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11+ Sept 2017 London Independent Girls School applications - all welcome!

302 replies

Pradaqueen · 05/10/2016 16:41

Hello All!

Inspired by another recent thread and last year's SW London Girls thread, I thought I would create a thread for those of us applying to London Day Schools. I have put independent as I think 11+ has passed for most of us. Anyone care to join?

I have a DD (10) who wants to sit CLGS and SPGS. Ideally she would like to be a music scholar so looking at schools with a strong music department that is a commutable distance.

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Thisdoesnotgeteasier · 28/01/2017 09:29

FWIW, DD is middle of the pack academically at a state school but has strong extra circular achievements. We didn't tutor (mistake with hindsight) but has worked on papers at home in the month or two leading up to exams.

nocampinghere · 28/01/2017 11:37

Surbiton offer for dd. Smile
Hope your dd is positive about waitlist thisdoesnotgeteasier. It does move at surbiton ime, and early. Take a look at the SWLondon schools thread from 2 years ago.

Pradaqueen · 28/01/2017 11:37

Waitlist is good news I reckon thisdoesnotgeteasier! From the parents I spoke to at SPGS and CLSG they seemed to be doing 6/7 schools including LEH, Surbiton etc. You never know, your child might well be near to the top after March 6th when first choice offers plus money for the first term has to be paid...

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Thisdoesnotgeteasier · 28/01/2017 13:13

Yes. DD is very happy with the waitlist. The personalised letter was a nice touch and made her feel good about herself.

We are still leaning towards our local state as it stands but if she gets an offer off the list will consider it seriously.

As pointed out the Surbiton waitlist probably moves a lot in March when some people chose other schools.

cdstandingnow · 30/01/2017 19:50

I'm a relatively late comer to this thread! Just wanted to reach out to anyone in the same boat. Interviewed at spgs, clsg, latymer upper and putney high. Waiting impatiently for 10th Feb when offer letters (or emails in the case of clsg) come through. I believe putney send results a bit earlier? Does anyone know when?

Spgs applicants - what did your daughter's think of the interview? After a very challenging exam day sitting 3 papers and kept at the school from 8.30am to 3.15pm we geared up for a challenging interview and was rather surprised how straightforward it was! Now a bit paranoid and wondering if they didn't bother asking any challenging questions because she's not a front runner?

The clsg interview was more demanding - maths problem, oral comprehension etc. Was it the same for you?

Latymer Upper also a pretty tame interview.

Hard to call any of it.

Pradaqueen · 30/01/2017 20:55

Cdstandingnow - hi!

I'm with you, hard to call any of it. We did CLSG and SPGS and I think both went well in terms of interview, but who knows?

Good luck you your DD.

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highclere · 31/01/2017 10:05

Hi @cdstandingnow, very similar feedback re SPGS here - DD came out very bright and happy so it had gone well in that sense but very difficult to call as it was so brief. It just feels like forever to wait! I don't think you can draw any conclusions, we've just got to sit it out!

Needmoresleep · 31/01/2017 11:06

Thisdoesnotgeteasier, if you decide that you really want Surbiton, you should tell them you would accept the place if offered.

Girls on the wait list will all be good enough, they really would not put girls on a wait list if they thought they would not thrive, and there wont be much between them. If SHS then have a place to offer they would prefer to offer it to someone who will take it, rather than offer it three or four times, wait two weeks each time, until it is finally accepted.

Tell them early and then once you know what else you have been offered, give them the deadlines by which you have to put down a deposit for another school.

There is no reason to repeat anything they already know about your child, but if there is something new, like her best friend/neighbour is going which means she will settle more quickly and have someone to share a bus journey with, there will be no harm in evidencing your keenness.

If you want to continue being considered, I would follow up every couple of weeks with a short email, confirming you are still interested and asking if there has been any movement. The big movements will happen on National offer day which is usually just before deposits are needed, and then just before the start of the summer term when you become liable for a terms fees. But circumstances change and places can come up all the way through to the first day of term. (If really late I would ask if they can help you a bit financially, as they will have the deposit/fees from the drop out.) Especially SHS, as a change in circumstance for someone with a place at SPGS can trickle down through PHS and more, to SHS.

