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Original poster

8+ exam Westminster, St Paul’s, Kings College 2022 entry.

42 replies

pembatheart · 17/06/2021 22:42

8+ thread has been quiet this year for the 2022 year 4 entry. I wanted to start one to get the conversation going. COVID-19 has brought in so many changes and challenges. Hoping this thread can help alleviate some of the exam stress for 8+. Any tips from those who have been through this would be much appreciated. My son is currently sitting WUS but I am also considering Kings College and St Paul’s.
Questions:
Did you tutor?
Bond books level to use?
VR/NVR- what level should he be at 10-11?
Did you use EPP? Is it the right level?

OP posts:
Bikeproject · 19/06/2021 23:40

My son sat King's 7+ last autumn unsuccessfully. We had blindingly followed the advice of the schools which said not to tutor. Now, at the end of the school year, we know where most of the children are going and all the children who succeeded at 7+ for King's or St Paul's had tutoring or their parents took on that role. Tutoring does not guarantee success obviously (as we know children who were tutored who didn't pass) but we now know we were at a disadvantage. I'm sure some children pass without tutoring but it doesn't seem to be the majority.
People tutored in various ways. Some did weekly sessions. Some did group mock exams only but repeatedly. Some a mixture of weekly + mock exams. Some took on the tutor role and practised 20 minutes every day + did mock exams.
Bond tests are not the best from what others have said. EPP better as well as Schofield and CGP. Count roughly two years ahead. So up to and including year 6 curriculum.
It was exam only at 7+ King's last autumn so I don't know how interviews and activity session play out. Although King's had implied there'd be an outdoor break, there wasn't. The break was spent standing in the exam room. So the children spent 3 hours at their desk, sitting or standing.
My impression for King's is that it's the test score only that guarantees entry. The rest is only used as a decider. I could be wrong about that but that's what I think.

Original poster
pembatheart · 24/06/2021 10:50

Thanks Bikeproject. This is extremely helpful. we were also unsuccessful last year for 7+. So trying again this year. when you say 2 years ahead... I had a look at Schofield 10-11 years and it seemed a bit much for a child just turning 8 but I also know the standards are quite high.

OP posts:
Bikeproject · 24/06/2021 14:27

Hi, from what other parents have said (but of course it's through what their children have reported mostly) it can go up to that level. What also came through is that the schools change what they ask every year so some years there'll be verbal + non verbal reasoning, some years verbal reasoning only. Same with the listening task. Sometimes there will be some mental arithmetic in there or directions and sometimes the focus will be on dictation and inserting all the punctuation correctly. It's unpredictable. EPP to prep for the listening.
I've only heard this from one parent but the focus of St Paul's seems more maths and King's more English. May or may not have some truth in it. Smile

AmandaThomp · 06/01/2022 22:27

@pembatheart

8+ thread has been quiet this year for the 2022 year 4 entry. I wanted to start one to get the conversation going. COVID-19 has brought in so many changes and challenges. Hoping this thread can help alleviate some of the exam stress for 8+. Any tips from those who have been through this would be much appreciated. My son is currently sitting WUS but I am also considering Kings College and St Paul’s. Questions: Did you tutor? Bond books level to use? VR/NVR- what level should he be at 10-11? Did you use EPP? Is it the right level?
Hey - wondering how the SPJ 8+ went today? Good luck to all the boys!
pinktuberose · 07/01/2022 10:30

Happy the exam is over. Now we all just sit and wait for emails. Does anyone know how many sat the SPJ exam this year?

RoseGriffiths · 07/01/2022 11:32

No idea how many sat.
DS felt the SPJS was as hard as Kings.
Interesting with the VR test, with teacher reading out a word and boys having to tick the relevant picture. DS said teacher pronounced the words strangely which made it hard to understand what he was saying.

Has anyone had their SJSP results yet?

AmandaThomp · 07/01/2022 15:32

Not yet. I thought they said it would be Monday?

RoseGriffiths · 07/01/2022 15:54

I thought they said today?? 😵‍💫

Original poster
pembatheart · 07/01/2022 16:10

DS only sat WUS today so can’t comment on SPJ. I am just glad the exams are over. For those who sat WUS- how did your DS find it? Mine started with not sure and now can’t remember anything!

