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.....

Hi Tumfy, not in my experience either (based on what I hear from friends with DC at other indies) - some don't allow phone use at all during the school day and if you're caught, the phone is confiscated until hometime. I do think prompt communication with staff applies across all indies.
redlemons, my DD is Y7 at LU as well! I wonder if she knows your DS?

I have 2 further up the school and tbh I am never quite sure if the "hands off approach" is a policy of encouraging independence or just laziness on the part of the school. For instance, no communication from school when Year 7 pupils expected to stay until after 9pm for rehearsals on three consecutive nights? They rely on the fact that dc have phones - but what if they've gone flat? Wouldn't take much for a courtesy "clarion call" if coaches are going to be hours late back from hockey matches either. The hours I've been parked outside the school with whining younger kids in the back of the car, because dads phone is flat.
On the plus side, the curriculum is fantastic and the homework relevant and creative, rather than the "homework for the sake of homework" I have see in other schools.

Dds phone!

maybe they use twitter or some other means for communication like that?

At LU the students are supposed to check their school email at least once a day. And yes, they won't necessarily tell you where your child is. If there is a rehearsal till 9 pm the children have been told and they are supposed to let you know. If it's running late and their phone is flat, they can borrow their friend's phone like DS has done a couple of times. I have a strict rule of letting me know if he stays overtime at the library etc and to text me when he leaves for home.
It's secondary school! You get used to it!

Sure I agree and we are used to it! Luckily for us, the pros outweigh the cons. Just saying that this kind of thing can be quite different at other secondaries - even large ones like LU. For instance, I visited a school recently who have a very clear and active policy that ANY instances of online bullying/ inappropriate texting - even those occurring outside school hours- will be treated as an in-school issue and dealt with accordingly. I thought this was quite refreshing, given the prominence of phones etc in DCs lives. It's so easy for most schools to just shrug it off as outside their remit as it took place off school premises, when of course, a negative online culture is insidious and filters into the classroom.

Latymer interview for DD - any advice from those who've been through it and survived? I hear it's "different"...

Thanks in advance

Great Shirley. See above my post. Ease the pressure to zero. Imo the worst is a child gripped with fear to say the wrong thing. A child that is enjoying the chat is a child who will be a pleasure to teach. Format changes from year to year I believe. Combination of casual talk and thinking questions. Good luck.

Hi Shirleycantbe. Congrats to your DD. Did you get a letter today?

I don't know about Latymer but my dd has had a few interviews now and they all seemed very low key.

Yes letter came in the post this morning.

Thanks for the advice, the numbers are still pretty bonkers but it's nice to have got this far.

I'm at work and dreading getting home to a 'no' letter!

Congrats Shirley and good luck Crazy!

I think the most important thing in the interview is for your DC to clearly state that LU is their first choice school (even if it's not) and some good reasons why. Schools don't like to be turned down any more than we do and in borderline cases particularly, are more likely to offer to people that they think will accept. LU are looking for outgoing, verbal and confident children - most of them seem to fit that bill!

We also got a letter asking for an interview at LU. The process is so insane that even though my DD is getting interviews I am still worried because the schools invite so many kids to interview and honestly they all seem as bright articulate and confident as she is. Think it may be some random thing that ends up tipping a candidate to the yea or nay pile... Ergo, my continued stress about this horrendous process. Mid Feb cannot come any sooner to end this torture. Thanks to all though who have contributed. Knowing that I can share my frustration and hear others' tales has been good. In RL, everyone assumes my DD will get in everywhere which to me feels so stressful - the heavy weight of expectation. Or mums mutter "they all get in somewhere" but unfortunately, like all of us, the last school that got pipped into the exam pile is not the one she or her parents want!!

I feel exactly the same Notatigermum. The whole process is just too stressful.

Not a tiger, very well said. Too many girls. And the interviews are so quick. Hundreds of girls interviewed for so few spots. There are bound to be ones who fall through the cracks.

Good to know that all the students in LU are "verbal" (where did they learn that??), "confident", "outgoing" (one type - imagine!) I wonder how the timid, shy, charming Y7 girl that gave us a tour sneaked in? And where do the non-"verbal" kids go l wonder?

houseofmuppets tbh I'm not sure that LU are specifically looking for outgoing, verbal and confident children. Like hopeless points out, there are other types in the school. It doesn't fit one type. It is true however that once in the school, the shy and timid will be encouraged to participate - but then, they would do that in any good school.
I once heard they're looking for a "latymerian". No idea what that is, it's a mistery to me, an intangible thing, almost instinctive when they're having a conversation with the child?
Do not forget there has been an exam which counts to a lot, there is already an "order" according to exam results and most of the top achievers who show a desire to attend the school should get a place (guessing here!). Unless the interview shows the child was spoonfed the 11+, doesn't have a clue of what's going on in their life, and can't process any information without a tutor (Hyperbole here!).

David Yates, the director of the final four “Potter” movies on Alan Rickman...."When I finally met him away from the job, he was a lovely guy... I think Alan is also shy — painfully shy, in fact — and he believes his craft should have an element of mystery to it. He sees no value in talking about it too much or dissecting it too much.”

Sorry, "Do not forget" was not meant for you, house, but for everyone having interviews!

Hopeless
Was only trying to help and give a generalised view based on my personal experience (no more)! and what we were advised at the time. When both my dc went through this, far more academic and talented, yet "quieter" children (their friends from primary) were not offered places following interviews. As I say, that's just my experience, but it is what it is. Of course the children vary - there are thousands of them! That's me done on here then.

Oh no, house, don't you go. Many people on this thread are needing guidance and yours is as good and anyone's.

Houseofmuppets especially but to everyone - please let's keep this an open dialogue. I think in RL we shy away from expressing ourselves too openly for fear of misinterpretation but we all should feel safe here. I agree with posters that certain schools do seem to have a certain type more than others. I would say the schools that interview all the candidates regardless of their exam marks imho seem to have more diversity (Emanurl. JAGS) while those that cherry pick after interviews seem to have a narrower spectrum. Eg has anyone met a shy timid Pailina? If you have I'd like to meet her!!! I would agree that being bolshy and loud is no sign of certain intelligence but that these schools all seem to have a mysterious formula for coming up with what they they seem to believe is the ideal year group for their school. For the most part it does seem that they use a weird calculus to figure out how the exam/interview comes out with right result (for them, not necessarily for us our our DCS!!)

Just so I'm prepared is the invite to interview a thin envelope or fat?!

I think it's probably impossible to apply some sort of formula to success in interviews. Assuming the schools have a number of teachers interviewing, a child who appeals to one teacher might not appeal to another. However it's probably human nature to be more drawn to a chatty child than a quiet one. At the same time over confidence can be unappealing too! I think all you can do is prep as much as you can on the likely questions and encourage your DC to be as confident as they can be and then cross your fingers. That's my strategy anyway. We'll see how that works out...,