Prep entrance exams-the wait

[Onthesedgeofoureats]

Has anyone's DC taken any this week? I feel like Jelly, as the results are meant to be out today, but I'm not at home so am relying on dp to tell me if we have post. We kept the school v quiet from dd, and just told her that the school wanted to see if it would suit her, but she fell in love with it at the exam and I don't know how to break the (seemingly almost inevitable) bad news to her. I am pathetically heartbroken! If only I had given her more coaching/tuition/done more papers with her, I feel like I totally let her down, but I didn't want her to hate doing papers, so did tiny bits over the past three months. And now I sound like a raving loony!!!! Ok, fretting over (in print at least), anyone else in for the wait?

Now you are scaring me - we expect younger DS to take these next year and I was very relaxed about it until godmother of older DS started to push me toward getting younger DS tutored for the examas.

Older DS had entered the system at end of Year 5 (i.e. stared in the Junior School) so the competition was less of an issue.

Understand now that the key is not your child's ability so much as the level of demand for the school.

Next year I will take younger DS to visit other schools, maybe even consider entrance test for a less popular school or one without a test with a view to moving the following year if all goes badly.

If worst comes to worst don't let your child think she has failed in some way, make it look like you are making choices if you can and look for a Plan B as if nothing else it will take a bit of pressure off you.

I was so anti-tutoring, as I thought that if she needed tutoring then maybe it wasn't the school for us (she is bright, but I'd rather she had a childhood!). I just worry now that maybe if I had done more work with her then it would be a non-issue and she would have got in just fine as she loved it so much.

I think your idea is prob a good one Skane, but she has changed schools so much I wanted her in the same one for eternity now. If only she didn't have such a naive mummy!!! . I might just tell her we decided she should stay where she is, as she has moved schools twice this year (country move), so thought another move would be too much. Oh the lies, THE LIES!

Was in bits waiting last week. Ds was offered his favourite school. We did not prepare him in any way. I felt I'd really failed him.

He did not want to get out of the car to go into the school, so we were waiting with bated breath while he was doing the test and interview. We kept looking at the mobile as we expected he was going to tell the school he wanted to leave.

When we went to collect him, he was in great form. He was actually energised telling us how many spellings he had to do and was so at ease. Asked if could go to that school. I felt especially bad for not helping him prepare at that moment. He did a second school and did not react so positively at all.

I was going to tell him his school of choice didn't have enough places and we could try again next year. Doesn't really matter whether he's accepted in other school now as we have our favourite! It's amazing how schools can differ in atmosphere.

No matter how nice the school, it is going to be a challenge settling into a completely new environment. I am very apprehensive.

Onthesedgeofoureats - I could have written your post!!! Our son just took an exam. We had a similarly relaxed attitude up til exam day, mainly because we are happy with his current school. Like westerngirl's son, our son came out beaming and declared he loves the school and wants to go there. Having been indifferent, he's now got his heart set on it. And... I'm feeling guilty we didn't make more of an effort to prepare him (though I'll feel vindicated if the final decision is positive!). The wait is more stressful than anything I've ever experienced -- much worse than waiting for my own university and other admissions decisions! I never realised how much more difficult it is to want something for someone you love (ie your child) than for yourself!! I'm "on the edge of my seat", too! Good luck to you and your daughter!

Mumteacher: do you have any perspective on how schools balance test results with interviews? ie which counts more in the admission decision? Thanks for offering your advice!