As the Tiffin deadline looms, is there a girls SW London grammars / indies thread yet?

[FlumePlume]

I just realised that I need to get the Tiffin Girls form in ASAP, and wondered if anyone else is in the same position? I could do with company in this process!

We’re not yet decided but probably applying to Tiffin, WHS, SPGS, Sutton High and maybe one of PHS / Emanuel / KGS.

Many congratulations Flumeplume

Congratulations FlumePlume!

We're also coming from a state school, my DD has had some group tuition but is not hothoused by any definition. I do think prep school kids have some advantage, isn't that what the 'prep' bit is for? At the PHS interview some uniform blazers were heavily laden with badges, I'm not sure what interviewers would make of this. Luckily my DD wouldn't notice something like this/wouldn't be intimidated by this because her head is in the clouds.

I agree wholeheartedly with Montenuit, we're going through this process in order to increase our options, it's all totally voluntary and not essential but nice to have choices and my DD has enjoyed the ride so far (even the Tiffin queues!).

Thank you, Greenleave and Sweet. Dd is delighted (especially because the envelope was addressed to her, so she got to open it), and I’m so pleased for her.

I do think the prep school kids have advantages (in general, better music and sport teaching, wider curriculum, faster pace, less disruption) but we chose a state primary because we wanted a local school, little homework, mixed rather than single sex, and lots of time for extra-curricular stuff. I’m not sure how that plays out at 11 plus - there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Certainly all dd’s extra-curricular stuff gives her plenty to talk about at interviews.

Congrats FlumePlume, good news for us too from Sutton. A nice early Christmas present for DD.

Congratulations to your dd, Jimjam! Did you get a letter, or just the note to your dd? The note was a bit light on details, but I haven’t had anything else through the post.

Yes just the card FlumePlume. I’m expecting the actual offer letter will arrive today hopefully.

Congrats on the Sutton offers.

Agree it's a choice. Just one i wouldn't make again ha!

xx to all

Happy new year! Good luck to everyone going for independents. Our first independent is next Wednesday (PHS). Haven't got much done in these hols, after relaxing after the grammars it was hard to get the pace up again.

Thanks! DD has Kingston Grammar tomorrow, she is thankfully calm about it! Then she has one on Monday, one Tuesday. Shame they're all so close but at least it's one short burst and all over

Surbiton on Monday and PHS on Wed for us next week. We have also done little or nothing over the hols. I hope that won’t come back to bite us!

SPGS for dd on Monday, then WHS the following Monday. Then it’s all over (unless she’s lucky enough to get an interview). She’s done a couple of the SPGS past papers from their website over the holidays, but it’s mostly been eating Christmas food and singing.

TheExtra Wow, an exam tomorrow. That’s very early, but nice to get it over with.

Sweet Happy new year to you, too!

Good luck, all!

Flume - DD also has SPGS on Monday. Does anyone know the numbers sitting, compared to interviews offered?

We looked at the English paper yesterday which seemed ok. It looks like the other Comprehension paper could be in pretty much anything, so just hoping for the best with that one!

Pa10ma

There’s some guesstimates on numbers on p.10 of this thread. I’ve no idea if they are right: 700ish for stage 1, about 75% get through, then about 200 recalled for interview for about 100 places.

Thanks Flume. So about 450 then? Smaller numbers than some schools.
It will be a long day for them. DS has 4 exams in total next week, but then at least she’s all done (bar two interviews later in Jan and possibly another couple if we’re super lucky)!
I’ve had 2 others go through the process though, so that does help a bit!

I quite like that it’s a long day - I think it gives her the chance to settle in, get a feel for the school etc in a way that the whizz them into a big hall where they sit for a couple of hours until released type exams just don’t. I like the idea of the WHS creative assessment morning for the same reason - it seems more individual and rounded (though marks in exams are still very important, I’m sure).

My dd had a very busy week back in November with three exams and an interview, which was hard going, but it does mean that January is relatively relaxed.

Good luck with exams this week/next week. My dd has 3 exams coming up. Not nice for 10/11 year olds to go through but hopefully worth it in the end. Worried about the numbers sitting these exams in ratio to places offered but what will be will be! I’ll be glad when it’s over.

Hi All
Happy New Year!

Good luck to all kids taking exams this term. May the force etc...

my DD has a full day tomorrow then PHS wed morning then that's us done.
I was going to ask her to do some work today but i am not sure i see the point?!
What do you guys do at this late stage?
(no she isn't ready but surely it's too late to be ready?!)

Has anyone pracitised that write about yourself bit for SHS?
We haven't as i am not sure how to prepare her for it....

For SHS just make sure she can remember all the stuff she likes doing outside school, what she is good at and what she finds difficult. Perhaps go over a scenario where she put in effort to overcome something that was a challenge. It doesn't matter what it was, she needs to have a list of things in her mind. Remember the 6 super sports at the school are hockey, netball, tennis, skiing, rowing and gymnastics. Also what she wants to do when she is older ie teacher, doctor, etc.

Teacher Thank you so much. She seems quite relaxed today - knowing it's nearly all over is a sweet taste.

It says in the bumpf that this is not a personal statement so can't be prepared for. DO they interview them or is it written down?

In the past it's been a short written questionnaire, ie What are you a star at? Bullet point answers seem to be fine.

Thank you x

And good luck to your dd, too, Kalifornia!

My dd is delighted that there will be no more maths practice - today was the last one! Given that she was asked about Brexit at a previous interview, I’m thinking that I should make sure she watches Newsround (it’s usually shown at school, but I’ll check she’s seen it as sometimes they run out of time), but that’ll be it for 11 plus stuff from now on.

Good luck to everyone for this week!

DD has SPGS all day tomorrow, then LU Tue morning and then PHS on Wed. Plus the Consortium exam on Fri!

She did nothing today because I thought she needs a rest before tomorrow!

She was given about 7 practice maths papers from he school over Xmas, which she’s done. She also had comprehensions which we haven’t done because I thought it would be more useful to do the sample papers for the actual schools she’s going for.

Flume - What did you think of the SPGS comprehensions? I think I would struggle to finish in the time given!

Pa10ma I thought the SPGS comprehensions were very interesting - much more about how you think than about what you know. But they do draw on skills in evaluating evidence which I developed at degree level (history), so it’s fairly familiar stuff. I did have to give dd a quick ‘this is how you evaluate sources’ chat. Her primary doesn’t seem to have covered that sort of thing, though apparently they have done putting both sides of the argument and then coming to a conclusion, which is (I think / hope!) what they’re looking for.

Dd bounced out, fizzing. Apparently it was fun, the singing was great and there was chocolate cake for lunch. She thinks she did well, but from what she says about missing questions / running out of time, I’m a bit more realistic. How did your dd find it, Pa10ma?

So now that’s over, I’m wondering how SPGS can mark ?500 papers in just over a week (given the no / interview invitation e-mail will be sent next Wed), but then take nearly three weeks to make a decision on the many fewer girls they interview. It seems the wrong way around.