The Trinity Whitgift Dulwich 11+/10+ thread 2014 pt2

[LadyMuck]

Anyone still out there?!

Ladymuck - a big well done to minimuck! I know you're probably still offline but am curious to know what school was your favourite?

DS now has a choice between Alleyn's and Dulwich college, he has no real preference and both are full fees places.
He is a sporty boy, quite confident but not particularly artistic or musical. He has zero interest in girls but that will probably change! Could anyone offer opinions, negative or positive, to stop me flipping a coin? I really like them both.

(And yes I am thrilled to even have the choice! )

Advice needed? DS currently on reserve list for T 10+. I called them to confirm we are keen for him to get a place and to stay on the list. Does anyone have any experience of being on the wait list? E.g how many are placed on list and chance of getting a place.
Should I call next week to ask for any movement on the list, and explain it is our only school applied for etc etc. want to strike the right balance between over keen and desperate.. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Northern lass - I think it definitely makes sense to keep on contacting them. There will be many on the list who have other places at other schools and will take them, I am sure it will stand you in good stead to let them know how keen you are. Most people I know who have places on waiting lists will not be following up on them as they will choose full offers instead.

Ladydepp. Many thanks. Will keep at it. One very teary 9year old at the moment. :( fingers crossed.

Northernlass it is definitely worth keeping at it. If a school knows you really want them I think you have a very good chance of getting a place from the waiting list. I've seen it happen several times when families were really keen, while those who were not bothered never did get offered places. But you do have to find that line between keen and annoying!

On another (related) subject, what is the form for turning down places? Not a position I thought I would find myself in to be honest! Offer letters don't seem to give any clues...

Hey guys ,,Dulwich ..scholarship yea. Whitgift full fee ,.. Slightly disappointed ..Alleyns ,..waiting list ..not surprised really ..DS said he had not been to an open day at the interview , although we had been twice...

Decision time ,..it's either Dulwich or a grammar if he gets a place ...leaning to Wilson's if we get a yea

Well done all

That's good to hear, ClaraM. Will wait til Tuesday and give a call again. Will appear confident, and not at all needy. Here's hoping. Thanks for the advice.

I do thing W are guilty of bigging it up at open events and interview , we had the call that DS had been in top 3 in the English paper ...he also had sports assessment and call back ,,...but after all that full fee place offered .

Doesn't sound unusual with others comments ... W have not covered themselves in glory from 1st to last for me ...other schools have behaved far less like used car salesmen.

Would not consider now ,,..it's DC or a grammar..roast that peacock.

Clara - we have been sent forms to return if we are turning down places. Otherwise maybe just a quick email to the registrar at the school. I am going to try to do it ASAP so those on the waitlist don't have to wait as long.

We are probably going to turn down 10% scholarship at W, I wonder what happens to that money - stirred back into a big pot for next year or will it go to someone this year???

DibbleOfficer I feel the same. Rapidly gone off the peacocks and flamingoes. The whole experience is now tainted. Instead of feeling happy with a place we are left disappointed as led to believe it would be so much more.

Roast the Peacock I say! Lol. We will be turning down the offer from W if that makes any Ds move up in line. I must say I am really disappointed with W

ladymuck I need your expertise and advice. Would I be mad to turn down a 13+ place at KCS in favour of an 11+ place at W (with all round scholarship). Have had this going round my head all day, DS being no help in showing any preference so it is time for some outside opinion.

Clearly pros and cons for both but not sure which pros and cons are the most important!

ladydepp Seem to remember you wanted advice on choosing between Dulwich and Alleyns? My DS1 is at Dulwich and really enjoying it - great school, he's very happy there and has been really pushed academically (he is a Scholar so this was important). But...we have been a bit disappointed in the sport as he is primarily a footballer rather than a rugby player and whatever Dulwich say, they do not give the same attention to football as they do rugby. So....if your son prefers football, Alleyns would prob be a better option. If he prefers rugby, go for Duwich (obviously, as Alleyns don't even play it).

Otherwise really depends on whether you think single sex or co-ed would be better for your DS.

I know a boy who was in top 5 in verbal reasoning and English paper at W, l but top 15 in maths, last year, and he didn't get an academic scholarship. The explanation was there is a finite amount of money in the pot, and it depends really on how strong the cohort is in that particular year. Unfortunately, had it been the previous year, with those particular scores he would have got a scholarship. Incidentally, he got a generous academic scholarship at T.

We also had a long discussion on the thread last year ( before results day though), about the positive spin at interviews. And looking back on threads years before and people that came to hold our hands, we soon realised that what was said by interviewers could easily be taken as offers being promised by ( naturally), anxious parents.

Also unless you are interviewed by headmaster, nothing is set in stone. I believe our interviewer after the positive spin, said to us, I will be recommending your son, but ultimately, the headmaster ( along with his meeting panel), have a lot to consider when deciding, ( something along those lines anyway).

