Is it too early to start a 2016 girls 11+ W/SW London thread?

[orangina]

What do we think? DD is sitting 11+ for various consortium schools in January 2016 and I am slightly desperate for a thread to compare notes, pat each others shoulders etc..... I lurked on last years thread, but it didn't start until much later....

Just booking up open day places and filling in my registration forms now.....

Yes thanks all very very hard weekend because children do become emotionally involved and cannot see any logic .thanks for the words of encouragement will try absolutely hard to raise her spirits

So sorry to hear that Jaded. Strange business this 11 plus, that's for sure. At the end of the day, it's only one school in Kingston - 10 miles down the road, nobody's even heard of it ! Tbh even when your DC get into these schools (I don't have any at KGS btw) you are left wondering what all the fuss was about!
Hope you get better news soon.

Thanks Minoula

You are right. As I mentioned it wasn't our first choice at all. You know how it is though, you just feel all indignant and outraged on your DC'a behalf

Don't despair I'm sure she's done well in other exams we heard of a boy who got academic scholarship at Hampton and didn't even get an interview at KGS last year He thought he'd done well in both so sometimes it's just a weird blip. Try and reassure them that it will all be ok in the end

I'm a lurker trying not to terrify myself that I'll be doing all this in 2 years time but with regards to KGS, I was talking to a lady recently and a couple I years ago her son had offers from Hampton, Latymer, Tiffin etc and didn't even get an interview at KGS so it definitely does throw up some strange results..

Thanks Lottie and SW15. I must sound like a deranged pushy mum - I'm not. This is my first experience of 11+ and having been very relaxed and 'what will be will be' about the whole things whilst people around me seemed to be tying themselves in knots, I am surprising myself with the level of feeling I am having over this one knock back.

Yes slightly jaded ask me after our clsg rejecton we are tottally gutted DD is taking it very hard just taking her to a movie in the evening to cheer her up

Hi, another lurker on this thread. Sympathies to everyone waiting for results. We are awaiting Surbiton High and Wimbledon High. Fortunate enough to have got to the interviews round for KGS. I really couldn't have called that one. DD felt Surbiton had gone better. Anyone know how many applicants per place for Surbiton? I'm also really torn between co-ed and single sex. I have two girls and worried about them not mixing with boys from the age of 11. Any advice?

See above in thread for Surbiton - 500 sat, 110 places open & 40 reserved for juniors.

Ah, thank you AbsoluteBeginners

Last year a friend's DD was offered a place at LEH but was rejected by KGS and WHS. Just telling you this to point out that some very arbitrary results occur.

there were plenty of rejections last year by KGS for boys/girls who got schools you would naturally place above KGS.
don't lose heart. read last year's thread and you'll see it all does tend to work out.

Ashers Surbiton exam does tend to be easier but then of course you probably get penalised for silly mistakes as the overall marks are higher. Sometimes i think the harder exams are fairer. Last year the surbiton offers came out next saturday, very early.

Sorry for all those who did not get interviews they were hoping for.The one thing i would add is I am doing this for the 3rd time, in both earlier times my DD and DS did not get their first choice school, but they both ended up in schools that are academically very good and suit them and both children are thriving.
So i think there are plenty of schools to suit our children and whatever happens, such is the competition that it should not take anything away from your wonderful child to fail to get an interview- it will really work out in the end for them,
I also suspect that this is a bit of a con, we have children that are industrious, we encourage them to apply themselves in the exams, this is exactly the right environment where the child will do well wherever they are (within reason).

The sooner the better, unless it's bad news. Then I can wait

True I agree let's see what happens in the nhehs interview

All exams finished for us, thankfully, though I know Ibstock still to be sat last this week - good luck to any going for that one. For us now the wait for results.

It got me thinking about the current school head's reference. They are adamant that they are references/reports are confidential, but with the 'data' being used is about our DD, surely under some data protection act we should be able to see it.

Have any of you seen the report written by your head?

Sorry me again (all this free time now the exam ferrying has finished!).

DD did JAGS last week, but wasn't interviewed before Christmas, so will only get an interview now if she has passed/got close. I think they said on one of the many bits of paper from them, that if we don't get the interview invite by end Jan, its a no. Have I got that right?

Does anyone know when we should expect to hear from PHS? I SHOULD know, but I'll be damned if I can find it written on anything they've ever sent us.

PHS said they'd post on Tues 2nd, so hopefully 3rd Feb. (WHS posting on 01 Feb.)

www.putneyhigh.gdst.net/451/admissions

its in key dates further down the page

Thanks mummyinatizz. Poor DD. Her mother is useless!

I haven't seen any reports by Heads and wicked part of me would like to walz in and ask to see one under Freedom of info But on balance think it has to be better in the children's interests for heads to be able to give an open view. Otherwise they would end up like work references and would become very bland and little more of confirmation of dates attended a given school.

Does the school reports count for that much? And what about
the interviews? Are they really a deciding factor. I don't understand
why so many are interviewed for so few spots. I am completely over
thinking everything.

Almostdone I am not entirely sure.

DD is sitting Ibstock Place on Saturday and I know they have requested a reference from her current Head but I can't imagine it will count for much. It will be glowing - but presumably most are?

But I don't understand interviewing before the exam unless it really counts for something. KGS, for example, offer interiviews post exam although I suspect that these are more to weed out any real potential 'problem' pupils than to assess for genuine personality. This makes sense to me. So to take the time to interview everyone that applies before they've sat an entrance exam must surely suggest that this genuinely counts for something? I'd like to think it does but am not convinced.

I'm not sure you get the true measure of a 10/11 year old child in an interview either. My bright, sparky and funny DD may well come across as very shy and quiet in interview. I've even had to coach her to look the teacher in the eye when speaking to them in an interview, as I noticed on a school visit she was looking at her feet when a teacher spoke to her. Not something she has a problem with at school where she feels comfortable. But you'd hope they do their best to put them at ease. I suspect the school report counts for something when they have candidates on equal footing and there is nothing else to distinguish them, which must happen fairly often. A terrible school report may equally ruin their chances from the start. Seems to me to be an awful waste of time to interview before the exams.