The Trinity-Whitgift-Dulwich-Alleyns 10+/11+ thread 2015

[Firefox1066]

I thought I would take the plunge and start early the 2015 T/W/DC/A 10+/11+ thread that has become an annual staple MN!

This thread has been inspired by the likes of (among others) Ladymuck, Seeline, SoupDragon et al, who have been an amazing resources to people like me in previous years' threads.

Although T & W tend to dominate, I have also included DC and Alleyns as I know a lot of parents these days have DC's sitting for some/all of them.

I hope this thread will continue in the spirit of previous years' thread, with the support, hand-holding and knowledge that has been the hallmark of MN generally but this thread in particular.

Let the fun begin....

I'm also hoping that we can have a Bond book and test paper bonfire party come Feb15th!

DS just had T interview. He seems to think he did okay but wish I knew what T were looking for. Wonder if you have to be particularly imaginative etc in answering the questions as not sure he was, but he is a chatty child! At least with W you get the feedback afterwards. Feel a bit flat now, probably because there's nothing to do but wait...

We have just had interview too. DS also thought it went ok but listening to his answers now I am not especially impressed. Not that I would say that to him! He wasn't asked any subject specific questions on say maths and English so should I assume he did ok on the test? It wasn't an academic scholarship interview so he can't have been outstanding in the tests. I hope his interview hasn't let him down. Just the wait now.

For T also 11+.

We had a T. Interview 11+ also today. A bit shocked with how many people were there this year as last year for 10+ (we did not get an offer last year though) we had a midweek interview - interview was for 30 minutes with comprehension questions as well and only about 3 -4 boys/parents at the time with a couple of T. mums offering tea and a chat, and Mr. B nearby. This time only 15 minutes of general chat for DS and it felt a bit like a conveyer belt. Also feel a bit empty, I guess we've done all we could and it is out of our control now... burntoutdad - you made me laugh with a Bond books/papers bonfire idea! Tempting indeed but impractical for us as still have a DS2 to go through it all again in a couple of years!

DS had his T interview this morning too. Have to laugh, I was so nervous by the time I drove there, I was shaking. Asked for a coffee, poured too much milk in so I couldn't pick it up off the table, so I promptly crouched down to slurp the top off, at which point I saw the absurdity of the situation and had a giggling fit all on my own! Ha! Luckily I think I styled it out pretty well! ... As for DS, think he did ok, but as other people mentioned I think Saturday interviews are for the boys who have done well but not borderline or scholarship. We got to have a short chat with Mr B (slightly mortified as I was holding a saucer of coffee and sporting a frothy milk moustache ) as he was mingling with the parents. Asked us was it DS first interview? What other schools had we applied for, mentioned a grammar and he said he wished they were free and could see the attraction of a grammar school place. How would travel there?, what object did he bring in? All generic stuff. Said DS had done very well to get to this point etc. then he moved on. Had a chat with another teacher who told us they could get through 140 boys on the Sat, which ties in with previous speculations! The wait now starts! Best of luck everyone! Now, do I deserve a glass of or should I hang in there for another week I wonder?.... (Dry January - boooo!)

Well done Fossie, Mum, Liquorice! Thank goodness it's over! I know what you mean about it not being nothing special, but I think our DC have done good. How funny to think we were all there but didn't know we were! (Well obviously we knew we were, but you know what I mean!) best of luck!

Gilbo1972 Indeed funny that we were all there but not a familiar face in sight! Yes, it is easy to forget how well our DSs done going through the tough exams, preparation/extra work at home and interviews assessing their suitability - serious stuff for 10-11 years olds! And yet they can be still so immature, naive and silly (in a cute way), so hopefully they will be able to put it all behind them for now & enjoy their "normal" childhood" for the rest of the school year (apart from preparing for SATs, of course). I am hoping to forget (or pretend to) about schools for the next 17-18 days until the letters arrive. is it possible?

Very true Mum. I think we also forget the teachers have seen it all before and they know instinctively when they have got a good, intelligent kid in front of them whatever the dorky comments they come out with!

I think today was all about just having a nice chat. My DS said they basically chatted about his object and what he had written on his own application form. I am guessing that means that the children there today are definitely being seriously considered for a place. All the children today, have passed the paper, T have had a previous school report with the application and they have had another more recent report from the current school in December, they have the child's own application form. They have all the info on paper to make an informed choice. There's not much more they need to do except to chat with the child and make sure they are not extremely rude, arrogant, a robot or an imposter surely?

