A thread for 8+ Westminster, St Paul's, Sussex House, Kings etc

[user8957365]

Merry Christmas!
Just the small matter of getting through the 8+ exams and wondered if there are other parents out there who might be interested in joining this thread.
Did any of your sons sit Kings in December? How did they find it? Apparently only 14 places going - gulp!
How are you preparing for St Paul's etc? If they are parents who have already been through the process and can offer any advice it will be very gratefully received.
Cheers

[Onebusymother1]

Can I ask are there any parents who’ve had to choose between WU and SPJ either this year or previous? Can you share your thinking for choosing either school? It’s proving to be a tougher decision than we thought it would. Both are excellent schools.
Perhaps it’s better to only receive one offer!

[Roseredvelvet]

Onebusymother1, my friend last year @ 7+ chose Kings over WUS based on location & grounds. I would think about what works best for your family in terms of commute, are sports facilities/outdoor space etc important to you, local friends etc...

[user230930]

Have there been any concerns at SPJ about the sexual abuse scandals? Most of the incidents are very old, but I think some were more recent.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4913856/amp/Thousands-St-Paul-s-alumni-quizzed-sex-abuse.html

[Onebusymother1]

This is OLD news and doesn’t belong in this thread user230930. Abuse from 60 years ago. Seriously? I question your motives.
Would you like to guess what was happening at all other boys schools 60 years ago but not exposed.
I actually take some comfort from any abuse that is exposed and reported from whatever time - ancient news or recent - it means the situation is out there in the public domain and the school will be extra cautious with preventative measures to stop a recurrence.
It is the issues that may be going on quietly behind the scenes and not reported that would alarm me.

[Onebusymother1]

Roseredvelvet, that’s a very good point. Our situation is that we are about the same commuting distance from SPJ and WUS this making the decision harder...

[NoLongerWorried]

As someone who has gone through this SPJ/WUS dilemma and shared the same stress on this forum two years ago, I can simply confirm that DS has been very very happy at SPJ so far. Pastroal care at SPJ has been great and the school has put in lots of effort in safeguarding the boys. Got to know some boys of DS's year who went to WUS and I would say for us, we had definitely made the right choice for DS.

[Onebusymother1]

Thank you both. At the moment I am vying more towards SPJ because Mrs Shaw simply blew me away with her enthusiasm and no nonsense approach. I felt she got to know my son and she knew he would thrive at SPJ. The Master at WU however is an unknown quantity, didn’t invest enough time to get to know the boys or their parents. The head of lower school at WU did not impress me at all and given she is influential in the boys’ lives albeit fleetingly, I am worried.

All that said this is Westminster!! It does carry more prestige and longer term may be the better option.

Oh well, lovely problem to have. Really appreciate all the views, has made me think!

[hhks]

Onebusymother1 , i can tell you favor SPJ over WUS, then go with it. i don't think you will be wrong with any choice. i think everyone will have very different experience during the selection process. if one impressed you more, then go for it

[Onebusymother1]

Good point. Thanks xx

[drinkingcoffee]

Onebusymother and others holding multiple offers, when do you think you will decide? We are anxiously holding out for 8+ place at Westminster and Kings. My son is on the waiting list at both.
Please help if you know of anyone who might be turning down a place at either school.

[Abouttimeforanewone]

Onebusymother you are saying some rather harsh things about the WUS head of lower forms which seem to be based on very brief contact. She has been there for some time and does not have her own 'admissions team'. Admission decisions are very much a team effort and are carefully considered. You are obviously happier with what you know about St. Paul's so I'd go with your gut instinct and take it.

[mamajabon]

Every year big discussion on mumsnet either 7+ or 8+ about WUS vs SP. I do not understand why some parents need a forum to choose school for their child. You know which school feels correct.
For us we apply to all schools last year (for 7+). We got some but not all offers. I spoke to parents at the school not strangers on a website and I got information to make decision.

I choose Kings College Wimbledon actually even though we got Westminster offer. This comment will be unpopular - I also found Kings headmaster more involved and I liked him better. I only met 5 minutes head of lower school at WU! I don’t remember having strong feeling good or bad but parents already there I spoke to did not speak highly.
I think WU is going through maybe a change, it happens with every school when the Head or senior teachers change. Friends who went to WU are all happy but they notice it is no longer extremely academic like years ago, the new people in charge want boys with different talents not necessarily very academic only. For some this idea in Westminster maybe difficult to accept but schools change and that is not always a bad thing.

[drinkingcoffee]

I agree with Abouttimefor I don't think you can form a view of a school only from brief interactions with individuals. Look at the bigger picture of the school, it's achievements, reputation.
I would be over the moon if my son gets the opportunity to go to Westminster.

