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

[123littlepigs]

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?

[Wimbles101]

All normal - I have to do serious grilling and catch him at different times to get anything - usually met with a big sigh now and rolling eyes - he's so over this s...t - he's done a lot of exams and a lot of past papers since the summer!

More over analysis - but having reread the email and letter they got home it says a call
Can come any time up to 1feb.

We've applied for music scholarship which starts being assessed next week so am
thinking a call has to come this week?

We have KCS on Saturday so I guess we still have to work for that - even I really don't think we'll get that -

[fabfortysomething]

I can't imagine anyone can be super confident at this stage - I'm a nervous mess. Even if DS did perform at the best of his ability and made no silly mistakes (which is highly unlikely), it could still not be good enough. Good luck to everyone sitting Dulwich: we only have Caterham left on Saturday. Although I now think we have put too many eggs in too few baskets. Should have paid more attention when DS did probability..

[BoSelectaBigBiff]

I know its really difficult, but do try not to panic if you hear that people you know have been called for interview and you've not heard. That happened to us last year - everyone seemed to have been called except for us at one point! But we ended up with offers from W & T, so you really can't read anything into the timing of phone calls at this stage.

[BoSelectaBigBiff]

Oh, and DS1 said he'd "really messed up" the Whitgift maths paper last year, and "had left loads out" - I did ask the interviewer about that, and he just grinned and said no, he hadn't messed it up at all. So I think it's difficult to second guess anything, based on what the boys say!

[sbmum2017]

Hi Mums,
Thank you very much for all your feedback and sharing your past experiences.
Even we are nervous as hell and trying not to show it in front of my DS.
Till the time we hear anything from Trinity which is our first choice reason being closest to where we stay and my DS absolutely loves the school- we will have some nervous days ahead..
Thanks for all your inputs for Whitgift too.
We cant afford either school if he doesn't manage any scholarships so hoping that he has just done enough for the same else we will have to try again next year with more preparation.
I was not even expecting any calls from Whitgift as like your DS mentioned BoSelectBigBiff, DS same back on Thursday looking not very confident and mentioned he thinks he has not done well in VR and Comprehension at all.
So we are not sure whether he is on borderline or has done well enough, and will come to know once he goes for the interview.
ALL THE BEST TO EVERYONE.

[MrsPatmore]

Thanks Woodly and everyone. Just waiting to pick ds up from Dulwich now. He was very nervous this morning (and so was I but tried not to show it!). Didn't help that I thought I had lots of time to get there but just about managed it on time. Traffic was horrendous due to the tube strike. Beginning to think that the journey might be too far/long on the school bus for ds if he is lucky enough to be offered a place.

[Khushimehra]

Hello everyone. My ds did both whitgift and trinity. anyobe know what the pass mark is?

[11Eleven2017]

Feeling cry nervous about T results and thinking we should have tried W as well. Is it too late for a late application now? Anyone else done this?

[Wimbles101]

I have heard that you can do late applications for Whitgift.
We only did Trinity and then KCS. Latter is a long shot for us as he's no genius - just slightly above average bright

Anyone had a phone call from T yet?

Wondering whether I need toy phone with me at all times - it's making me jump every time it rings!

[Positivelyinclined2017]

I dont think I'm going to have any nails left by the end of this. Does cedar take in late admisssions then? Not sure if they are worth trying as trinity exam was very challenging and my ds didn't finish the last question cos he had to rush and do the creative writing! Whitgift was quite hard too and he's left out verbal reasoning questions. It's a nightmare waiting endlesssly for the phone call.😫

[sbmum2017]

I completely ageee with you positivelyinclined2017 . This waiting is very very stressful one .. I have not left my phone for a minute and checking it every now and then to see if it's working or not .. so I can fully understand what you are going through . I had similar feedbacks from my DS too regarding T .. so am more anxious than ever . And when I tried probing him a bit more last night he just gave up on me saying "I don't know - I don't remember " .. If I don't hear anything from them soon I will lose all my nails and my hair will turn grey !!

[fleurdelacourt]

just fyi - Dulwich sent out interview invitations within 4 days of the exam last year, so the wait shouldn't be too long?

best of luck to all.

[MrsPatmore]

Thanks Fleur, that's amazingly quick for Dulwich considering there must have been around 400+ boys today. Wonder how they manage to mark the English papers that quickly. Or maybe they do like some of the North London grammars and get the computer results first and only mark the maths/English papers of those who did well in that. All speculation to idle the time away! Ds said couple of hard maths questions and timing tight for him on the English. Not long to wait ....

[Positivelyinclined2017]

The poor things- sbmum2017 - I keep grilling mine again and again and he says- why are you asking me the same thing again and again when I've already told you?

Anyone know what the pass mark tends to be?

I hear from other mums that having a skill makes it easier but not sure if that's true? If they are district or county players and have lamda certificates is that a sure way in?

[NNS03]

My son didn't play district or county or any lamda certs and got good offers from both schools.

And we were one of the last interviews for W. So when you get called has no reflection on how well he did or didn't do!

Stay strong !!!

[sbmum2017]

Positivelyinclined2017 - no idea whether having a skill helps or not . I have filled up the forms for sports assessment but not sure if my DS will be called for that or not . All depends on his written exam first I think .
Thanks NNS03 - to know that you got a late call and still managed good offers from both schools , puts my mind to rest ..
I think I need to take a deep breath now and wait and relax !!
On that note hope we all hear something positive real soon !

[Positivelyinclined2017]

Thanks NNSO6 - that's good to know👍

[Jige]

NNS03 totally agree with you in that an early call doesn't mean you've done better than others or that your called by surname in alphabetical order. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm sure other mumsnetters would agree that it depends on the batch of papers that they are marking and they try to get as many by phone in the 1st couple of days then the rest will most likely be contacted by letter. So hang in there all it's early days in some respect.

Sbmums2017 your DS sounds a lot like mine. To be honest I'm still asking my DS questions and he has turned round to me and said "but you've already asked me that", amazing what they can remember when they want to!

I do feel for us all 😅

[Missmillsie]

Hey all! Kept checking my phone today during work to see if any missed calls from Trinity! One minute I'm all, what to be will be then I'm all like, omg please ring me!

[Wimbles101]

Well it sounds like no one got called today?
Was hoping they'd start ringing today.

Have to start prepping DS for KCS tonight while we're in limbo with Trinity / he's going to love that - not!

[Jige]

Missmillsie lol! I've been doing the same all day, wherever I go in the house the phones go with me from room to room, that's my mobile phone and 4 x landline handsets!! The amount of times I've checked the phones today is a joke.

[Missmillsie]

Jige, that's hilarious but completely understandable! You know they will call when you are on the bog don't you... although maybe you have literally taken them everywhere with you! lol

Luckily I'm at work so there is a distraction at least!

Yep looks like no calls today. Maybe tomorrow! Eeeeeekk! Xx

[sbmum2017]

I guess no one got a call today yet.. don't think they will call us in the evening . Thought Whitgift did call me after 16:30 on Saturday .
I completely agree with you Jige - I don't think they call by any order of preference or surnames , they just call batch by batch .
Going by the description of your DS and finding so much similarities , I guess most boys are same and mine is just normal like the rest :-D .. I guess most boys have selective memory . They only want to remember things they really want to and forgets the rest immediately .

[sbmum2017]

And my phone followed me everywhere today including loo visits and shower as well !!

[Jige]

Submum2017 snap!! 😭