The Trinity Whitgift Dulwich 11+/10+ thread 2014 pt3

[SJ69]

Part 2 reached 1000 posts so start part 3 here.
If you need to follow part 2, the link is as follow.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/1974488-The-Trinity-Whitgift-Dulwich-11-10-thread-2014-pt2?reverse=1

I have no specific info on how they operate, but I think they probably expect a few bursary places to be turned down and have made more offers than they can afford. I don't think that they will hold it against you if you ask whether they operate a 'waiting list' for bursaries in case some bursary places are freed up. I guess they will only know when the deadline comes though, and you're going to need to have accepted by then. If it's any consolation, we've had a very good experience there and my DD has loved it. Although after taking part in a huge production of West Side Story with Whitgift, schoolwork is feeling a little lacklustre by comparison.

eyeswideclosed - we have chosen an indie over a super-selective grammar, finally filled out the paperwork today after much deliberation, though all along really felt the indie would give DS a much more rounded education, leaving him better equipped for life beyond A level results (also a wider variety of extra-curricular activities; much better, all on-site sports facilities) - and that he would have more fun on the way! Practical issues played a part too - including an easier journey to indie and a preference for co-ed.
As others have said before - you have to find the school that best fits your DC, all grammars/indies are not equal.
Despite all my convictions about the indie though, it was still hard to turn down a much-sought after grammar place particularly when that had been our focus for a year or so when working towards the 11+ exams.
Good luck with your decision.

Hi all - Are all decisions made now, when is/was the closing date? We were early accepters, seems like an age ago since 14 Feb!
My DS (10+ W) is desperate for info on next year, (me too) did read somewhere that the next 6 months can drag. Anything he/I can get excited about?

Hi mummyinatizz, few things I remember from last year. You need to book your uniform appointment as soon as possible really. I think the bookings were for April/May onwards. You will need to call school shop to book the appointment.

There will be a couple of meetings around June time as well. One for the exciting Lake Garda trip and one for what to parents & new boys should expect when they become whitgift boys. You will get all the info. through the post soon, I'm sure.

Also, usually the Tuesday to Thursday after August bank holiday they have taster/ settling period which is not compulsory but good for the boys. You can do all or some days. Then on the Friday, they go to school in uniform and meet their class teachers and classmates and have some sort of orientation. And the parents also get to meet the teachers, and hand in some specified items for LG trip.

I believe there is also a 2 day sports in July, again not ompulsory, open to general public I think.

The 6 months didn't really drag on for us ( probably for DS though), as he had moved on to whitgift, and we had to tell him his offer was conditional on him still doing well in 3rd term as they wanted to see his final school report ( covers mouth in shame).

Is your DS the only one going to W from his school? ( in his year or at 11+). I remember feeling the same as you last year. After the uniform bill reality started to dawn on us lol!!!

We have not chosen W but I really recommend the sports and science courses which they generally do during most holidays, including summer. I think my DS is really going to miss those. It doesn't really feel right to choose a different school and the go to W sports camp!

Thanks somelikeithott and ladydepp - will call the shop for uniform appointment. Did someone mention 2nd hand sales, guess they might coincide with the June get togethers? or maybe not?
DS did the sports courses last year, an effort to motivate him to study hardier. But do like the final school report fib - will use that too!
And he's the only one from his school, but knows of a few others 10+ and 11+ from rugby/football teams etc.

mummyinatizz there is a second hand uniform sale this Saturday 10.30 to 12 and there will be one next term as well. The ladies running the sale are really helpful and will advise on kit if you are not sure.

thanks croydonmumtods, unf can't make this weekend. hopefully next time

Any decisions EyesWideClosed?
Anyone joining W planning on doing Easter football course? Just wondering if likely to be boys going in Sept or mainly boys thinking for future?

hi poozie - glad to hear you're in - welcome for holding out. we're not doing the easter courses - did all sorts last year trying to keep DS motivated for the exams.

poozie well done for holding out, not welcome for holding out!

Does anyone h

Does anyone have any ideas on how much waiting lists may move for both Indies and Grammars at this stage? Thanks

Not too sure about indies but boy's grammar schools offer at least 10 - 15 places following the initial offer. Some years it can be more sometimes less. However, if you are enquiring about the Sutton grammar schools, it's all change this year because Tiffin boys has changed how they allocate places.

Basically, there will be a second round of offers made over the next couple of weeks and towards the end of the month you will be advised of your waiting list place. This should give you a better idea of where you stand.

