11+ INTERVIEW CITY OF LONDON BOYS. ANYONE WITH INFO??

[controlfreakyagain]

ds1 has 1/v this week for this highly competitive / selective school... am THRILLED he has got an interview but now desperate for any tips from thiose who have been through this recently. interview is rumoured to be v tough! aaaagh.

Funded in part by the City Corporation of London, the local authority for the Square Mile

mmmm. you are right of course... most of the central / north london independent boys' schools are pretty grim imo...... city and ucs best of a bad bunch.

We are south of the river and the range is very different there IMO

different in a good way? there certainly seems a lot more choice darn sarth

cf, I may have to pick your brains on the subject of N. London boys' schools at some point.

Meanwhile, do get a copy of 'may contain nuts', before the results come out. It is bonkers, but may just save your sanity...

Pass, really, controlfreaky !
I think it is just reflecting the N/S general divide that exists in London. There are some excellent schools S of the river...and some less so. To be perfectly honest I see CoLB as a predominantly "N London" school, it's a bit trendier and more liberal than some of the independent and state schools local to me in SE London - but round my way we also have good selective and non-selective state secondary schools - as well as some shockers, all within a few miles of each other.

Hi- I went through this last year & imo it is very normal for it to occupy a large proportion of your waking (& sleeping) thoughts!

My son did 11+ for private schools in N London last year. He didn't sit for City, but hope the following is helpful.
I got a friend who'd been through it with her son the previous year to do a 'mock interview' with him (mainly in a panicked reaction to hearing that some children are tutored for the interview by their academic tutors). This was really helpful for him - she got him to talk about the things he does outside school, what he likes doing best, how he would get to school,etc. His actual interview was really just a chat - I think they're looking for eye-contact, and kids who will fit in with the school. They asked what he liked best at school (in an effort to get him to open up I think), and what he would do if it was a rainy day & he was stuck in the house. (fortunately answered 'read a book' instead of 'play on the computer'). No test questions on maths or English.

I know City may have a different approach, but hope that's helpful. Good luck to him this week.

frogs,
you can pick my brains any old time.....
i could currently do myself credit on mastermind - specialist subject: 11+ transfer to independent boys / mixed schools in n london.....
post or cat me x

meimum, thanks v much for that!

Controlfreaky,

Have read this thread with interest as we will be visiting schools in September when my ds goes into y5. We plan on looking at City, Highgate, Habs, and maybe Mill Hill (along with Latymer and QEB and our local comps).

Would love to know if you have any other suggestions or comments on the above.

Thanks

all i would say is that it is a really good idea to see as many schools (within reason) that appear possibles as you can.... its the only way that you can get a proper feel for what the options are and what might suit your ds. i went to see lots when ds was in yr 5 and then went back with him and dh to those i thought were real prospects in autumn term of year 6.
ask lots of questions, don't be blinded by cfacilities at the expense of getting a good handle on the actual ethos / atmosphere of the place. i think my best ? (as in most useful to me) was to ask "what sort of boys does this school suit? who thrives here?" gets some interesting answers!
my other tip would be to have at least one "fall back" school. there is no point only applying to super selective highly competitive schools..... if it all goes wrong you will be a bit stuck.
it IS a jungle out there. at city this year there are 500 odd applicants for 70 places. !

CF - Agree it is a jungle, but what cheered me on was the fact that although there are lots of applicants per place, lots of kids sit for 5 + schools (and in fact know one boy who sat for 10)and you see the same faces at all the schools. Would be interesting to know the statistics for how many actual applicants for how many actual places. DS is at UCS now, & when he sat there were 200 applicants for 20 places; they interview 100 and offer 60 (for 20 real places remember). Some of the kids will get offers from everywhere they sit, and they can only take one place. Good luck.

Melmum was that for 13 or 11 entry ? I know these schools massively over-offer, but hadn't realised the ratio was as steep as 3:1 !

That was for entry at 11. Not sure about other schools, although assume they are broadly similar - with possible exception of Highgate (which is v.difficult for boys to get in at the moment due to going co-ed), although they did offer to several boys I know who were on the reserve list last year

imo appears to be the most truly meretricious and democratic high achieving boys school

are you sure you meant that?

meretricious

i didnt say my grasp of english was any good did i!?
i meant whatever that similar sounding word that means "based on merit" is, ok?
well what is that word then?

meritocratic, maybe

good luck to mini-cf-1 .

Yes, when is it
I keep eyeing up wandering ten year olds in non-local unform and wondering if one of them is minifreaky

he doesn't have a uniform marina..... he says he is wearing his "best good luck hoodie" on friday and that if he doesnt he wont be able to relax and do well .... so look out for skinny and nervous in a hoodie instead!

hc, how are you? would love to catch up soon (but we've said that already haven't we!) how is you sweetie dd?

i/v is first thing friday.... pleeeeease send him good luck vibes. (i am caring way too much about this...)

Oh bless him, fingers crossed
Are you going with him?

oh yes indeedy. i shall be very well dressed and wearing good shoes(for no purpose other than to make myself feel better) and VERY VERY NERVOUS (but pretending womanfully not to be). they aren't the least bit interested in meeting me (on account of being so meretricious) ....

Good luck to MasterControlFreaky!
Several of dd's friends have applied there including her very very good friend, so she hopes he doesn't get a place as then they may end up at the same secondary.
CF - Where is he now?

as in school, not where is he right this moment

hi posey! it was you who put me onto his tutor do you remember? she clearly did something right....
right now he's in bed (probably reading)...
sorry, he's at bonkers private primary school between angel and city (don't like to put name as it's so small anyone who knows me will id him from this....) cat me if you want to know more

ta v much for all good wishes.