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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

January Entrance Exams

164 replies

MalbecMummy · 31/12/2017 07:48

I can’t even begin to think of NYE as it just means it’s January tomorrow which mean entrance exam hell! Anyone else stressed?! Good luck everyone!

OP posts:
Puddinglane12 · 19/01/2018 11:47

@Love2dance wishing you and your DS the very best, hope you get only good news now. Hard not to keep refreshing the emails

We still have 3 weeks before we get our last 2 results. Expecting one in the next week or 2.

Hope everyone else is doing okay, hanging on in there...

orangina · 19/01/2018 14:36

DS will have sat for 6 schools by the time this whole sorry process is over... 2 schools interview everyone, he has had 2 "no thank you' letters re: interviews.... and one confirmation for interview at a school that I didn't even think we should register him for as it always seems to tricky to get into. Waiting for the final yes/no for interview, and then we are waiting until February.... and also March for the state school offers. I think DS is coping perfectly well with the exams (though he is wildly inconsistent and so not a great performer), but is really struggling with the Not Knowing, and is quite stressed at times.

Good luck everyone at getting through this process! It certainly is no fun at all, although I think I have been a little bit calmer and more fatalistic than I was with DD 2 years ago.....

(Om shanti)

Lotsofsighing · 21/01/2018 16:27

We were on the point of rejoicing that the exams were shortly over (sat three for four schools, two are in consortium) when we got an unexpected invitation to sit a scholarship exam. It's a school we don't know if we're keen on or not so we feel a bit ambivalent.

On the other hand, am thrilled that she clearly can do well in exams. Her tutor was very pessimistic about this possibility since the hour a week was so tortuous that the tutor was on close to sacking her as tutee. And apparently they only call about 40 of the 650 sitting the exam - that sounds amazing but it's not an academic powerhouse and I suspect that the super smart don't apply there.

Also short of flicking a V at the head in the scholarship interview, it means she's going to be offered at least one place. Not sure we'd take it but then you never know how you're going to feel until you actually know what you're comparing state and various privates.

Sorry for anyone who's had bad news. It does all work out...

Love2dance · 23/01/2018 11:54

Thank you Puddinglane12, Orangina and Lotsofsighing. We've had a call back for DS to go along with other candidates and attend a couple of lessons at one school so all is not lost. So glad the exam bit is over.
I understand that the North London Girls' School Consortium is no longer going to set the standard 11+ exams, but will have something different which they cannot tutor/cram/practise for. Sounds like a good idea but knowing what I now know about the arms race that is involved in selective entry to secondary schools, I suspect parents and children will still end up stressing and tutoring for it anyway.
We're also applying to state schools but DS will almost certainly end up on the waiting list for the first choice as it's oversubscribed.

Lotsofsighing · 24/01/2018 13:48

I've no idea whether the North London Consortium will be able to have a non-tutorable test. I've got a child who'll be in the first lot taking it so I suspect that it might be a bit more non-tutorable for that lot. I guess it will be lots of verbal reasoning and expectations that 10-year-old knows the different meanings of the word sage or score (neither of which I think the vast majority would know without some sort of drilling).

Orangina we spoke on the other thread about UCS. Was this the school you thought would be tricky to get into? There is a lottery element I think to all of them. There are kids who get into all that they apply to and kids who get into none, but the majority fall into the middle category. It's why this mantra of applying for an 'aspirational-realistic-banker' falls down - in reality it's not a clear-cut hierarchy.

diva100 · 24/01/2018 13:55

Lotsofsighing- is your scholarship exam on the 30th of Jan? I think we might be sitting at the same school

WarmAndco3y · 25/01/2018 10:02

Hi there, been mostly lurking and following a few of these threads. I notice it’s particularly quiet on girls’ school.

My DD sat 4 independent schools and she has an offer already, but not our first choice.

She has had an interview with another school.

Has anyone on here’s DD sat the JAGS exam? They sent out an email about scholarship interviews which will be next week, saying if we have not heard by the end of this week then we should assume no call back for scholarship interviews. My question is, has anyone actually received an invitation to interviews? Of all the girls that sat the exam in DD school no one has heard back, and there are some really bright girls who passed super selective grammars that haven’t hear also. So I’m just wondering if anyone has heard.

Thanks. Good luck to all those who are still having interviews.