Having said that, I am very disappointed there is no whiff of a scholarship as we would need a rather large bursary to really consider it a viable option. Oh well only time will tell!

Same here, Gilbo1972, very disappointed at no whiff of a scholarship too, with DS2 as well to consider, we need any discount we can get...

Hi all,

Also had an interview at T today, 10+. Same feelings really - a bit deflated, no way of knowing how it went. W interviewer actually gave lots of very positive feedback and told me where DS stood in his exams, from which I gather that DS has done very well, really well, but not extraordinarily well. So I am also thinking no chance of a scholarship.. Today at T it was definitely not a scholarship interview, from what DS said it was really just to see if the child was generally OK.

I assume bursaries are also somehow tied up with performance, they won't be able to give bursaries to everyone, right, so top 10 kids, or something like that, so not too much different from scholarships? Ah well, that's quite sad really, but what can we do. I was thinking if DS gets in and does really well, he can apply for a scholarship at 13+ (at the same school or other non CE schools), maybe move him to another school that would give him a scholarship if the financial situation too dire? Anyone has done that?

I am just thinking, he is very intelligent, but wasn't trained too well (state primary) to be precise in exams, also quite young, just 9. It is very possible he shines in 2-3 years of good teaching.
Or maybe not, who knows.

Am hoping you are right Gilbo1972 about knowing they are intelligent. My DS was interviewed by a languages teacher. My DS then decides to say he has learnt French for the last fours years. This is state primary french from a year 4 teacher and recently this year. So we are talking a smattering of phrases. Next thing is languages guy is asking him questions in FRENCH." NO" I think when he tells me because obviously he came unstuck.. I keep thinking please realise he goes to a state primary and nowhere on his report does it mention the flaming French. There was me pleased he is a chatty child.. big glass of wine for me tonight. W was very much about a nice chat and as others have said was so nice to have the feedback. Completely left in the dark at T as questions seemed quite searching to me. Oh dear... worry, worry, worry....

I'm also hoping that we can have a Bond book and test paper bonfire party come Feb15th!

We did that two years ago! After accepting one of the offers we celebrated with a bonfire. The amount of paper that went in there... Bond covers very smelly and smoky indeed.

Good luck to everyone.

Oh Liquorice! Im sure it wasn't too bad! My DS always tells me stories that make me cringe which turn out to be not so bad! Anyway, I'm sure the Language guy wouldn't have persued it for too long! After all the interview has nothing to do with languages. He may have taken the view that your DS was obviously learnt French with a different accent!. No I think we should all be pleased they got to this stage and they are all potential Trinity boys. My DS had an RE teacher, thank God (no pun intended) they didn't have a debate about religion... it would probably go somewhere along the lines of we used to go to church... but mummy and daddy are tired now....

I really think I am gonna give-in tonight, there is a nice bottle of red warming itself in the house...

Thanks Gilbo1972 for reassuring words. I have since managed to drag out of DS that he did then explain to Languages teacher that he hadn't done that much French in four years. Phew!

Seems like the end of a long haul: Sutton common entrance in September through to Trinity today. Left with something of a strange, rather flat, anticlimax feeling. Something a bit crazy about the whole process. Elbowing competitiveness (on my part) has at least given way to realising we are in the same boat and a real wish that it all works out well for everyone.

I remember being told a wonderful story by one of the T staff.....
A young interviewee was asked what he thought about rugby....
'I hate it. I'd rather eat s*''

Presumably, he had other talents to add to his incisive views and was still offered a place

At an interview I heard a boy was asked what he would 'bring' to the school (sorry not for a school round here but it could have been). He said a pencil case.

I love it! Hope they laughed

Interesting to see the comments about the T interview. I guess this is symptomatic of their "child-focused" approach to admissions and opposed to what I fee l is a more parent-focused approach at W.

Its also very interesting how ones views and opinions change throughout the process. We started off loving W & T equally and thinking that DS would be suited to either school. As time has gone on however, W has moved ahead in both our and DS's thinking and is now the firm favourite. Still would be ecstatic with T if W doesnt come through but it is now firmly in second place in our minds....but DS's interview at T this week could change all that again!

