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.....

Oh no Giraffe! I think with a week to go you should be ok but definitely worth letting the school know. I hope she feels better soon.

We've got first exam on Tuesday. DD is really struggling, trying to do some maths with her this morning and she seems to have forgotten lots of things we'd spent time learning. She's very tearful and panicky. Nightmare. Not sure how to best calm her down and up her confidence. It's freaking me out too!

Giraffe, she should be better soon- it does not usually last a week. Just easy rest
I am worried because we have all been quite ill except DD- waiting for her to come ill,
She has been sharing a room with her ill sister as family visiting
First exam is Tuesday...
We have stopped working (birthdays/ family visits)

Shirley, we are all about the confidence here as well. We had a good week last week, and she did some really good work and felt great about it (and so did I!!), but this morning has got off to a bad start, and she goes straight into a sort of victim mentality, as if somehow this is what she expected all along. Drives me mad tbh, as I haven't got much patience for the "poor me, I told you I was rubbish" thing, but is heart breaking all the same.

I am trying to get her to say a little mantra to herself if she feels panicky, and if there is a vicious little voice inside her telling her she can't do it, or she is no good, or whatever, she is to firmly tell it to get lost and then repeat her mantra to herself. Also, might be worth practising closing eyes and taking a deep breath or two, then open and start again. Must be worth the few seconds of time it takes to re-centre….

Good luck to everyone, we are nearly there!

Mine more unwell than yesterday. And I'm trying desperately not to panic out loud! Oh goodness.

Hi all wad just wondering if anyone knows how many applicants are sitting the 5th Jan exam for spgs and how many will be actually selected post interview

Thankfully we've managed to avoid illness over the hols, but many later nights than we should have done. Tried to get her off early last night, but she was still tossing and turning at 11. All the anxieties coming out, 'they'll all be cleverer than me'. Feel rotten for putting her through it, but the end really is in sight isn't it. This time tomorrow one paper will be complete! Hopefully she'll gain some confidence from it and use that in the next papers.

Best of luck to all!

Hi all is anyone going to the spgs test tommorow. Just wondering how it is scheduled in the day and how many girls are invited to the test after clearing the computer test

Mummyintiazz iam sure all the girls are having nerves.hopefully it should be a fun experience. Wish us all luck

Had Ibstock interview and computer test today. Good to finally get it underway...good luck everyone. It's all be over soon thank goodness!

You really can't do much about it now, other than cross your fingers and hope for the best. All parents of candidates are a bit on edge right now (and need to be forgiven all monomania).

In the past, the average numbers were like this and probably not much different this year:

Around 550 sat the computer exam; 450 (82%) then sat the written papers; and they interview about 200 (44%) for the 110 places (55%).

Thanks tennis mom our daughter is bright but very interested in sports. Does swimming and football .plays on school netball team.we did not tutor but got loads of bond books and worked through them in summer. So we're pleased that she got through the pretest. Butjust concerned if it will suit her personalitysince it is so highly academic

having been through this last year and gearing up for Jan 2017 for DD2, at this stage (if exams this week or next) i would really recommend to stop working/practice papers. just rest, eat well, read. it will come together on the day.
if you really have to, do some bond 10 min tests, keep the confidence up.

Yes sounds right was happy to drop off in the morning at spgs .though there was chatter that 1000 girls sat the computer test and they have invited 500 back for written? Still don't know what are the figures

@argyle1234 - I dropped my DD at the SPGS exam this am and was impressed at how organised and relaxed it all seemed. I was expecting chaos at the school gates but they handled it well which definitely made my DD feel confident. Let's see what "pick up" is like and hope the girls fare well.

True looks like they did a very good job organising the morning session.but am wondering what the girls will be doing all day long

How did it go mum ofthree my daughter said the English was ok but math was tricky.but at least 1 paper done we are now feeling a bit relaxed. Spgs seemed to have 400 girls for today test how many for the
Interview I'm not sure??

argyle1234: Last year, SPGS interviewed around 185-190. How did your DD find the comprehension test?

Giraffe- how is your DD? Mine had her first exam today but is now feverish and unwell. Hoping she will be better by Friday

Really hope everyone's dds who sat SPGS today were ok with it…. so good to have finally started! Fingers crossed for all the poorly girls….

It is academic but a lot of girls do sports there and some to a very high, "professional" level. One daughter's friend is a national swimmer aiming for the Olympics. My daughter plays 3 sports at SPGS, 2 in the "A" teams. Her year is deemed to be the most sporty year.

Hence, don't worry she will find lots of sporty friends there.

Hi random parent she found the comprehension easier than math.felt she found some math questions tricky. How did your DD feel about the test??

argyle1234: My DD sat the exam last year - she was exhausted afterward but enjoyed the experience. I asked about the comprehension paper because some think that a DD's reaction to it gives an indication whether she will like the school.

@Giraffe - hope your little one is feeling better and please do not worry. I'm sure she will, with rest, recover fairly quickly. I have been pumping my kids with Sambucol which can be bought over the counter and is simply a multi-vit syrup. Not sure if it works but it claims to strengthen their immune system.

@argyle1234 - my DD said Comprehension and General Papers were easy but she found one of the sections in the Maths paper rather tricky. She also said the school worked hard at keeping the atmosphere pretty relaxed despite the poor young girl throwing up in the queue to get in first thing in the morning. She says another girl felt sick over lunch but the teachers there were very kind and helpful to her.

Good luck to all those sitting the LEH exams this am - I thought all the girls (and parents) dropping off this am were in such good spirits so thank you to all of you who were there - you definitely made the morning so much more relaxed than I was expecting.

How did LEH go for those who sat it this morning. My daughter thought Eng, maths and science questions to be ok but didn't come close to finishing the VR/NVR.