Lotsofsighing · 25/01/2018 12:17

diva100 no, not the same scholarship one - ours has been and gone, they only gave us a weekend's notice and it was a bit stressful rearranging work etc. Husband dropped off, I picked up three and a half hours later and apparently we were the only parents not to stay hand-holding for the duration!

Don't know about Jags, we're North London.

walkingtheplank · 25/01/2018 16:51

A mum at DD's school said they received a JAGS scholarship interview last week.

walkingtheplank · 25/01/2018 17:04

Oops, I meant she received the invitation last week.

diva100 · 25/01/2018 19:28

Hi Lots... we have about 5 days notice thankfully but likewise, cannot hang around for three hours. Good luck to your DD, I hope it isn't too stressful an experience.

Sorry no idea re JAGS but other schools currently have interviews.Best of luck.

Wandastartup · 27/01/2018 16:06

Final exam here today and also the offer (with an academic scholarship) from our other option. Delighted for DD. Good luck to those waiting. Feeling pleased that bright children can do well in state primaries!

Lotsofsighing · 31/01/2018 13:35

Just bumping this up as I'm feeling antsy due to wait until results (one week for most, two weeks for one).

Well done Wanda - I love to hear of state school kids doing well. And by and large they seem to have a pretty good hit rate. The ones I know who haven't got in have either a) not done enough prep because their parents are pretty phlegmatic about going state secondary or b) been the sort of children who probably wouldn't have got into selective schools from either primary or prep and had they been at the latter would probably have been steered towards some far flung boarding school.

helloSW15 · 31/01/2018 13:41

Have been lurking a lot on here and also feeling angsty..

Also state school DC here- got a yes from one school and the others all next week. Happy with the one we've got and DC has decided they're going there (!) but furthest away so we shall see. Also the possibility of a good state option which DH is keen on...

Wandastartup · 31/01/2018 14:54

I think we are lucky living in the South West rather than London where I think the competition is fierce. We have been told by our local options that most people here just apply to 1 school. That said I think the London effect is spreading & most I spoke to have applied to 2. The schools also state that they have had more applications than ever before which would fit. Roll on 12th Feb for our favourite!!

Thak · 31/01/2018 18:13

I am counting the days to these results and its so painful! All the while trying to come off totally casual about it to my 13 year old! We are moving back to the UK this summer and were there during the Jan exams, he just completed the last one yesterday which he had to do remotely at his current school in Canada. There is so much relying on where he goes to school that I just want to know so I can get on with planning my relocation!! Glad is over but hate this limbo period!!

Good luck everyone!

WarmAndco3y · 31/01/2018 19:19

Good luck everyone. We’re feeling it too. Trying so hard to keep myself busy over the next week and a half. We have had one yes with a small sports scholarship offer, but not the want we really want. Expecting another early next week. And the last 2 when the the following weekend.
Trying hard not to stress and where I’ve been pretty cool, I’ve now started asking DD about what she thought of the exams. Shock

Puddinglane12 · 01/02/2018 12:22

warm and wanda, congratulations to your DDs, and to you both, too. It must be a relief knowing you have some options with offers already. You must be proud and good feeling for your DC.

My DD seems to be oblivious to the wait, while I keep myself busy, trying not to over analyse.

Best wishes to everyone, hopefully we can all post our good news.

MissWimpyDimple · 02/02/2018 22:30

Our letter came today. Offer of a place and a 95 % bursary.

Has made all the stress worthwhile.

We are over the moon

WarmAndco3y · 02/02/2018 22:50

Wow misswimpydimple, well done. Congratulations to your DD. You must be over the moon

Thak · 02/02/2018 23:16

Wow!! That’s awesome! Well done to your DD.

We still have one week till one result and two weeks till all the rest!!

MissWimpyDimple · 03/02/2018 03:55

Thanks! It's been such a long journey to get here but now feels like it's all been worth it. Good luck to all still waiting!!

diva100 · 03/02/2018 09:03

Congrats Dimple! Still waiting for LEH, anyone heard any news?

Vicky11Plus · 03/02/2018 17:23

Yes found out this morning that DD had a place. I hope it was good news for you too diva100

PetraDelphiki · 03/02/2018 17:28

LEH offers were today ...

Can I just say huge congrats to all of you parents for staying sane through this! I have no idea how you all do it!! Kudos to you all and congrats to all the dc