And similarly anyone who is not going to accept an offer should phone the school as soon as they can. It makes management of the wait list easier for the Registrar. They may then ask you to put it in writing, but our experience was the phone call was enough.

DD played sport with girls from SHS. Nice girls. It seemed like a nice school.

Pradaqueen · 31/01/2017 11:52

@needmoresleep what a lovely and helpful post. Good luck to your DD if you are also waiting on your offers coming in

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Thisdoesnotgeteasier · 31/01/2017 14:00

Thanks needmoresleep

Will definitely follow up with the school and keep reiterating our interest. Several of her best friends got offers so it is now moving right up her list of where she wants to go. It going to make a decision based on where her friends are going but it probably helps.

cdstandingnow · 31/01/2017 15:11

Highclere and Pradaqueen, I know! It's going to be a long 10 days. With SPGS one wonders if they've actually already decided which girls they want from the IQ test and written exams and the interview is just to check the personality types of the girls fit?

I am more hopeful about clsg but with such a small intake - and the whole of London applying because of the central location I am not complacent at all.

Does anyone know how many girls spgs are interviewed? I heard 200 girls called back for 100 places. Presumably they will over-offer a few - 5 or 10? Plus same number waitlisted so there could be over 110 offers/waitlisted places.

RoccoW14 · 31/01/2017 16:55

Having just gone through the 4+ process and although it won't be for many years yet, I have a question about how 11+ offers, payments of deposits and waiting lists work.

For the 4+ we had to pay a deposit for a non-selective prep school and then we were offered a place at a selective school, so we've had to forego that first deposit.

What happens with the 11+ if your daughter is offered a place at a 2nd / 3rd choice school and wait-listed at 1st choice? Do you have to stump up the cash for a place at a 2nd choice school and then lose that money if you're offered a place later at your 1st choice?

amidawish · 31/01/2017 16:58

depends on the timings RoccoW14
you get about a month between offers and state allocations and then choices need to be made - deposit paid (approx £1k). You lose this if you change your mind/get a better offer.
Once the summer term has started, after Easter holidays, if you change schools after that point you owe the Autumn term's fees. From then on you'll always be liable for a term's fees.

Pradaqueen · 31/01/2017 17:03

Amidawish - at 11+ the average deposit is between £3-4K - more for boarding schools.unless you are rockerfella, you write just the one cheque 😉

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highclere · 31/01/2017 17:24

@cdstandingnow I read that last year SPGS interviewed 180 for 110 offers and 20 wait list. Not sure about this year. You are right; they do have a lot of information about the girls already (I read that the head's report is very important somewhere too). Good luck with CLSG as well - remember there are big swathes of NW/W/SW London that have other great schools closer by so may not have that school on their list. Us included.

I also agree with the advice above about being very proactive with your first choice school if waitlisted - I've seen it work for others!

amidawish · 31/01/2017 17:45

not for the SWLondon independents. £1000, £1500 max.

term's fees not liable until Summer term.

Pradaqueen · 31/01/2017 20:04

Amidawish - sorry that was meant for Rocco not you. Where I am and the central London I does it is much higher than £1k

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Pradaqueen · 31/01/2017 20:04

*indies not I does 🙄

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efrieze78 · 31/01/2017 21:09

Nlcs deposit is half a term's fees - £3,200

SWBelle · 31/01/2017 22:26

Has anyone heard about Putney High offers. I hear they may have be arriving tomorrow?

highclere · 01/02/2017 08:37

That's exciting @SWBelle - good luck to all those waiting on PHS!

MaeMobley · 01/02/2017 18:32

No letter from PHS for us today.

TRL · 01/02/2017 18:53

Nor us. Like LEH, they said 'Early Feb' which I took to mean sometime in the first 10 days, hopefully sooner.... They're normally one of the first, aren't they, so it shouldn't take too much longer.

I'm more and more nervous as the days pass.

MaeMobley · 01/02/2017 18:55

TRL I was checking this thread from work to see if anybody had posted any updates.
I want to get to the post before DD does.

TRL · 01/02/2017 18:58

Ah, so you're not stalking the postie like me then, eh?! Wink

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