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

Like farewell I find it hard to believe there is a network of collusion and prep heads chatting about schools applied to. If so what about all us state school folk ? They often don't even have a report on us or any idea of other schools we are applying to. DS1 got offers from all including the dead cert and they said at the interview that clearly we had choices but hoped that we would choose them. DS2 got 10+ for a school we had turned down for his brother the year before and with no school report sent. I'm going to carry on believing it's a fair fight

Ten! heavens! How do parents have time to go to 10 open days, 10 exams, and possibly 10 interviews! That's a full time job!
Does that mean that there are not many more children just many many more apps per child? We know so many clever kids who have been disappointed with straight rejections by Surbiton this past weekend whereas at the start of the process many had thought it was their safe bet. Has it rocketed in popularity? It's seems a lovely school so deservedly so...

If those sitting 10 are girls, I suspect that some of the schools are in the same consortium, and the pressure to apply for all (safety net) if applying for one is rising.

In days gone by where most applied for 3 or at most 4 schools, then selection would have been a whole lot easier. If all children applied for schools which, for them, were an aspirational choice, a realistic choice and a fallback, the system works. The number of applicants for each school is significantly lower, and the schools can make a sensible number of offers without disappointing too many for whom the school was a good fit.

It seems to me now that some are just applying to too many schools with a scatter gun approach, regardless of whether the schools are right or not. And if lots of people do that, then everyone feels they have to do that, to have a chance. Utter madness.

Poison wood a life of car parks does not sound appealing - and what of the children like mine whose parents simply would not be able to pick them up post sport due to work or siblings' commitments? There must be others in similar circumstances? Do their DDs based in Richmond/Sheen/Chiswick just role in at 8 pm from the likes of Surbiton and LEH having taken 2 hours to get home??So many local kids head off on the buses LEH/Hampton/ Surbiton provide that it didn't occur to me that their parents are so obliging with pick ups?? Oh dear. I must do some serious school coach research!

emo, I am all for a massive discount if I pledge that DD2 promises never to go near a sport facility(-;

Our prep head recommended 3 or maybe 4 applications and actively discouraged any more, but I still heard of one child who sat for 8 schools. I believe she had offers from all of them, so what a waste of time and money the extra 4-5 applications were.

TEN? WTAF? That's £1000. Which is at least two handbags ;)

OMG my gob is totally smacked. TEN!!!!! Well I hope that LOADS have done ten and the waiting lists will move at the speed of light. Chocfinger, I do
remember the LEH head saying that there is only one bus, so you may well find yourself negotiating the A316 or Kingston one way in rush hour on a regular basis, unless you can team up with other mums in the same position.

I have really thought about the journey and perhaps it is my subconscious making my favourite schools also the ones that have the easiest journey. Hmmmm....

However it seems that I will not be in a position to choose so in this situation the journey suddenly doesn't seem so important. However if you have a choice and you have two favourites I would totally go with the easier journey as these things are the things that rankle over time and can totally make or break a school experience. I'm having enough trouble getting DD out of bed at 7am....

I am getting a real sense that there is much more competition this year - papers seem harder, there are more DCs going for places etc. Anyone else? I'm hearing local stories of an unprecedented number of no offers for local prep schools.

6-10 applications/sets of exams//interviews is madness!!! Who has that sort of money to throw away on application fees? Let alone who would want their DC to go through all of that??

Interesting debate about how offers are given - at all the KGS interviews/scholarship auditions DD has attended she has been asked what her first choice school is! Given that she has only applied to two, she has fortunately answered with the correct choice each time!! Glad there are no more to come.

But if the schools are asking about first choices, perhaps there is some merit in the idea that it affects offer decisions...

On a happier note, delighted for DDs friend who has been offered a Drama scholarship to SHS (this might 'out' me, but they give so many scholarships, it may not!)

