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Original poster

ALL NEW; WHITGIFT/TRINITY/DULWICH/CATERHAM 10+/11+ 2017

748 replies

123littlepigs · 24/12/2016 01:53

Every year I have watched with interest and excitement as all of these types of threads have progressed to offers.

Finally in the same boat. The Christmas prep is wearing...And couldn't find anyone to share the experience with.... hence this attempt to start one....

Anyone else want to join? If I have missed a school... please feel free to still join in and add your school of interest.

Currently burning the night oil trying to find more comprehension material... anyone have any online suggestions?

OP posts:
Jody867 · 26/01/2017 17:07

My DS 13+ W interviewed last week. Interviewer said - no point in asking him questions on where he is obviously strong (maths and science) and focussed instead on drawing out his potential elsewhere. So discussion on history and politics.

mamanm · 26/01/2017 19:34

Worrying times indeed. We put worrying about the test and interview behind us for now (we were lucky to get it out of the way last week) as nothing else we can do now but temporarily forget about it (not so easy with reading this thread - quite true, fabfortysomething!) On the positive side, quite enjoying not doing any papers and dealing with miserable DS who hated the process of preparing to the tests!

Anxiouslywaiting1 · 26/01/2017 20:45

I didn't think this whole process would drain me as much as it has. All the comments made in this thread although informative can result in unnecessary panic - you're quite right fab forty. My DS had a Saturday interview and was asked an academic question which makes me think he might be borderline, but again I'm just speculating. He was probably nervous and the interviewer may not have got very far with him... who knows. We'll just have to wait and see. Only 2 more weeks now.

fabfortysomething · 26/01/2017 21:11

Yes, only two more weeks! And my apologies, I read through my last post again and realised it might have sounded harsh. It was meant to be positive. We can do nothing now - except look for a bit of humour in the crazy process we've been through with support of others in the same boat. We probably all have sleepless nights. But, it's only a school. And if I may add, we are all incredibly privileged to be on here and worrying about top notch schools. (Sorry, I'm lecturing again - once again I had to tell two very spoilt brats to pull themselves together tonight. So am probably in the mode. Very soon I'll be going on about walking barefoot to school..)

The process is incredibly draining. I just wanted to add that I would be very sceptical of anyone thinking they would definitely get a scholarship offer... but the boys have done incredibly well to get this far. And so have all mothers who have not been admitted to rehab. Maybe we should celebrate that for now. Very soon we'll be agonising about which offer to accept... Grin

Missmillsie · 26/01/2017 21:30

@fabfortysomething 👏🏻 No point speculating.( doesn't help that dp just told me that one of his customers son passed exam, had interview but didn't get an offer and 'apparently' his son is intelligent 😣He wasn't boasting or anything just matter of fact)

However, well done to our boys, well done to us mums. Let's just try and get through the next two weeks relatively calmly ladies!! 😘😘

Mumofthreelondon · 26/01/2017 21:52

The only good news is that I think parents are more stressed than kids. Though the boys do take it all to heart and the kids talk...it's really too young to face such pressure, rejection - I know it's real life but too soon-

Mumofthreelondon · 02/02/2017 17:51

Did anyone take the 13 plus at Dulwich? Has anyone heard about interviews and if so do they let you know by letter, email or call -
Thanks

Missmillsie · 05/02/2017 13:51

Hey all! This time next week we should know?

For some reason I have this Friday for letters to arrive...

Trinity website says mid Feb x

ChocolateWombat · 05/02/2017 16:03

Letters are posted by all of the Trinity Group (includes lots of local independent schools, not just those in the Whitgift Foundation) on Thur to arrive for Fri. Some people should be receiving several envelopes!

We were told (Reigate Grammar application) that we mustn't ring for info in advance, but if a letter doesn't arrive on Fri, then it's okay to ring.

Does anyone have any sense of what proportion of those interviewed get offers? Guess it might not be the same every year and be influenced by how many 13+ offers they want to make (pre-test and old style 13+) and how flexible they can be on numbers. I noticed that at RGS the size of Year 7 varies year to year - sometimes 6 Forms and sometimes 7 and the exact number in forms varies a bit - not sure if that's dictated by the standard of applications or by no,s in other years groups.

I have heard all kind of things in the local community - that everyone who is interviewed gets an offer, that only half can get an offer, plus huge differences in how many were actually interviewed and applied.....it's funny how these rumours spread and I guess MN helps that too!

Best of luck everyone - hope you all get an offer. The worse case scenario for Fri that I saw on last year's thread is to receive an offer but be on the waiting list for a bursary (think it was Whitgift or Trinity that did this) - the people posting were reliant on a bursary. They had to wait to well beyond State school offers day in March, which allowed the waiting lists to start moving and were eventually told that the school wouldn't be giving out any more bursaries as the pot was exhausted. Very hard, to be given that bit of hope and then have it removed, especially when you have clearly reached the required academic standard. That said, most people on last year's thread seemed to get somewhere they were happy with, even if it wasn't on offers day itself.

