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

DS says didn't have any idea what to put. He thought about it a while and then randomly put down... a different school. Won't say which. But hope they all did that

I've just been discussing this with dd this evening. Interestingly she can do two really convincing answers as to why this is her favourite school but we are really flailing around with a third school. I think I've just got it, that irrelevant of what DH and I think, (we loved it, great school) that it is just not the school for her.

We have a bit of a mantra, that we will make our choices from the offers we get not the applications we make. (Been scorched on this one before!)

Has anyone heard from WHS yet? Or know when they are sending The Letters??

DD has an interview there on Wednesday. So maybe not for another week? Although I've no idea how it works at WHS.

I have February 12th down as results day for WHS.

I'm not sure if they have a further assessment for academic scholarship, or whether they just offer to the top scorers in the general exam.

JAGS letters are out for academic scholarship interviews and sports scholarship assessments - I think they do offers on Feb 12th, too.

WHS website says letters will be posted first class on Monday 2nd Feb.

WHS post letters out on the 2nd and PHS on the 3rd. No interviews for academic scholarship, just on basis if exam results.

Thanks- hate all this waiting!

What a relief, 10 days less to wait...

JAGS must be later - the sports assessment isn't until 30th Jan.

JAGS info sheet says 'offers of fee paying places will be sent out by first class post on Thursday 12 February. The letters should be with you by Saturday 14 February'.

It also says 'Girls who have not been interviewed prior to the entrance exam, and who do well in the papers, will be invited to interview in late January.'

Jags post letters first class on 12 Feb.

So Friday 13th is going to be a big day!

Emptycoffeepot, MaeMobley, did your DSs sit the 11+ at KCS? My DS sat the pretest on Saturday and wasn't asked anything about which schools he's applying to, or anything else - he just had to sit the 3 papers?!? I assumed those questions come up at the interview if he gets that far? Maybe it's different for 11+?

Anyone else's DS sit the pre-test? DS found the Maths and reasoning easy but the comprehension was looooong and he only managed to answer about three quarters. He was reasonably happy about the creative writing and apparently there was also a straightforward grammar section. Keeping our fingers tightly crossed that he did well enough overall to get an interview...

Yes, DS (state primary) sat 11-plus at KCS, not pretest. FWIW, found English comprehension, especially longer questions/answers, hardest bit. Enjoyed story. Reasoning ok, maths hard but doable, except for last question. Good luck to your DS and others who sat.

God this is hard. I just spoke to the registrar at LEH and now I feel even worse. She was really lovely but I had to hang up quickly before I burst into tears and now I can't stop.

I don't want to do this again in three years time.

I know, I am dreading Dd2 in 2 years already. She wants to do the 10+ in January, I can't face it!

Hope the LEH registrar was helpful. Good luck with your other applications.

Amida she was lovely but I wish I'd never asked. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I'm even more worried we won't get any offers.

Hugs Dark. Fingers crossed for the others.

Don't worry Dark Blue. This LEH is just one school in the world -and nothing more than that. Go out of SW London and nobody has even heard of it!

The problem is that in SW London, so many local schools happen to be those that top the league tables. Its inevitable that they have to turn down far more extremely able children than they can accept. In university terms, its like trying to gain a place a Oxbridge or Harvard. And how many of us manage that?

Don't despair, the LEH test is the toughest and set very very high. I know a few from last year who got plenty of offers (and indeed all rounder scholarship) but not LEH.
Where else did she sit?

I've just seen your earlier post, it's not like you went for St. Paul's, Guildford high etc... Don't despair, LEH def the hardest, most competitive, toughest exam of all her applications who probably offer the lowest number of offers per place as guaranteed junior schools and the first choice/stretch choice got most. Also they take a low proportion from state system (probably due to the general paper, no way could I have got dd ready for that one).

Oh dear think may have blown academic scholarship iv at our local Indy. Asked whether the cash would impact on our decision ( yes) and where else we applied, and did name 3 more academic schools. But also stressed we were new to system and had no idea where DS 'sat' academically and that we were a bit overwhelmed- all true! Hope admitting to applying to 'harder' schools won't count against us. Did not realise there were tactics. When/if Dd is applying I will be a proper player!

It can't do, your answer sounds fine to me.

I asked dd about questions re other schools and she said yes there were and promptly listed some (state) schools we hadn't even applied to

Sorry to bring up another yet school but did anyone's DC do Latymer Upper last week and what did they think of the exam? Do you know when we hear back from them (their info says late January).

And has anyone heard from KGS yet re 10+ interviews? DC unwell on the day so not holding out much (any!) hope but would be good to know that it's definitely a goner!