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Secondary education

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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:
Original poster
mummax · 18/02/2011 18:52

Brilliant news!Smile Our DS got T and W. He really worked hard and so deserves it. Very proud of him.Smile

OP posts:
bilton2 · 18/02/2011 19:54

well done to those who did it! The boys must have worked really hard!

We're going to try again next year. Anyone else in this boat?

SoupDragon · 19/02/2011 08:46

well done indeed.

DS2 sits the 11+ ones next year so I am going through it again having had a year off.

Pros and cons of WvT... Hmmm... I loved Whitgift. It grabbed my heart and my soul and I simply adored it. Watching their promotional DVD in the headmaster's speech brought tears to my eyes as I imagined my boys there. However, I chose Trinity.

Why? I left Triinity feeling that the headmaster actually cares for the boys at his school. Whilst I am sure he doesn't, you get the feeling that he knows each and every one of them.

I left my interview with the head of W feeling like I'd been sent there for bad behaviour whereas the T head walked me back to the meeting room to wait for DS1 to finish his interviews and we chatted, friendly inconsequential smalltalk. I felt entirely at ease and at that point my decision was made.

On a more practical level, I chose T because they said they would encourage boys who were keen at sport but not gifted at it which describes DS1 perfectly (he would have done well at either school TBH but seemed to have more chance of fun at T IYSWIM) Now, this inclusive sport thing has yet to fully materialise but it is probably far more difficult due to him being in the "bulge" year. There are simply too many boys to play in teams.

I also left with the feeling that T was the right school for DS2, and Ideally I wanted them at the same one for convenience. I felt that W would hammer his square peg into their round hole whereas T would gently sand off his sharp edges and find his niche. Whilst very bright, he has emotional issues which I felt would be better supported by T.

Facilities wise, both are superb as you would expect. W is everything you imagine a private school to be with its eons of history soaked into the wood panelling. Having moved from a similar site where the Whitgoft Center now is in the 60s/70s, Trinity is undoubtedly an uglyish building. However, it is light and airy and modern inside and seems to have space for the boys to breathe.

I think that W seduces you with it's grounds and history and exploding watermelons at the open day. Ts seduction is less blatant :) This suits me well. We are not a private school family (IYSWIM) and I think I would have felt completely out of place at W. I am confident that DS won't emerge at the end of his time at T feeling superior because of his education (and I have already made it quite clear that I will not tolerate this from him! :o)

I like that T has introduced girls into the 6th form from this Sept. To me this shows that they are forward thinking and open to change.

There is nothing concrete to choose between the two schools IMO. It is all down to gut feeling and what is the right environment for your son.

stressederica · 19/02/2011 14:53

Thank you so much SoupDragon. You've been very helpful.Smile
In terms of facilities, achievement and performance, both schools are equally attractive. We have not met the headmaster at W, so cannot personally compare him to Mr B at Trinity. I was expecting a very formal interview at W, possibly in a wood-pannelled room and to my surprise,our interview took place in a room above the gym and the chaplain couldn't have been warmer or friendlier. That's why this decision is going to be such a difficult one. We are not a private school family either and we're very new to all this. Hearing from other people who've been through this before and who actually have children at these schools is definitely very helpful. But I suppose you're right, it will probably come down to gut feeling and finding the school that we think is right for our son.

SoupDragon · 19/02/2011 15:26

I don't think you can go wrong with either if you have no strong feeling either way.

Our W interview was also above the gym I think - kind of like a conference centre! Then we had to go to the old part of the school where we waited in a room straight out of some period drama, being served drinks, before going into the heads office which was panelled, lined with books and had a very hard leather sofa to sit on. I'm told that others saw a dog napping over by the antique desk but I can't confirm that :o Rather surreal anyway.

SoupDragon · 19/02/2011 15:28

Actually, the headmaster's weekly newsletter on the Trinity website makes good reading. I couldnt' find an equivalent from Whitgift to compare it to unfortunately but I think they convey the feeling of the school quite well. I think my favourite was the one from the Week of Snow.

stressederica · 19/02/2011 15:42

How come we weren't invited to the period room? Envy
Just a table outside with a few glasses and some orange juice! No leather sofas for us, not even hard ones!
Thanks for the tip about the newsletter. I'll have a look at that. Smile

SoupDragon · 19/02/2011 15:56

It's because you didn't turn up in period costume. Those hard chairs in the conference room were a nightmare with my bustle. Not that I needed one

Caoimhe · 19/02/2011 18:41

LOL - I definitely saw that dog in the W headmaster's office - some sort of spaniel-type thing (can you tell I know nothing about dogs!!)

