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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Reigate Grammar School 2014

22 replies

capsulemum · 16/01/2014 16:06

Hello there,

My DD got an invitation for interview from Reigate Grammar School. May I ask from your experience if Reigate Grammar invite all applicants for interview or only who passed its tests?

Thank you very much.

capsulemum

OP posts:
LIZS · 16/01/2014 16:10

They screen out the most obvious no's but all that we knew had applied were interviewed.

Original poster
capsulemum · 16/01/2014 16:22

Thank you LIZS.

Could we assume that we might get a place? or it is too soon to say?

OP posts:
LIZS · 16/01/2014 16:53

They make offers after the interviews but also no's so you can't assume anything.

Prawntoast · 16/01/2014 17:07

Hi
I know of some that didn't pass the entrance exam who didn't get interviews but it's not a guarantee that you will get a place if you have an interview. Good luck, my DD is there and enjoying it.

ChocolateWombat · 16/01/2014 17:12

If they gain an interview, their test result in itself is probably good enough for an offer. A few will be borderline and an interview will tip the balance either way. Some people will be rejected after interview if they were borderline and didnt persuade the interviewer. A few who passed the exam at a high level will be rejected after interview, but they will have to have made glaring mistakes in the interview, which is unusual. Most interviewed will get an offer. However if you have not been called for interview, you will definitiely not get an offer.
So having been called is a very good sign. Hope it goes well.

LIZS · 16/01/2014 17:21

A few who passed the exam at a high level will be rejected after interview, but they will have to have made glaring mistakes in the interview, which is unusual Not sure about this tbh, even someone who performs well may not necessarily be deemed a good fit. They certainly used to have a less than inclusive SEN policy but new head may have changed that, alongside introducing pre-testing for 13+ and trying to attract international students.

ChocolateWombat · 16/01/2014 17:29

LIZS I think Im probably saying the same thing as you. Someone may show themselves not to be a 'good fit' in the sense that they have no wider interests and are not interested in the joining in the wider life of the school. This would make them not a 'good fit' in your words. I guess I just referred to this as a glaring mistake. Surely everyone at interview knows to talk about wider interests. So yes, a few high achieves in the exam may not get an offer, but these will be the exception. Schools are keen to have those who score at the top end of entrance exams and there has to be a real reason to reject them. Most people who get a 'no' wont be in this category. They will have been borderline and just didn't convince the interviewer enough to take a chance on them.

ChocolateWombat · 16/01/2014 17:33

Meant to add, schools won't interview someone who has no chance. It's not fair to the pupils and wastes the time of those interviewing. So getting an interview means someone has a real chance. It's just that some will need to do better than others in that interview, because of how they performed in the exam.

Prawntoast · 16/01/2014 17:38

I'd agree that they are looking for the candidate to fit, also they asked my DD and a few of her friends if RGS was their choice or their parents.

ChocolateWombat · 16/01/2014 17:52

Prawn toast, I agree. Schools want to know that pupils themselves are keen to come. Enthusiasm for the school and all that it offers counts for a lot and marks someone a good fit. Anything which suggests a candidate isn't enthusiastic or doesn't want to come sends the wrong message. Schools often ask now where siblings go too. Although siblings may go to different schools, they usually don't. If siblings are at a nearby rival school, it may suggest that a candidate is less serious about the one they are being interviewed by, especially if more than one sibling is at the other place. I don't think this prevents an offer being made, but it all contributes towards the picture of how keen/likely a student is to want to come and to accept an offer. Schools know that not everyone who is offered a place will accept it, so the interview is used to gauge the likelihood of this too.
In the end the interview is just one element of the decision making process. For those who have done well in the exam, it is mainly used to confirm that they should be given a place.

tom2468tom · 16/01/2014 23:37

why not just ring and ask the Registrar or even the Head?

ChocolateWombat · 17/01/2014 14:38

Prawn, great idea! A lot of speculation about entrance exams and interviews goes on here. The most accurate info must come from the school and I really don't think schools in general want these things to be a scary mystery.

Original poster
capsulemum · 17/01/2014 15:46

Thank you very everyone for all your comments and helpful advice.

My daughter so far has had enjoyed interviews with other two schools (Reigate Grammar is the last one for her.) She mentioned that the interview was too short (15 mins one to one) and she still had more to talk and the teacher also still wanted to listen to her. She passed one grammar school for girls and got an offer from one of the GDST schools. She likes Reigate Grammar because she likes books written by David Walliams (he went to Reigate Grammar).

OP posts:
Sheldonswhiteboard · 17/01/2014 15:52

That's as good a reason as any I guess Grin. Sounds like she will have some good options open to her.

htpt11 · 07/02/2014 11:47

My DS was interviewed by Reigate too, DS was asked what other schools he had appilied too, and what the results were.. i think it's a bit unfair to ask a child about this, since he might have his own subconciuos preferences which are not necessaraly corespond to the parents' ones, and / or might not affect the final decision.. I am personallly a bit worried now since he did sit all top schools.

having said tha he really liked Reiagte - mainly due to being a co-ed school with a great variety of activities / space (he really enjoys music / drama / sports).

Original poster
capsulemum · 07/02/2014 13:56

Hello htp11,
My daughter was asked as well about other schools and when she told the teacher, she agreed with my daughter that it was hard to make decision. My daughter enjoyed the interview and loved the last question "what work would you do if you were a Prime minister of the UK?" She could talk about this for hours.

Fingers crossed...

OP posts:
htpt11 · 07/02/2014 15:11

Let's hope for the best for our children, capsulemum

YourAzureReader · 09/03/2024 13:37

Hi,I’m asking for a an advice,please let me know
My son passed Reigate Grammar school and been for the
interview.when the offers came up they mentioned they unable to offer the place at this time .they mentioned they can add to waiting list there are selected specifically and telented kids to the waiting lists so we accepted.but today we received the message there are unable to offer a place in the waiting list because the acceptance rate is high,no places available.we are really confused because so many teachers said he will be easily selected by Reigate gate grammar school.
So please kindly advise me if you know what could I do?
Thank you.

tennissquare · 09/03/2024 15:14

@YourAzureReader , there isn't anything you can do except ask to be kept on the WL and accept a place at another school and work towards that for Sept. It means your ds achieved a score in the entrance process that placed him on the WL but enough pupils accepted the offers that they sent out in Feb that they have not accessed his position on the WL. Best of luck for your journey to another school for September.

SeaEssence · 10/03/2024 19:51

We were in a similar situation, got the same answer as you that there are no places available right after the applications closed on 5th March, it seems RGS have had record number of applicants and a high intake so not many on the WL got an offer this year. If you had other offers which you haven't taken hoping you'd get a WL spot phone them up and ask if they'd still accept you, or hopefully you'd have a state option still open. Another option we considered if we didn't get an offer was to move DS to Hawthorns which runs to year 9, then try again for 13+ (RGS, Caterham and Whitgift all have 13+ intake - maybe some others too). If your DC is at a prep have a meeting with their teacher/head, I got immense support from them after DS only got WL places.

YourAzureReader · 12/03/2024 05:19

Will they come back after rejection 😔

LIZS · 12/03/2024 08:13

YourAzureReader · 12/03/2024 05:19

Will they come back after rejection 😔

I doubt it, if acceptance rate is high and they have a wl. I responded on your other post. Ask if 13+ is worth a try but look elsewhere for now. Either a prep if you want another opportunity for RGS or do you have other offers for less competitive schools such as Dunottar perhaps? Bear in mind deferred 13+ places may already be allocated at RGS and others leaving relatively fewer open.

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