I haven't heard of anything like 10 - know a couple of children doing 6 which seems too many for me. Logistically, I'm just not sure how people manage it - DH and I have had to take time off work for exams and interviews and, particularly given the exams were just after Christmas, that was quite tough. Common sense should act as a brake, and that is one of the manifestations. And the DC doing that must be shattered, just shattered. I've always thought it best not to divide out my DC's exam performance ability too much! My DC went to a low-pressure/sensible prep and I'm pretty sure the head would simply not support that many applications.

Ten is crazy - I thought five was too much. We were also advised to cherry pick three; a stretch school, a sound chance and a back up. A fourth could be thrown in if you just couldn't decide between them. But ten..... I think that's really mean on the kids.

This year does seem to be odd with all sorts of strange results popping up. That being said I still don't think a school wouldn't offer to a strong candidate - unless there's an interview stage and from that they decide the school isn't the best fit for the child (kid farts, picks nose or is cheeky). These schools use their exams results to market themselves so surely they must be looking to keep or improve them.

If it helps my DS was rejected by 4/5 schools and each of those exams he said had been 'fine', 'no problems' and 'a bit easy' so my experience has taught me not to take their word for it at all!

PS - he's very happy at his 1/5 now and so are we

Does anyone know what the interview at Latymer is like? I had heard they place a lot of weight on it (can't remember if I read that on here or if the school said it, although I'm sure that very academic schools are always going to place more weight on your maths paper, when it comes down to it).

It was quite rigorous 2 years ago. Asked to look at a picture or read a passage (can't remember which) and asked about it. Quite pertinent questions. There might have been some maths questions too. It's the only school I can think of (from DS's experience) where getting an interview did not mean you were in there. Quite a few "dead certs" were caught out/surprised iirc.

When my ds1 sat Latymer, the interview was fairly relaxed. He was given a choice of reading out a passage or doing a few mental maths questions. He chose the former, but I don't think he was then asked any questions on the passage. This was 4 years ago, under the old head but things may have changed. He was offered a place and I can't believe he came in the top 10% in the exam. In fact I knew about 5 boys altogether that year who didn't get a Hampton interview, were not top notch academically but got straight into Latymer. They used to say they were looking for a type, someone who would fit in well to the school.

To be honest any child coming within the top half of the entrance test with those sort of numbers is probably clever enough to excel at GCSE so I don't think they need to fear for the league tables by not just taking the top 11 plus achievers.

Latymer are the only school we applied to that ask for a copy of the year 5 school report on registration - I suspect they take a more rounded approach than some other schools.

Hi Sonorous. DC in Year 7 at LU. Last Jan they interviewed 450 out of 1200 who sat the exam. There are around 120 places available (but about 40 also join from the prep).

Last Jan they interviewed everyone on the same day, but all very organised as everyone had their time slot. DC was asked to read a passage and answer a few questions / define words in the text. There was also a maths /reasoning question involving some kind of a grid (?). Then there's the usual kind of questions -interests, why do you want to come here, etc.

They would not give a hoot about what you are wearing or where you are coming from -its not a "stuffy" school at all. Quite the opposite!

There are all "types" at LU, but I think if there is one thing they have in common is that they are generally all very verbal, articulate types -who enjoy debating /public speaking, that kind of thing. Drama, music and the arts are huge there, so that sport (though equally strong if you're into it) does not dominate the culture in the boys group.

There is so much going on at LU (over 120 clubs from ballroom dancing contests to designing a F1 car) that they really want children that will relish the opportunities and throw themselves into as much as possible. Being articulate, confident and a "self-starter" are more valued at LU than worrying about whether you hot 97 or 87% in the last maths test!