From people I know this year, the scholarships have generally been a lot more generous at T compared with W, and a fair number have got scholarships and bursaries at T, but not W, as well. But also I know a couple of very clever boys who have had no offers at T at all. Such a mix, of oddities ( for lack of a better term).

Sports scholarship have also been extremely competitive, that's probably why some have been awarded honorary scholarships, to acknowledge the boys. But again I suspect there just isn't enough money to go round, frustrating I know!!!

Looking slightly further afield, it appears Caterham and RGS, have been quite generous with scholarships this year as well ( or maybe it's just a coincidence, with the people I know that sat the exams). All the Caterham ones I know came out complaining about a certain paper and they all got scholarships 25% and above.

We found decision making after results day even tougher than the wait. I wish you all the best as the journey continues and hope that ultimately everyone finds a place that best suits their DC.

Sorry just checking whitgift only gave 30 bursary awards ??!!! I was under the impression that if you got offered a place then you automatically got the bursary if you qualified?

No school can operate on that basis. They just don't have the funds to offer bursaries to everyone who 'passes' the entrance exam. It's a common misconception though, and I think all schools should be more transparent about this. They really should explain upfront how bursaries are allocated and manage expectations.

Coming from the state system the 'impression' that I got from W was that you got in you got the bursary you needed as there would be no point applying as i couldn't afford to accept a full fee place. If it was made known that there was bursary on offer for 10% of the intake I may have thought twice about applying as fate had it we got a no anyway but poozie & brown sugar I feel your pain. hope you get something sorted

Shootingatpigeons I think maybe you missed the point of my post?

Actually, Marni23 & Teddingtonmum1 thank you for that info. I shall be raising it up with W.

One poster here with a generous scholarship offer from W but much lower than expected from T (we were expecting more after our discussion with HM). Not complaining we are very grateful and relieved to have received these offers but to show not all disappointed by W (though I know of another DS parents whom received full fee offer, no scholarship at all despite extremely positive feedback on DS results during interview... go figure!).

In a way, for us this makes choosing between the 2 easier but decision making process is by no mean over! DS having exceeded all my expectations, gremlins at the back of my mind are now telling me "you'd be mad to turn down a place at Wilsons if he gets in... We are not exactly rolling in it!". To your point Somelikeithot, we are beginning to find this part of the process just as excruciatingly difficult. Confused!

Having gone through this a few year ago I'm so sorry that some of you are disappointed. It's a tough system all round on families and DC and not for the faint hearted. Unfortunately no school can afford to offer bursaries to all who apply and pass I'm afraid and I have put the extract below from the website. This is ingrained in my head from the wait we had when we were going through the process. I know of a couple who have received and a couple who haven't this year. Elated and disappointed in equal measure.

Bursaries, or reduced fees, are awarded by The Whitgift Foundation to a limited number of parents whose son wishes to attend Whitgift School and whose total income and assets qualify against a relevant scale. Demand for bursaries is high and therefore bursary awards will be offered to a selected number of pupils following their entrance examination and admissions interview.

Northern lass,
Re 10+ waiting list at T my understanding is that they manage this process very carefully and put a limited number of people on the waiting list. It is important to stress keeness to stay on and the fact that it is the only school that you have applied for, however, there will be no movement until the close date when all acceptances have to be in. As such I don't think calling each week would be worthwhile. When I was in this position T actually called me twice to check that I still wanted to stay on. Ie they do seem to actively manage the list.
There is slightly less churn than at 11+ but I'm happy to say that my DC was offered a place and is really thriving.

Good luck in the agonising next couple of weeks wait.

Well done to everyone who has survived the process up to this point.
Last year this time I felt like a wrung-out dish cloth. In our W interview we were told DS's exam scores and were told he had done very well. At the time we were also disappointed that he had been offered a full fees place.
Halfway through the academic year I can only say that, while bright and doing very well, he is not anywhere near some of the exceptionally clever (and hard-working!) boys who clearly deserved the scholarship places.
I'm glad we were told he had done well enough to be considered for a scholarship because it gave me hope that he'd be able to keep up. For many state school boys it is really a big jump: the planning and organisation required as well as the amount of homework is a lot to deal with initially. It is even more pressure to have a scholarship and perform to that standard - even if scholarships are not taken away, I as a parent would at the very least feel he'd have to deserve it all over again every term.
It is really hard: we all want what is best for our DC. Unfortunately/fortunately we - and they - are up against so many other ambitious parents and lovely, talented boys!

Getmeout. Thanks for the advice. Don't know how I could have managed without this thread, tbh. It's such a minefield. Yes, they told me that they would let me know by the 4th but sooner if possible. I think I'll call Tuesday just saying 'after showing the letter to my son he is still very eager to come etc etc, and only school applied for'. Then just sit and wait. Thanks again.