Anybody else change their mind during this whole process?

firefox Both I and DS loved T over W. To me W seemed overly pompous and pretentious. DS loved the car-making at T.

In our current thinking, things changed.
W interview was very positive, I liked the boys that were accompanying DS and the approach of the person who interviewed DS and me. DS came out excited.

He came out from T saying interview was 'boring' compared to W, the interviewer didn't show much of an interest in what he was saying. It felt more of an exercise to get through.

I was wondering too, if in the end, the schools put up a very different 'front' to differentiate from one another but once you're inside, essentially are the same in terms of organisation, homework, teachers, etc.

T results seem slightly better? One boy at W said a couple of boys slightly misbehave in class (?) Seems like W accept wider ability? These are all my presumptions, unconfirmed, but I now like both schools.

Funny things kids say! I bet there is some laughing in the staff rooms! But all in a good way of course!

We came into this process way to late and far too naively! We went down the Kent Grammar school route with the, in hindsight, very naive 'we wont bother with tutoring - if he's got it, he's got it – he's only a child kind of attitude. Kicking ourselves now, as even DS's school said its frustrating because if DS applied himself he could be Amaze-balls.

Anyhow, DS we think has done pretty well in the Kent Grammar test so we saw W first (just to be nosy how the other half live and to compare the difference between a state school) and loved it – but deep down thought it was too sporty for our gentle lad and did not take it seriously as we couldn't afford private school, then, last minute we were told about the bursary scheme and realised its not for the elite so we went to see Trinity to get a balance and loved it even more to the point where we only sat T. In hindsight maybe we should have covered both bases – and thought about it a whole lot earlier and, of course, practiced and tutored like crazy....

Obviously we didn't have a W interview to compare with, but my take is, at the end of the day, even though Mr B seems like a thoroughly nice chap and dad and obviously loves his jobs and kids, the schools are businesses and it is their business to sell the schools. And what really sold them was the pastoral care, social and personal development of both that you just don't get in a state school. I think on that basis, if we had the choice we would be happy with either and it boils down to facilities and interests of your own child.

We are really kicking ourselves, we wish we had known about this as a viable option 2 years ago, and been prepared. DS had a Saturday interview, which I said in an earlier post feels like he has made it but its nothing special, ie no scholarship and I am guessing no bursary as I would imagine a bursary is offered to those who reach the criteria and have just missed out on a scholarship!

Now, having being sold on T and W (which I think we know we wont be going to) I am worrying if he manages to get a place at the grammar school he wont keep up as I think they are more geared to results then personal development and its official, DS is a daydreaming, non-focussed, slow working 11-year old! And god help us if he only manages to get a place at the local comp... he will slowly vanish.

As my dear DH said after seeing T, 'show them a Ferrari and a ford fiesta – which do you expect they would prefer?!'

I must agree with Firefox that we have had a change of heart (or several actually) during the process. Really loved the W interview - with wonderful canon Boswell. We felt a little short changed with DS having what seemed more of a chat (with some strange topics of conversation) at T on Saturday. But yes I guess it is a two way process with assessment processes helping us to get more of a feel of the different schools.

Gilbo1972, there are precedents for late applications to Whitgift, and this is certainly the year to do it. You have nothing to lose by phoning the registrar and seeing what they say. I would also say that a Saturday interview at T is a good sign, not a bad sign. It tends to mean that the interview is not key. Whilst bursaries are awarded competitively, they are nevertheless viewed differently to scholarships, so wouldn't automatically get the same level of interview that a scholarship candidate would get (even where potentially the fee remission is much higher).

Seems that everyone here in a bit in the down, reflective mood. It is indeed anticlimax from that maraphon that started for us personally with Grammars this autumn ( we quickly recovered from T. 10+ no offer last year as we knew there is still a broader choice with 11+). This year pressure was much harder as we have to leave our state primary no matter what! We loved open days at Sutton Grammars, loved W. T. & RR, were dissapointed big time at our local state school open day (Gilbo1972 - exactly like your DH said - ferrari vs ford fiesta - no brainer which appeals most). For us locality is very important & we happen to be within reasonable distance from T., W. & RR so would be really happy with any of them, our heart lies with T. with W. & RR coming close next but I wish for us it was only matter of getting an offer because we can only afford it if we get a discount as I mentioned before, we still have DS2 to do it all over again.