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Original poster

Who was in the massive queue for Tiffins last night?

79 replies

deaddei · 13/10/2009 20:44

Brought Kingston practically to a standstill.
My dh was particularly infuriated by the children clutching verbal reasoning papers- why?
Dear God.

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AtheneNoctua · 13/10/2009 20:45

Was the entrance test last night then?

liahgen · 13/10/2009 20:45

not in the queue but i used to train there when I rowed for Kingston Ladies.

foxinsocks · 13/10/2009 20:46

no but I drove through there (by coincidence) and swore at you all

Original poster
deaddei · 13/10/2009 20:46

No it was the open evening...wonder how many were there. Half of Surrey, Berkshire and the Home Counties by the looks of it.

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CybilLiberty · 13/10/2009 20:47

Ah, the Tiffin crush I remember it well.

Never has so little of a school been seen by sooo many families crushed into the corridors.

My dd has had a day and a half off because of it all so she's not complaining

Original poster
deaddei · 13/10/2009 20:48

I refused to go but sent dh and ds - dh refused to believe my tales of doom- came home looking like a man gone through a wringer.
I sat at home with wine.

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CybilLiberty · 13/10/2009 20:49

dead, where are you?

Original poster
deaddei · 13/10/2009 20:50

I went last year so stayed out of it.

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Original poster
deaddei · 13/10/2009 20:51

Sorry Cybil, misread- (wine again)- we are in Kingston. Land of the selective grammars !

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foxinsocks · 13/10/2009 20:52

I feel so exhausted by the thought of the whole fiasco around the Tiffins that I'm not even going to bother with them

they said on the radio last night (while I was driving) that the school had reckoned on well over 1000 people coming!

Original poster
deaddei · 13/10/2009 20:54

i would think more foxinsocks- wonder how many will apply this year. Surely there's a limit to how many boys they can fit in the school to take the test.

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CybilLiberty · 13/10/2009 20:56

I am in Kingston too, dd goes to Tiffin so we had all this palaver a few years ago. It's a night to suss out the competetion. (And take them out at the knees in the car park if they look too clever)

megcleary · 13/10/2009 20:57

?

foxinsocks · 13/10/2009 20:59

it's something like 10 children for every place - somewhere around there

bigchris · 13/10/2009 21:00

is it private then?

foxinsocks · 13/10/2009 21:02

no it's a state grammar school, selective on the basis of the entrance exams (verbal and non verbal reasoning, standardised for age)

CybilLiberty · 13/10/2009 21:04

But they select from most of the Northern Hemisphere (rather than local area) so loads of children try and get in

buy1get1free · 13/10/2009 21:04

There's usually between 2000-2500 that sit it, I think. I'm wondering if the recent financial 'bail out' by Kingston LEA might keep some potentials away this year

ABetaDad · 13/10/2009 21:09

Sounds horrific.

I am so glad we do not have to go through this stuff anymore. We just got sick of the whole insane 'competition' that surrounds education in the South East and moved house to get away from it.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 13/10/2009 21:13

We were in the queue last night. It went really fast, only 10 minutes or so to get in (we got there about 7). DS met 4-5 other boys from his previous school and a few from his current one last night.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 13/10/2009 21:16

The reasoning papers were being handed out for free while waiting in the queue. I think the idea was you'd get this one paper free and then you'd pay for more from the same company, just a marketing exercise, not by Tiffin school. The headteacher's talk was by timed tickets.

cherryblossoms · 13/10/2009 21:52

That was us last year. It was very, very squeezy. Sounds like the bail-out hasn't had an adverse effect.

The French department handed out paper cups of wine, accompanied by knowing grins for the the frazzled parents.

Good luck to all the dc sitting the test.

Original poster
deaddei · 13/10/2009 22:03

lol Cybil at taking them out in the car park
Christina- that explains the papers.
Dh didn't do the heads' talk- was impressed by the school facilities (but then as it's spent god knows how much of it's reserves, it should be good!)

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Original poster
deaddei · 13/10/2009 22:05

Sorry- no apostrophe in the 2nd it's- hope ds knows his apostrophes better than I do!

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PurpleEgluggedblood · 13/10/2009 22:09

My BF used to go to Tiffins then she moved up Northand went to the local comp with me.