[hhks]

very interesting observation, mamajabon.

this year, I did not had a minute of conversation with the HM of kings, and i felt he was not involved at all with the potential candidates. the whole process was industrialized. interview with another school teacher, activity morning with a massive group. The HM did not even spoke a single word to my son. therefore Kings slipped to the bottom of my wish list.

i agree that the admission process gives parent a lot of gut feelings.

[OptimysticMom]

Wow, this thread's really gained momentum after I lost hope! Congratulations to all the boys (& families) w firm offers!
Sorry this may be off-topic, but could someone please shed some light on the difference b/w "reserve list" and "wait list?" People have referred to both, is it called RL at one school and WL at the other? TIA.
Best to all waiting.

[drinkingcoffee]

It is just terminology used by different schools. Means the same thing - a waiting list. Your child has qualified and fulfilled every requirement to enter the school but there isn't enough places! Read into it what you will but it seems to me when you get to this point in an extremely competitive assessment process it comes down to luck!

Optimysticmum has your son been waitlisted too? Which school?

I am so anxious it is unbearable.
Onebusymother have you decided?

Please someone give me some hope....

[Roseredvelvet]

drinkingcoffee, what a nerve wracking situation. If anyone turns down an offer at Kings they will move straight to reserve list so you have a very good chance of getting in. We didn't apply to WUS & ds is going to SPJ. I would suggest emailing the schools regularly so they are aware you would like a place. You will have a better idea next week after offers have been accepted on Feb 1st. Best of luck!

[Whitecurrants]

A previous head of WUS used to say that if they had space they could easily fill two year three classes with qualified boys rather than the one class they take in. The numbers are pretty similar in year four as far as I know so I'd guess the same would apply. So I think you have a point drinkingcoffee, but at least know that your son is up to the (pretty high) standard.

[lulu2017]

drinkingcoffee, there are quite a few families we know that they are going to make decision between those 3 schools over the weekend. So stay strong!
We are too deciding between Wus and SPJ for our DS. We always thought SPJ could be our first choice simply because of the land and space, but oppose to Onebusymother1, we were impressed about how Wus was trying to assess children. We could tell the staffs and HM was trying to make process enjoyable for the boys. Also in terms of the level of the boys got offer from these two schools, the boys who got offer at Wus we know are all very clever ( always top in their current schools) yet unique-has something special! whilst SPJ also takes clever boys but not unique, rather quieter...we know some boys who were notified at the interview of SPJ that whose sons were in the top group after the 1st round but didn't get offer after the interview. So the families are all in shock. It shows clearly those schools must be taking the type of boys they like and not just academic.
Both of those schools are anyway wonderful schools though!
Best of luck for everyone.

[Roseredvelvet]

lulu2017 to gain an interview @ SPJ you had to pass the exam, so pre-interview they had no idea what the dcs were like, whether they were quirky or not. Ds is a lively, chatty child so if quiet was a requirement then we would not have had an offer.

[drinkingcoffee]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. It is upsetting - waiting list is worse of all worlds. You have everything but nothing! Also very upsetting when I go to a birthday party on Saturday afternoon and hear mums procrastinating , sitting on offers and undecided on which to accept!

[drinkingcoffee]

Annoyingly neither school will give us any feedback at all because he's waitlisted. I've emailed both WUS and Kings to express our commitment to accept if offered.
The comments about SP vs WUS are interesting. SP was our first choice initially but we did not even get an interview. My son and his friends all found the exams at SP this year much harder than WUS. At our school anyway, the brightest boys got SP offers, a couple got both. All the boys who got SP also got WUS or waitlisted there but several got WUS offers to boys who didn't get a callback to SP. WUS seem to prefer the older boys - only Sept/Dec birthdays got through from our school.
The comment about SP only wanting "quiet" boys is a strange - it is known to be a school with boisterous very sporty boys.
Hard to evaluate exactly what these schools want but if you have at least 1 offer from Kings, WUS, SPJ you are very, very lucky.

[Onebusymother1]

Drinking coffee, we have accepted a place at SP - posted everything first thing yesterday morning and enjoyed a blissful weekend withou the endless discussions. Will decline our place at WUS tomorrow fingers crossed for you x
So happy this process is over for us. WUS and SP both excellent schools hence the huge delimma. In the end I went with my gut feeling. We flirted with WU mainly because the name carries so much more prestige but something didn’t feel right for me or my son. Happy with our choice.
Good luck everyone else waiting x

[Roseredvelvet]

Onebusymother1, see you at the schoolgates!