11+ interviews: Girls

[ralag0]

HI All
My daughter has 11+ interviews in early Jan at North London consortium schools: channing, godolphin, south hampstead high. Are there any tips as I am completely new to this system.

Many THanks

Don't try to prepare your DD too much, and certainly not at all in coaching what to say.

The most useful things are:

• making sure she can speak confidently to a range of adults (practice during Christmas visits? Mock interview at school, if school doesn't offer them they to borrow vicar, Brown Owl, or just one if your friends who is used to talking to DC that age)

• encouraging her to talk a lot about all sorts of stuff somthat being articulate is second nature. Discuss anything and everything.

• do not script her, but do ask 'if they ask you what's your favourite hobby, which would you pick?' just to reduce the possibility of an unnerving 'rabbit in the headlights' moment

Thank you, AuntieStella.
I do not want her to recite rehearsed answers, but need her to think of hobbies, favourite books etc..

Her school doesn't prepare her so I do need to ask friends to do a couple of mock interviews.

Just spotted this thread. As AuntieStella says, just be sure she can remember what books she has read recently, what she has enjoyed and why, what she might recommend to a slightly younger reader, what character(s) she identifies with and why.... etc.

Also, DD went through all this 2 years ago. She was often asked to comment on a picture (painting or photograph) in terms of what it told her, possible stories behind the picture etc. Also, what would she do if she were made head mistress of her current school for a day.

Good luck for you and your dd!

Thank you so much, Orangina. Great idea on how to change the book for younger readers.

If there is one piece of advice I would give it would be to be enthusiastic about the given school you are being interviewed for. Schools will offer the places to those for whom they believe it's a "first choice" - no school likes to be turned down in favour of another and have to go down their waiting lists. So find some aspect of the school that appeals to your daughter and encourage her to talk about this. Even state , "If I am offered a place at this school I will definitely take it because....." Schools want to be chosen as much as their applicants! One question that will come up is "Why do you want to come here", so don't just give a bland, generic answer.

Apart from that, it's the obvious things - being able to talk about a hobby, favourite subjects, books, current affairs, etc. Apart from that, just be ready to think on your toes and "have a go" because there are often no correct answers anyway.