OP posts:
Original poster
pembatheart · 07/01/2022 16:11

Goodluck to everyone.

OP posts:
Revengeofthepangolins · 07/01/2022 18:47

Looking ahead to sitting next year, but I see that StP has dictation now. Does anyone have any colour in what that consists of? Presumably lots of reported speech for punctuation? Is it just read through once?

AmandaThomp · 07/01/2022 19:28

Ah maybe in wrong! Have you heard anything back?

RoseGriffiths · 08/01/2022 00:01

We have now heard back from SJPS and our DS has been called back for class assessment and interview next wk. I hope you hear soon.

In terms of WUS today (8+) my DS said it was roughly the same as SJPS, but it actually sounded slightly easier when he described it to me. Focusing on maths like SJPS. The people at WUS were lovely.

Kings seemed to have more focus on English, which my DS loved because they wrote up and drew pages of an encyclopaedia.

SJPS Dictation is made up off basic sentences, collated onto well lined out paper. Each sentence has its own lines onto which to record it and then space. The next separated line is marked out (well defined from previous sentence) to write next sentence and so on… If you practise slow dictation, as if you are speaking Pigeon English to someone who has minimal English, then this is the correct speed. Not sure that explanation helps?? We practised 2-3 times a week over a 3 month period. Only 3-6 sentences each time. It’s actually a really good skill for DS to know and I’m glad we did it. He quite enjoyed it. We had fun reading back what he wrote. Laughing at spellings etc. It was a great way to focus on many aspects of English.

Kings and SPJS had exercises where there are vocal direction/description or just one word spoken by teacher and the boys have to tick the correct / relevant picture. Eg. “Segregated” = picture of one person standing alone, with a group of people standing away from them.

I do wish everyone best of luck.

AmandaThomp · 10/01/2022 17:50

Has anyone heard anything back from WUS? Nail biting...Smile

Original poster
pembatheart · 10/01/2022 18:53

Think they come out at some point this week.

OP posts:
RoseGriffiths · 10/01/2022 20:06

I think 8+ is wed.
Good luck all x

Revengeofthepangolins · 11/01/2022 10:18

@RoseGriffiths many thanks! V helpful

Parent123456 · 11/01/2022 10:37

@RoseGriffiths
Congrats on your DS. Could you let me know what days are SPJ 8+ interview this week? and when they say they will send offers?

Thanks a lot

AmandaThomp · 11/01/2022 17:01

[quote Parent123456]@RoseGriffiths
Congrats on your DS. Could you let me know what days are SPJ 8+ interview this week? and when they say they will send offers?

Thanks a lot[/quote]
All will be this week I think. Good luck with the King's!

RoseGriffiths · 12/01/2022 19:04

Hi All, my DS has his SPJ class assessment today. Has anyone else got an SPJ interview to come or are they all finished now? Feeling pretty anxious…

FriendlyMom · 23/01/2022 09:40

We are at crossroads between WUS and SPJ - offer from both schools and not much time to decide. Distance is the usual first element of choice but we are equidistant. What may tip is the fact that SPJ uses buses, while WUS not, as far as I've heard.
What attracts me to WUS is the small overall intake (44 in total) and the more "cozy" feel, while SPJ has bigger intake and seems more "streamlined", just bigger in general. Apart from location and intake differences, can you help with more insights about ethos, culture, academics (I've heard WUS has better English program, more traditional). ..

londonswmum · 23/01/2022 10:12

@FriendlyMom we are in a similar situation offers from kings SPJ and wus at 7+ not sure if you are 7 or 8.
We are leaning towards wus given what you said above smaller intake english etc and because of Mrs Shaw leaving which leaves a big question mark.

FriendlyMom · 23/01/2022 10:27

@londoswmum heads change, but the overall direction of the school remains more or less, we are not worried about that. I'm sure Mrs Shaw will leave enough checks and balances for her legacy to continue, at least for the time being. WUS seems to change their approach though, this year they did the parent interviews, following SPJ lead.

RoseGriffiths · 23/01/2022 19:36

Im pretty sure I saw something about WUS running buses.

njshore · 23/01/2022 20:39

I heard through the grapevine that the WUS Head is taking a leave of absence as well, announcing it after being there for only 4 months! So both schools will have a "new" Head, a wash.

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