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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Whitgift and Trinity 11+ exams and Interviews

999 replies

mummax · 11/01/2011 23:16

Hi all
I am new to this. I am loving this site.
Has anyone's DS taken an 11+ exam at Whitgift or Trinity this year. We have taken both and have an interview at Whitgift.
Any tips for a first timer.

OP posts:
frankies69 · 26/01/2012 18:26

@stresscity phew my levels are back under control :)

frankies69 · 26/01/2012 18:28

@nightmare...so it's u causing me confusion too Shock

havinganightmare · 26/01/2012 18:32

It's in the name...... I'm sorry!!!

frankies69 · 26/01/2012 20:00

@all ... just wondered if any of you know that we have only got 21 more sleeps till LETTER DAY Wink

stresscity · 26/01/2012 20:14

@frankie-now youre not helping the stress levels!! Wink

frankies69 · 26/01/2012 20:25

Hmm thought it would bring a Smile to ev1s faces knowing I was on the ball Wink

stresscity · 26/01/2012 21:12

Soup-far from jumping the gun, how much homework do the year 7 boys get a night [rolling eyes]

stresscity · 26/01/2012 21:14

Oh and Soup-DS wants to know why you are known as SoupDragon Smile

kravings · 26/01/2012 21:49

Hmm stresscity, funny you said that - as my DSs have asked the same question Hmm, they think I am absolutely hooked on this forum all the time Blush - do they have any idea how much stress-relief I get when I read that I am not the only one in this Sad state?

SoupDragon · 26/01/2012 21:51

Because I am a dragon and I make soup. Obviously.

I actually thought that DS would get more homework than he actually did. His primary set one largish piece of HW per week and I thought Trinity would be a shock but t wasn't. I think they're meant to have a maximum of 3 pieces a night, none of which should take more than 45 minutes. Obviously they are not all due in the next day and they don't always get three a night so it all evens out across the week. They don't always require the full 45 minutes either (e.g. learning stuff for a test)

SoupDragon · 26/01/2012 21:56

What are they teaching children at school nowadays. Here I am with one of my pink knitted friends.

Selina · 26/01/2012 22:09

@all. ..

Phew back from work and now thinking I should check in during the day .its like I'm missing the party and getting there late ...
Thanks for all the info. So around 200 offers sounds right .
@Ladymuck and Soup ...
Scholarship question - are all academic scholarships offered at the interview ? I would love to not have to work so hard to pay these fees ..it's quite tiring ...
In my dreams they would offer DS an academic scholarship ..but I think he's more likely to have a chaos theory one based on his bedroom .
So am I just dreaming that they do offer academic scholarships not only at interview but possibly by post as well ? Really pushing my luck, I'd be just relieved he's offered a place .
He didn't get into the grammars so probably not academic material anywAy - but doing well enough at his prep. I said I'd give up alcohol for 5 yrs if he got into a grammar - he was shocked and said you can't do that mum.. I said I could but don't think he thought I was capable ... How sad Wine.....

Ladymuck · 26/01/2012 23:23

To the best of my knowledge academic scholarships, and certainly in terms of an exact percentage, are not offered at interview. There is an overall pot of money available, to be divided up as the Headmaster sees fit, and it would be unusual for anyone to jump the gun certainly before all of the scholarship candidates were interviewed. Equally there are a huge number of bursary applications and these also have to be assessed against the available pot (a different pot, a generous pot, but not an unlimited one)

That said, if your son is say in the top 10 boys in any one of the exams, then it is highly likely that it will be made clear to you that he has done well, and that he is being considered for an academic scholarship. I've never heard of any parent who has asked for feedback on their son's performance in the exam (during their interview) who has felt that they were in any way misled by the answer. W & T do not interview boys that they intend to reject, they are interviewing to make sure that they look at the whole package.

