I'm a weeny bit cross that there hasn't been a SW/W London Independent schools thread this yr.

[SonorousBip]

Every blinking year there is one - and I read, and nod, and note. Sometimes they go on for months and pages. But this year, when I'm actually doing it - pah, not a sausage.

If anyone wants to do a last minute SPGS/Latymer/Godolphin/ KGS/LEH/WHS/PHS thread, please do! (disclaimer - I'm not doing all of those.). But views welcome. Because I've got several days to form my final views

Congratulations to your DD amidaiwish!

Congrats and good luck to your DD amidaiwish! Presume we are talking KGS?

Congrats Amidaiwish - hope you can get your logistics sorted at such short notice.!

On the subject of fancy uniforms, my ds couldn't get over the Hill House one he saw at today's exam! I had seen it before so wasn't quite so

There was one I glimpsed on girls which seemed to be a navy cape with red edging around the neck - does anyone know which school that is, I'm just curious?!

Hi all,

does anybody know much about scholarships at KGS? DS has been called in for maths.

I am guessing they are of little monetary value - a few per cent off the fees for the sake of an accolade and possibly a programme of activities designed to stretch the child?

Lurking on here, have seen mention of JAGS so wondered if any Alleyn's or DUlwich people here? Plenty of stripey Blazers at Alleyn's today but rain macs were the best option! It was like the OLympics opening ceremony with candidate numbers on boards on sticks held aloft and a gaggle of corresponding children wandering along behind to locate parents. Someone was crying in the room DS was in, it must be very stressful for them all. Good luck and if there are any more South central/ South East parents sitting exams please out yourselves!!!

Well done your ds MaeMobley
Scholarships are 10-20%
They put more into bursaries, I assume those hoping for bursaries do the scholarship exam too.
No idea re numbers or what their chances are but delighted dd did well on the original paper.
Good luck to everyone else! Must make the waiting worse hearing about scholarship calls or

I'm talking about KGS btw

It must be great to get that call, because it must mean you are definitely in, or were you both in anyway from 10+? Phone strangely silent here!

I have been musing on the subject of uniforms again, and wondered if it might put people off certain secondaries? Eg if you have a girl at Garden House prep, where they wear teal velvet coats (Harrods RRP £139 to £169) what would you think about LEH with its £12.50 sweatshirts from Len Smiths? I personally love that the LEH uniform is so unstuffy, but wonder if others are put off?

I think the capes are Falkener House (though I suppose there may be others).

Yes DD got 10+ last year

Unfortunately Dd2 is going to be a different story !

I would be put off a secondary with a ridiculous uniform so think it probably works both ways. I love the SPGS pe kit!

Congrats to scholarship call backs - what an achievement! 10/20% saving not to be sneezed at and some of the GDST schools can offer up to 50% (though rarely do).

On the subject of stripy blazers I do have to throw into the mix the Tiffin Boys blazer. It's not just the indies that do stripes.

Ah thanks Edith - that's the one. They look like old fashioned nurses!

Thanks amidaiwish. It is useful to know.

BeingFrank we didn't do the 10+. I didn't even know such an exam existed.

Well done for the call back to KGS for tomorrow! Will have to wait and see if we get the call for Friday's sports. Must be pretty tight in maths though as DS is quite good at maths but did fail to do just the last question and skol call backs are usually pretty much based on god last couple of questions.
Best of luck!

"On the last couple of questions"...

Well done to your daughter amidaiwish best of luck to her tomorrow!. I'm expecting a silent phone for a while as they sort out scholarships , then maybe 11+ , then remember the 10+ right . It's easier to wait on a long shot for 10+. I was in the same position as most of you last year withDS1 which is why we tried this to perhaps lessen the pain. Best of luck all. There are lots of offers around and as people said lots of waiting list movement after they are out. We turned down other offers so there has to be. It's a long game.....

Our hopes for DD resting on her art ability, now! Unsurprisingly no scholarship call or invitation, although I did accidentally delete some messages on the phone on Monday night...sure they would have called again if we didn't confirm receiving the call....

Well done all those who've 'had the call' We're in the 'waiting for letters' camp. Fingers crossed.

Huge congrats to all on scholarship interviews! I don't know this for certain, but 4 from dcs year sat KGS scholarship interviews last Jan and they all got academic scholarships (don't know about sports at all -sorry). It seemed like if they're taking the time to see you again you will basically be offered a scholarship!
And even if you didn't get it straight off, chances are you would quite soon down the line as children will always opt for different schools. In dc's year nobody actually took up the scholarships -strangely!

The wait for normal interviews can take ages - up to 2 weeks, I think if was. If you get a so-called "general" interview you will basically get a place - or that was the"lore" last year at least. (Unless your dc said something particularly bizarre, I guess). If they do an interview where they need to focus a bit more on maths or English then you will still no doubt be offered a place (even if you go on the waiting list). There were at least 12 offers to KGS in dcs year (inc the scholarship ones), but only 2 actually went as the school was quite out of area for most. Just to give you an idea of how much movement there can actually be.

Good luck for tomorrow!

Just looking at the PHS timings for tomorrow. Girls need to be dropped off at 8.05 and picked up at 12. Seems like an awfully long time time to get through an English and a Maths paper? Each paper is supposed to last an hour so it sounds like a long time - or am I missing something?

How are everyone's DDs coping? DD seems in a surprisingly good mood tonight and, dare I say it, quite excited. Maybe it's because by this time tomorrow we'll be done.

Last DC of 3 to go through entrance exams - hurray!

I agree about PHS. JAGs was about the same but they had 3 papers and lunch. Maybe as they have 500 girls they need time to organise them beforehand but it does seem awfully long.

We were done today. Dd fine and has coped well but is tired now, I think. We need a big dose of "back to normal'ness"!

Beingfrank Some insight on the uniforms. LEH have tried repeatedly to change the sweat shirts. They did manage to change the skirt to one allegedly slightly less difficult to hitch up but they put everything through trials with existing pupils, and it never gets further..... KGS succeeded in changing theirs but only by doing it from Year 7 on and by a Head who the pupils loved, it remains to be seen what will be done with it by Year 9s. St Catherine's have always held the line. It is like parenting really......

G&L tried to change their skirts to box pleated but I don't think it's happened.

There's a lot to be said for the European (non) uniform of jeans, fleece, converse/boots. Can't believe it being so straightforward in London though.

Good luck to all the scholarshipees plus other final examinees today.