- even those tutored within an inch of their lives from the age of 3 for Tiffin. I really wouldn't worry. I know it may be demoralising for your DS but it appears this is more to do with the papers than his capabilities.

Have no issue with the home visit might even bring out the tea pot and will definitely bake something !!!
Will reeds advice will be contacted by the end of the month and NOT to call Grrrrr on phone watch am hoping they call the mobile ......

Seriously how do I expect a place for my DS when I can't even construct a sentence myself !!!
Am waiting for the call from reeds they have advised not to call before 31st jan its gonna be a Loooong month .

LadyMuck More than anything else, I hate the way that I can't stop this process from controlling how I feel - one bad practice paper (not that we're doing them any more) plunges me into despondency, one good practice paper and everything looks rosy. Even worse when we fear that something has knocked DC's confidence as well. I'm relieved that Alleyn's, which I fear will be the worst paper among our schools, is the last one.
That VR that your son sat with the bazillion questions in 20 minutes or whatever it was sounded mental.

Even though I am 95% certain as to which school ds will be going to, it is hard to totally step away from the roller-coaster.

Thankfully Alleyns is our last, and definitely our aspirational. Ds has always wanted co-ed, and basically went for the top of the league table (or as close as he could get - I wasn't about to consider Brighton College for 13+ given he is at an 11+ school). Just done the maths paper. Seemed tedious rather than outright difficult. No algebra that I could spot? Ds seems to have forgotten bidmis. We've done the English paper recently - I seem to remember "flaccid".

Um, without giving away too much info, did anyone else's son believe that Trinity's comprehension passage contained references to a father drinking alcohol?

Gosh, my mobile is alwasy on silnet. Hope they phone the landline. All the neighbours object to having a mobile phone mast within half a mile, so none of us have reception!

LadyMuck, agree that Alleyn's paper is more tedious than difficult, which I think isn't that great because doesn't leave much scope for cracking difficult questions. I mean why would you want to calculate a mean of 12 numbers? If you want to check if DC know stats, give 5 numbers?

BTW, DD knows BODMAS in and out but "forgot" for the Alleyn's paper!

DD did an Alleyn's sample paper at school back in September which is not the sample paper on their website (I assume it must have been from a couple of years ago). It was longer and more difficult (i.e. more problem-solving stuff) than the website one - had 4 of questions on speed, a few number puzzles, and a fiddly area/volume question. 3 extension questions at the end.

I am so looking forward to it being over! Although, of course, once exams are done, will be biting my nails for the phone to ring!

Morning peeps. Has anyone heard from T yet?

And W interviews, anyone got an idea what sort of things they will be asking D? Do I have to meet with the head?

If Alleyns is this complicated, one has to ask themselves if it's the right school for your child. Will they constantly put them under the unnecessary pressure to keep up the grades or is it just to get them in through the door?
We all know our children, I for one knew it would be too much for Ds.
I believe all our children are somewhat intelligent but also should be allowed to be children and enjoy school.
Apologies in advance if I offend Alleyns prospects.

Nothing here from T. Not facing texting any of the school mums but nothing on Facebook yet!

W: usually questions about interests, but if one paper is weaker than the other expect ds to see a teacher in his weak subject. Head usually only see those in line for academic scholarship, but you will see someone from the senior staff for marketing, and to check that you do really want the school.

Thanks L.M. I didn't ask what's the interview will be based on. I was just busy trying to conceal my

In what way do you see Alleyns as complicated Brownsugar? If anything I thought it was one of the more straightforward of the schools, given they will interview the top 300 or so who "pass" the exam. It makes the interview process more terrifying, as it seems to be the only school that we're going for where the interview is competitive rather than just checking that the child matches up with the papers they sat and doesn't have two heads.

It used to be the case that your ds was asked to bring in something of which he was proud/interested in order to get the ball rolling, it they may have dropped that at W (or even at T as well).

Hi, has anyone heard from W yet for 10+?

If one paper is weaker than the other expect ds to see a teacher in his weak subject.
I believe this is the case for T too.

Head usually only see those in line for academic scholarship
However, he doesn't see all those in line for academic scholarships. DS1 did see the head at W but wasn't offered a scholarship DS2 didn't see him and was! I wonder if it's just borderline scholarship candidates?

DS2 had to read a passage in his T interview and was then asked question on it - a mini comprehension I guess. As I said earlier, English was far and away his weakest subject. I assume there are similar maths questions if that is the boy's weakest subject. I don't remember either DS mentioning this for the W interview though.

Just curious LadyMuck. You wrote above Even though I am 95% certain as to which school ds will be going to, it is hard to totally step away from the roller-coaster.

You seem to be going for quite a few schools (lost track of which , but I think you mentioned grammars as well). Is that to cover that 5% gap? Ie just in case DS fails for that favourite school?

When DS had interviews 2 years ago, he only had to take an item for T not W. He has some maths questions in the W interview, despite that being his best result - I don't think he mentioned anything English related. I don't recall any particularly strong marketing during our chat either. I don't think the T interview had anything specifically academic. He was interviewed by a science teacher which suited his interests and they ended up talking about space (which didn't!) Ended up with offers for both. THat was 10+.

Anyone else with a DS doing City today?