I had been warned about it by other parents, though, so I was on the look-out for it!

BTW, huge congratulations to everyone who had good news. Nothing to add to SoupDragon's superb synopsis above except to say that I'm sure W doesn't have a Dalek building club! Grin

SoupDragon · 20/02/2011 00:20

I so want to be in Dalek Building Club!

stressederica · 20/02/2011 09:12

Now, that is tempting! A Dalek Building Club!
What about those W purple cloaks though! Decisions! Decisions!Hmm

Caoimhe · 20/02/2011 11:09

Ds is in Dalek building club. They are making it out of wood, which is quite tricky!!!! There was almost a disaster a few weeks ago after some ill- advised cutting but all was saved by a teacher!!

SoupDragon · 20/02/2011 18:12

I'm jealous.

TulaHatti · 21/02/2011 10:41

Just joining this thread - DS has offers from W&T with scholarship/bursary. Not sporty.

We had interview with Dr Cannon at W, who was great - very enthusiastic Head of English. Had great feeling about W and all boys met there. T similarly good in different more "progressive" (?) way.

W easier for us to get too, but also waiting to hear about Wilsons Grammar School which is free.

What to do? Anyone with experience of Wilsons please?

cooney · 22/02/2011 16:48

A friend's DS is at Wilsons, he is happy there.

stressederica · 22/02/2011 17:30

Hi all,

Decision made! W it is, despite T being closer and my first choice up until the interviews.
Why? We were pleasantly surprised by our interview with Canon B at W. He was very welcoming and really made us feel at ease. He was also very forthcoming about the performance of DS in the exams and the support that he would benefit from at W whereas we came away from the interview at T, feeling somewhat disappointed in that we weren't really told what they could do for DS, how keen they were on him joining the school etc. Instead, the emphasis was put on how oversubscribed the school was and how they really did not want to have 3 classes.

There's really not much between the two schools in terms of academic performance, extra-curricular activities, sporting achievements etc. DS has generous scholarships from both.

I think that it came down to a question of gut feeling, just like SoupDragon said. We just feel that W is the school for DS and only hope now that we've made the right choice.

Thank you very much for all your help. Smile

albird · 22/02/2011 19:24

New to thread - find it very interesting!

Anyone know if many boys go to W from Beckenham area?? Need to make decision and am worried about this aspect.

stressederica · 23/02/2011 07:52

Hi albird, welcome Smile
We're in Beckenham and have also been agonising over this aspect. Talked to the school yesterday about the school bus and looks like the closest pick up point to us is Langley Park Schools or Chinese garage. This still means that DS will need to be dropped off and picked up from there.DS is only 10 and I don't really want him trvaelling on public transport by himself to W.
Whereabouts in Beckenham are you? We're opposite the Beckenham Beacon. Is your DS starting in year 6 or 7?

stressederica · 23/02/2011 07:53

Sorry! I meant 'travelling' and not 'trvaelling'!Grin.

generalhaig · 23/02/2011 09:22

stressed I'm sure your ds will be v happy at W - ds loves it there

he started in y6 and has been happily making the journey on public transport ever since the first week - it's one of the highlights of his day as it's very sociable - he has 'train friends' some of whom overlap with his 'school friends' but some are in different years

albird · 23/02/2011 09:58

stressed - we are near the school bus stops but would probably take him by car at first (though I am sure he will want to take bus as soon as he can!) - more worried about having friends close by. He would be going into Y7.

cooney · 23/02/2011 12:10

Congratulations on making your decision stressederica, and welcome to W, it is wonderful school. It has certainly exceeded our expectations in terms of quality of service. My son is quite content in himself and has even been know to hum while doing his homework something we had never experienced before! Your DS will be tired for the first part of half term, but once you are through that life gets much easier. The existing boys in the school were able to assure my DS that this would be so, otherwise we would probably have been worried that he might spend the next 5 years of his life permanently exhausted.

SoupDragon · 23/02/2011 15:05

DS1 gets the school bus to T - he also has a Bus Gang with 3 other boys in his year, none of whom are in his class, so it has been good for extending his friendship circle. He loves getting the bus and, being a Mean Mother, I made him get it from Day 1.

I don't think local friends is such an issue at secondary. (One of DSs classmates is from Beckenham, although this is T, not W.)

SoupDragon · 23/02/2011 15:07

Personally I think it would be unlikely for you to make a choice of either W or T and wish you'd chosen the other.

albird · 23/02/2011 17:53

Thanks SoupDragon. I am sure you are right about the friends - he's not bothered by it at all so I think its just something for me to get used to - our problem isn't W or T (we've narrowed it down that far!) but W and another school- but that would start a whole new thread!

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