I appreciate that these are 3 very long weeks, and that the process sounds very random. In general most boys (80+%) who get interviewed will get an offer of a place. You are as likely to be considered for a scholarship regardless of when you were interviewed (they're spread over the 3 week interview period): there has already been speculation as to how the identity of the interviewer can be interpreted!

kravings · 27/01/2012 01:00

Ladymuck - wow...your insight into the scholarship-bursary info is amazing...however...when I asked for feedback (regarding DS's exams) at our W interview I vividly remember Mr M saying that he cannot give me that information and only mentioned that my DS has done 'well' in his exams Confused.
When do the schools (W & T) let you know if your DS qualifies for a Scholarship?

SoupDragon · 27/01/2012 07:17

I agree Ladymuck - It was made very clear that DS2 would be made an offer and that he was being strongly recommended for a scholarship but there were no guarantees given. I can imagine a scenario whereby a parent knows their child will be offered a scholarship but not how much or a firm offer which has to be accepted before the formal offer date.

I was told by the HM at Trinity that the interviews are used, in part, to weed out those boys who have been heavily tutored and to spot the ones with natural potential.

As to the identity of the interviewer, at Trinity they have an English teacher and a maths teacher interviewing and the boy appears to be interviewed by their weaker subject. It doesn't seem to be the same as at W where they have Top Bods interviewing.

In my experience, the offer of a scholarship comes on the offer letter in 3 weeks time and not before.

SoupDragon · 27/01/2012 07:20

I think the T website says they award academic scholarships amounting to 10 full fee places. So, when DS2 gets his 50% one, that leaves 950 percentage points for the rest of you Wink

Kabba · 27/01/2012 07:56

hi all - re sports scholarships at W it seems from the website that the offers are between 5% and 50% - does anyone have any insight in how they work out who gets the 10%, 25% ones etc etc or each just discretionary? Following this thread with interest and also helping me keep sane :-)

Asterisk · 27/01/2012 08:27

@LadyMuck - the voice of reason! Thanks very much for taking time on these boards to explain everything so fully. It's generous of you!

Good luck to everyone with interviews today and tomorrow. We have ours on Tuesday. And still no confirmation letter!

Interesting that no one here seems to be going for music scholarship at T. I think they set the bar very high with a requirement for Grade 5.

SoupDragon · 27/01/2012 08:56

The percentages for scholarships will be decided on the basis that the boys they want the most will get the highest I imagine.

Seeline · 27/01/2012 09:03

@Asterisk - we finally got our confirmation letter yesterday for an interview on Saturday. I don't think T realise the anguish they are putting parents through - I was genuinely beginning to doubt that DH had actually had a phone call at all Blush
It's not helping that our Postie seems to have changed his round and we're not getting our post until about 3.30pm. I sincerely hope it's back to a more normal time by 17th or I shall be a complete wreck!

@Soup - my DS also gets a largish piece of homework once a week (or should I say 'homelearning' Wink) ?

Ladymuck · 27/01/2012 09:05

Soupy's right - think of it as a cash inducementGrin.

Which is why the schools all adhere to the Trinity Group agreement and all scholarships and offers of places go out in writing by post during half term. Rumours of deals being done before that date can be safely ignored I think as that would lead to a race with all schools trying to snap up the best candidates first, and leaving parents having to sign up to a terms notice without knowing all of their options.

SoupDragon · 27/01/2012 09:25

Oh dear god... home learning

More boys than usual sat Trinity this year. No figure other than "oh god, lots" :o

Seeline · 27/01/2012 09:27

Don't worry soup - we're Y5 so have probably never even seen each other Grin

SoupDragon · 27/01/2012 09:28

yes, I checked the thread and breathed a sigh of relief :o

basildonbond · 27/01/2012 09:32

kabba

I'm not sure how it works for all the sports but at W for swimming a boy who regularly gets to the finals at regionals (level just below nationals) got 10% whereas a boy who had got a national medal got offered 25% at 13+

There are quite a few 10% scholarships spread out among the very sporty

The highest scholarships I'm aware of are 50% for very academic boys who also have something else to offer (i.e. either sport or music) - neither of those boys was told at the interview and they got offered substantial scholarships from both T and W

We were told at interview at T that ds was in the top few for both maths and English and at W that he'd done 'exceptionally well' so we were pretty confident he'd be offered a place (and hopeful of a scholarship) but were definitely not told then and there