Good luck!

choc all I can say is that some pupils do stand at the bus stops at 6pm or later to get home. There are plenty of working parents at all the schools although there will be lift sharing etc. Sport / music is actually better for that since there are stable teams /groups whereas Drama will be a different cohort each time. I did know a very sporty girl from East sheen who went through LEH, her mother was a single working parent, no help at all from the self indulgent father At the end of the day it is a matter of weighing up all the factors and hopefully your DD will know where she will be happiest. But well worth really investigating how local pupils fare as far as getting to and from school. On the whole up until GCSE bus rides, on public transport or school bus are percieved as good fun, providing it is done in groups, but once the workload increases especially post 16 it becomes a major source of frustration as do the overexcited younger pupils

And in all seriousness unless you allow DCs to stay out all night binge drinking and not care whose house they end up in in the next few years whatever schools you go to you are probably going to be chauffeuring DCs about at weekends.

I always felt I was not going to impose the decision on my 11 year olds unless they were being completely irrational because the coming years are going to be hard enough without them having reason to say "This is your fault".......

Kids at our school are doing 6-8 - it seems the norm this year.

Personally I think its madness and way too much stress but then we've only done 2 so obviously I'm alone on my little island over this (and may be eating my words when the letters start arriving).

SHS is an interesting one - we didn't do it due to distance but lots did. Everyone treats it as their 'banker'. I don't know how the cohort at our school has done but there haven't been smiling mothers sharing good news. That means either a)everyone is being very quiet to protect others feelings or b) SHS isn't a shoe in any more...

Sonorous last year I was teaching year 6 and 10 from our school tried for Latymer. All top sets in English and Maths, all predicted 5As and 6s.

9 got offers (1 on WL first).

The one who did not get an offer was definitely the one with the least to say for himself. He was also the only one without interesting extra curricular (music / drama / art / chess) stuff to offer.

Wheresthebeach I think you might be right. It isn't a shoe in anymore and I think a lot of people have been quite shocked by the results.

Would be interested to know how SHS applicants actually did at your school.

There are lots of rumbles in my area.... and I imagine lots of furious parents!

Who'd be the head at a prep school right now?

So would I Dark - just can't figure out a subtle way to ask without appearing (and being) just plain nosey (and a tad insensitive)!

Dark / wheresthebeach, at the DD's (ex) school I know for sure that 2 have been offered places at SHS. The same 2 who have had interviews everywhere else. I have an excellent gossipy friend who has DC in both classes and is keeping me up to date. She said yesterday the silence from the other girls (she gave one a lift yesterday) who sat SHS speaks volumes Really feel for everyone at this time.

A lot of silence at DDs school too.

I don't go to the yr6 playground so thankfully escaping it all. According to DD amongst the kids there's a lot of "i am waiting to open all the letters together". Not a bad strategy, get all the news in one go. The parents MUST have opened them, surely?
Luckily almost all of DDs close friends either went for Tiffin or are staying state so oblivious to this.

I think it is hard. Dealing with DD's emotions and feelings of rejection will be so difficult esp with others (naturally) happy.

At the moment am wondering why we did it - just stick to several good state options. Madness.

I do think that it's particularly difficult when schools 'up the difficulty' or so it seems...so that 'bankers' suddenly aren't. It would be so much kinder if the schools would say in their literature 'this year the exams are being set at a higher standard' or some such thing. Of course the level may be the same...and it may be that a bunch of kids just didn't do well on the day.
Esp hard with SHS as I think it's an increased intake this year.

I also wonder if some of the problem is the kids (and parents) viewing SHS as the 'easy' option so maybe not gearing up enough for the exam on the day.

I just hope there's a lot of movement on the wait lists for people.

I don't think the schools can be blamed for children not getting their expected offers. It's obviously just down to sheer numbers applying. If the exams are harder they are harder for everyone and then that at least enables the schools to differentiate between applicant. But it is possible that parents have been too complacent about the competition and haven't prepared their children enough.
Even if you don't open the letters it's usually clear from the size and weight of them whether there's an offer or not...

For 13+ we aren't at the offer stage yet, just finding out about interviews - and the topic is generally avoided in the school playground so it's hard to gauge how others have done... DS doesn't even dare ask his best friends, so we're just keeping our fingers crossed that they're all ok!