Jige · 06/02/2017 11:53

Chocolatewombat can't comment on 13+, we're 10+ and I'm also curious as to how many interviewed will get an offer if anyone can chime in.

I too have heard different things and would like more clarity. I have heard that of the candidates that have been invited for an interview they are almost likely to be offered a place and that they would have to have really done badly/messed up their interview in a way not to be given an offer. In some respects can't see why any school would not want to offer a child a place if they haven't done well enough in the exam itself, and the interview is just to see whether that child would fit in and be ready. What I'm trying to say is the schools are busy enough interviewing so many children that surely they wouldn't bother wasting their time interviewing candidates unless they were really interested in them?

Also the schools know that majority of the candidates would have sat other indie or grammar schools and that at the end of the day you can only go to one. So taking this into account I've been told that there is a 50% uptake where the 10/11+ is concerned out of the total offers posted.

One more thing, has anyone heard of any case/s where a candidate on a full fee offer put on a waiting list? I know that this is the case for bursary applicants as mentioned in the previous post.

4 days till the big day 😳

Jody867 · 06/02/2017 12:22

Many candidates on full fees are put on a waiting list. Schools tend to over offer in the first instance so it takes a little while to get to the waiting list. HM at Kings told us that they have apprx 400 applicants for 13+, interview 200, offer 100 places to end up generally at 65 entrants, they would go to waiting list if they got below 65. Some less sought after schools might offer 3 x the number of places available. They all know from experience what gets them to their correct number of entrants sometimes they admit that they get it wrong and end up with a bigger takeup and no movement on the waiting list. They do a bulge class in those years. As in one of my DSs year.

Missmillsie · 07/02/2017 06:06

Morning all, thanks for the info!

I just had a horrible nightmare... it was ds T interview and we were running super late that he actually went in his pjs, socks and messy hair that needed a haircut. Not only that... I forgot to some letter.... and when ds was introduced to the headmaster...(just some man as I have no idea what the HM looks like haha) instead of shaking his hand ds hugged him!
Then I cried into dp's shoulder saying I have too much on my plate 😭😭

Thank god it was just a dream 😣

Not long to go guys! How are we all feeling!?

X

Jige · 07/02/2017 13:44

Jody867 thank you for your prompt reply, interesting to know.

Missmillsie feeling very emotional and anxious, so much so that when I was talking to DH yesterday about this coming Friday I burst into tears.....he was very reassuring but thinks I'm losing the plot! 😭

Missmillsie · 09/02/2017 19:32

Where is everyone... 👀?

Tomorrow is the big day!! Yay!

Jody867 · 09/02/2017 19:47

DS all excited for tomorrow - fingers crossed he will be as excited this time tomorrow evening.

woodlysmum · 09/02/2017 19:52

My post arrived at 1330 today. I am not sure I will be able to wait that long tomorrow aaaagh

MrsPatmore · 09/02/2017 20:15

Another restless night coming up for us. Fingers crossed for everyone.

Missmillsie · 09/02/2017 20:40

Hello ladies! 👋🏻

I'm pondering driving home in my lunch hour as it's possible the postie comes around that time....

This week has flown by for me thankfully!

Lots of luck all!! Xx

Jige · 09/02/2017 22:03

Glad this thread is moving, I think we are all just feeling a tad bit nervous.

My DS is very excited, and I'm glad he is sound asleep, but a restless night for DH and myself. Not long now! x

woodlysmum · 09/02/2017 22:38

What happened to the OP? I don't think he/she has posted since starting this fab thread!

Missmillsie · 10/02/2017 06:12

Yes that's true @woodlysmum hmmmm
Hope they are ok.

Today's the day guys!

It's Friday too and half term next week whoopee!

Whatever the result we are getting a takeaway for dinner.

Reading back on past threads... envelope size...

From T

A4 thick - offer
A4 thin - waiting list
Small - no offer

Is this correct if last years are anything to go by..

@soupdragon? ☺

SoupDragon · 10/02/2017 07:02

Is today the day.? Good luck everyone!

BoSelectaBigBiff · 10/02/2017 08:25

Oh, it's so nice to be reading this thread but not going through the agonies this time around! I was a bundle of nerves his time last year, so you have my sympathies.

Vey best of luck to everyone waiting for some good news today.

sara176 · 10/02/2017 08:29

Good luck everyone .

ChocolateWombat · 10/02/2017 08:36

Who will be first to know?
I bet those school phones will be busy with people ringing about waiting lists, to see if they can get bigger bursaries etc.