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.....

I'd say high 5s for those schools too although DS wasn't 5s in year 5 and he got into the boys equivalents. I think they go by the test alone. I really don't think they have to consider NC levels, reports or extra curricular prowess these days due to the terrific demand for places.

So interestingly WHS has had a high number of acceptances and so are putting on another class for Sept 16, suggesting they haven't gone to wait list at all this year

but if they've had to go to a bulge class they might go to waitlist to fill it?

guess they'll be giving more wait list offers next year and fewer definites...

Someone from our school was on wait list and got the call for the bulge class. So sounds like very high acceptance level - but not enough to fully fill the bulge class . I know they thought they were offering conservatively so even with that they effectively over offered. Very popular choice of school this year - be interested to know why. Any thoughts?

Ah yes of course, well that's good news for the wait list then.

albertschoice - its GCSE results were v good last year, they have a new head who is making her mark, and GDST fees are more competitive (we are speaking very relatively here) than other London private schools - £1k+ less a term in many cases. All possible reasons I'd say.

Hi

Wonder if anyone has any info on WHS, we will be applying for daughter for entry into year 7 in 2017.

Firstly does everyone who gets offered a place get invited for interview, or is it just the undecided few who get called back and the higher scorers just get an automatic offer without interview?

Also does anyone know how much weight the heads letter would carry, not that my daughter should have a bad one but I wondered if it is at all considered in the overall outcome?

Thanks

Also if there was a bulge class added for 2016 does that mean the places will be fewer for 2017, I know they take an extra class every other year, due to be 2017?

My dc's old primary school has just published their 11+ results and they would seem to contradict the view that schools previously seen as fall-backs are now ultra-competitive

18 children got offers from Emanuel but only 3 accepted, there were 18 offers for SCHS and 10 acceptances, 10 offers for Sydenham High and 0 acceptances and 6 for WHS and 0 acceptances. Emanuel still have a very low acceptance rate even when children have been offered scholarships

(Also several offers for Alleyn's, JAGS, Whitgift, DC)

Obviously that's only one school's results but it's non-selective so that's from a mixed ability cohort. The results look very similar to those from recent years so I think there is a lot of unnecessary panic. Parents need to have faith that their children won't be wandering the streets with no school place even if they don't sit for 5 or 6 or even more schools...

Those results don't tell the whole story - assuming I am thinking of the same school - there are nearly 60 in the year and almost all sat Emanuel - 18 offers on that basis isn't great

The kids at the top of the school got offers from everywhere. Lots of others sat 3-7 schools and only got 1 offer

DS will not be appearing for 11+ but I bought Bond comprehension 10-11 and 11-12 along with focus on comprehension 9-11 and really liked those. I read somewhere good about "Close Reading 11-14 with Answers" and "So you really want to learn English Book 3 " and planning to buy those, Can somebody please give me feedback of these 2 books in comparison of bond books mentioned above. My aim is general improvement in English and not to miss on good material available in age group of 10-14.