Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
SoupDragon · 07/01/2012 10:13

No, they'd probaby form a coalition and coast together :)

frankies69 · 07/01/2012 10:18

ha ha Wink

beanie34 · 07/01/2012 13:59

Have just recieved a call from W inviting our son in for interview early part of next week, feel physically sick! Can anyone tell me what to expect?
Will be so relieved when this whole process is over. Have already gone through it all with DS1 and thought that I would sail through the process without feeling stressed, perhaps not.

SoupDragon · 07/01/2012 14:07

LOL. It's just a chat. You won't be pinned down and interrogated. Congratulations :)

When DS1 went, he went in with the interviewer and they chatted about lord knows what and tried out the balloon powered car DS1 had taken in as his "thing" I don't think he was asked any more exam type questions (I think that was a T but I can't be sure).

Then he came out and I went in. The interviewer told me how wonderful my son was and how well he'd done and I kind of stopped concentrating after that :o He was just asking about family stuff, what DS1 was like, inconsequential kind of stuff.

We then had an interview with the head which, personally, I found rather like I"d been summoned for some misdemeanour or other. Again, nothing major was asked or talked about.

frankies69 · 07/01/2012 14:22

well done to your son

frankies69 · 07/01/2012 14:23

well done to your son

beanie34 · 07/01/2012 14:31

Thank you so much for the information. Have calmed down now :) Will be fine on the day. Very pleased that we only have 2 children and looking forward to a few years respite before DS1 goes in for the next wave of applications..UCAS here we come!! Once again many thanks. Now decisions, decisions. Do we take "the pumping heart" or "how to build anything out of lego" too many choices.. LOL

SoupDragon · 07/01/2012 14:43

I will be steering DS2 away from anything from the "Forbidden Lego" book or "Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction" :)

It's really just an ice breaker. They use it as something easy to chat to your son about rather than making any kind of judgement about it. Friends have taken photos of sport/music, their favourite book, some stuff about a hobby... that kind of thing.

frankies69 · 07/01/2012 14:47

We were thinking of our DS taking in his award for completing 6 years at his drama group...not sure though??? any suggestions gratefully received :)

SoupDragon · 07/01/2012 14:47

Can he talk enthusiastically about his drama? That's all that matters I think.

frankies69 · 07/01/2012 14:50

Yes I think he probably could!! But you know what boys are like...umms and arghs!!!! He is quite shy and as long as they can get him to open up he be fine...one thing he can talk frankly and fully about is his spinal curve...maybe we should send him in with piccies of his back Confused

SoupDragon · 07/01/2012 16:15

:o

At least they are completely used to interviewing boys!

moan · 10/01/2012 13:40

hi there . does anyone know how many DS are invited for an interview at W and how many are rejected. Also should my DS expect academic questions to be asked at the interview at W . panicking .....interview on thurs.....

SoupDragon · 10/01/2012 15:29

DS didn't have academic questions at Whitgift but did at Trinity.

I would imagine the number invited for interview depends on the number who pass. The number rejected would be the difference between this and the intake for the year (although they over offer to a degree on the assumption that not everyone accepts having had offers from other schools)

stressederica · 11/01/2012 15:02

Hi all, just joining the post after a year! Smile DS is very happy at W and it has definitely exceeded our expectations in terms of opportunities and quality of the teaching. Most of all, I'm just so glad that DS has finally found his place. He's gone from being the oddball at his primary school to someone with an amazing number of friends. He couldn't even fit them all on his page when he was asked about who his friends were! He is with a great bunch of kids who seem to be having the time of their life blowing up stuff in the science lab!

Moan
The interview at W was just a general chat. DS did not have to bring anything in. He was asked about some of the answers he gave in some of the papers, especially about the story he wrote in his English paper which was about a famous explorer. As he had just read a book about him, DS didn't find the interview too stressful. In any case, it was very short. Our interview was equally short. Canon B was very forthcoming in his praise of DS's performance and we came away thinking that he had a good chance of getting in.
The interview at T was slightly different. DS was whisked away for his interview while we had our chat with the headteacher. It was a far more daunting affair for DS as he had to answer various mental maths questions, read a poem, answer questions about it and talk about his CERN souvenir he had brought with him! Headteacher at T wasn't as forthcoming with information regarding DS's performance and we weren't sure where we stood after the interview. It was all very vague as if he didn't want to reveal too much.
We got generous offers from both and our decision to go for W was just based on the feeling that it was the right school for our DS and we could picture him there and so far, judging by how enthusiastic and keen DS is to go to school very morning despite the early start and long days, we feel that we definitely made the right decision!

Generalhaig and albird, how are your sons getting on at W?

SoupDragon · 11/01/2012 15:33

Interesting - the head teacher at T was very forthcoming about DS1's performance when he we were there two years ago (as was Mr Beck at W). I found the head at W too intimidating and came away with the Feel Good Factor for Trinity instead :o

It's really interesting how people have different experiences and get a different feel about a school isn't it? It will be very interesting to see if I get the same kind of feel should DS2 get interviews at both.

albird · 11/01/2012 17:40

Reading this post brings back so many memories of sleepless nights last year!!

My DS is at W in year 7 and really enjoying it - as stressederica says - despite having to get up so early he leaps out of the car to go to school.

Our interview experience was similar to stressederica's - he was asked about his essay but also he was asked some maths questions and about the history period he was doing at school. It was a tough interview and we sat in for the end of it (I had to stop myself answering the questions for him!). However when we were interviewed without DS we got such wonderful feedback from the interviewer we felt that the school really wanted him. In T interview he had to talk about the 'item' he took in - nothing too difficult. Think it depends on whether its a scholarship interview or not. Last year at T I believe parents were only interviewed if DS was a scholarship candidate whereas W interviewed all parents.

We are delighted with our decision - good luck to everyone having interviews over next few weeks.

FarmerBarleymow · 11/01/2012 21:21

My son sat the 10+ exams at both W and T last week. Have any of you received letters or phone calls yet?

basildonbond · 11/01/2012 21:57

hi stressed (I was generalhaig)

ds still v happy at W - definitely the right place for him

the vast majority of teachers are excellent (have had one or two slightly weaker ones over the years, but nothing to worry about) and I really feel that they know ds, both the good bits and the bad ...

SoupDragon · 12/01/2012 11:50

Woohoo! Just been invited to interview at Whitgift :)

havinganightmare · 12/01/2012 12:04

fantastic SoupDragon - well done DS2! We're off there today!!! Grin

Ladymuck · 12/01/2012 12:07
Grin

Good luck to ds2. Make sure that his top shirt button is done up!!!

Seeline · 12/01/2012 12:16

Hi Farmer - we do did both 10+ last week. No news yet.

SoupDragon · 12/01/2012 12:21

Let's hope you don't have a nightmare today then :o

DS2 won't have his top button done up because I won't be dressing him in a shirt and tie or his school uniform :)

SoupDragon · 12/01/2012 12:22

Although by a stroke of luck, earlier today I booked haircuts this evening for all three children so at least he won't resemble a sheepdog!