For 10+ there may still be one or two who duck out from W or T leaving room for WL.

11+ - the first round of new offers from grammars will be next week I think. I've been surprised by the number of boys who received grammar places but didn't get scholarships at Whitgift or Trinity this year. There is therefore a good chance that any boy offered a grammar place in this next round will already be on a full fees place at one of these two schools and therefore may well jump to the grammars. That should open up a place on the full fees 11+ wait list (assuming both schools still have one). I think that the scholarships have already been already allocated, but I assume anyone who is now offered a grammar place, would at least talk to the Foundation school about the possibility for a scholarship, I'm just not sure how far the indies would move at this stage.

Ladymuck - Do you know if W and T have offered less academic scholarships at 11+ this year or just to a different set of boys? Has the focus of the grammar exams changed at all compared to W and T? How many 11+ candidates sat for W and T and Caterham this year compared to last year? May consider these schools for DS2 - any help appreciated!

I started responding, and found that I'd written an essay!

Yes, fewer academic awards at 11+ from W & T I'd say, though that is a continuing trend I think. There are now 420 boys grammar places, so a lot of competition there. More academic awards at 10+ and 13+ Numbers of applicants up at all schools, but lots are sitting more schools than ever before.

In terms of how the exams have changed: The final Wilson's score is based 40% on their creative writing task for next year, so that will be a key area. If you have someone who is reasonable for maths, but who can write well, then you have a very good chance of a Sutton grammar place, whereas I think that the Trinity exams possibly still suit mathematicians who are weaker on English (given the verbal reasoning papers contains codes etc, and say up to half the paper is technique rather than vocabulary driven). Whitgift entrance is a different matter - this one is still very much looking at the whole boy to see what they can work with. If your son is particularly "lopsided" or quirky in terms of ability then I think W gives him the best chance of a place. I think to have a chance of a bursary you have to be at scholarship level, and I know prep boys heading to Wilsons as they only got full fee offers from W & T. Which will have a knock on effect at Wilsons especially on the co-curricular.

In terms of preparation - no one is going in unprepared these days. The Sutton Grammar PTA mocks will give you an initial idea as to where your son sits within the cohort for the year. But it is a numbers game in part - 420 boys grammar places, 100 or so 11+ at W, 70 at T, 20-30 at C - those are good odds to be honest (unless you have a very strong preference for co-ed.....). For the indies I think that the threshold for getting a place was highest at T. C always has a wider range of ability due to their prep school pupils not having to compete at 11+, but there were a number of external siblings who didn't get an offer this year. I don't know of any full feepayer not getting into W at 11+ this year, but other posters do, so they may have a better view of where the threshold was. If you definitely want W or T then I think 10+ is possibly the best option - the scholarships aren't as big but there seem to be more of them, and you can get bursaries without the same level of competition? Though I guess it may still work out that you're simply getting 8 years for the price of 7...

Thanks for that Ladymuck - very useful!

Wallington boys made phone calls yesterday with new offers. I wonder if the waiting list moves much after this?

I suspect there will be some movement until the end of term.

Does anyone know of any boy who passed Wilson's but not get a grammar place (somewhere)?

LadyMuck... I know of a boy whom passed Wilson's second round but did not go through 1st round offers, nor any of his other grammar choices on CAF form.

Thanks. I was wondering whether, given that only 424 did pass, that it would give a level of comfort in terms of getting an eventual place. I hope for his family that the moves in the next week or two go in his favour. I don't know anyone has heard from Wilson's re waitlist yet - nothing expected until next week I think?

Ladymuck, I know a boy who passed Wilson's second test, didn't get any grammar place and got offered Greenshaw.

Goodness - I think it must be very unlucky indeed to pass the Wilson's second stage test and not get any Sutton grammar place offer at all. My (perhaps flawed) logic was a pass for Wilson's would mean some kind of grammar offer was all but guaranteed. Fingers crossed those boys get a second stage offer - they must surely be very borderline for an offer of some sort. Proof positive that there are no guarantees whatsoever.

I agree that Trinity was a tough gig this year. I know of one boy offered a scholarship elsewhere who did not get an offer from Trinity. They are more limited on places and can afford to be choosy.

Ladymuck- please can you explain why more prep school boys going to Wilson's will have a knock on effect on their co-curricular. I hope you aren't implying that prep school boys will have a different impact than boys from state primaries.