11+ and February Half Term - Question

[WhatMeghanWants]

Hi - just wondering if it's a bad idea to be away for Feb half term if in the midst of the 11+ process?

DD will be sitting entrance exams for SW London independents in January and I think offers start coming out in Feb.

I'm thinking it's better to be around, but DH thinks it'll be good to have a break.

Any words of wisdom from those who've been through the process? Thanks!

If it’s just independent schools you will be all done and dusted by half term unless you are on a waiting list. And that could be managed by phone / electronic bank transfer of deposit etc.

If you are also looking at grammars, you need to check half term dates, as the state secondary allocation dates are later than the private school offer dates.

State schools are allocated on March 1st, which is unlikely to be half term. Some independent schools have exploding offers so watch out for those if you will be out of contact.

Must good point about the exploding offers. Though I think it’s only CLSG, and the OP said SW London schools. KGS didn’t do them this year, though they did have it as a backstop option the year before (though didn’t use them, as far as I know).

OP Worth knowing that Sutton High offers before Christmas, which is helpful. For the girls’ schools, the issue is less with half term, and more with the scramble to make a decision and get a deposit there in time if you’re waiting to see if your child has got a place at Tiffin or the Sutton Grammars or if the waiting list moves once others are offered those. The co-ed schools (at least KGS and IPS, that I know of) had slightly longer deadlines, which made it easier.

Results often out the Thursday or Friday before half term. I'm thinking I will need a holiday by then and so will DC. There will be unlikely to be movement on waiting lists during half term as offers have just gone out. Working at a school offers go out just before half term and the admissions team put the answer phone on and run out the door!

Half of SW London will be away at half term skiing so just go for it! Most of the girl's schools results come out earlier in Feb with the co eds and consortium ones posted on the Thursday before half term. If you get WL places you usually just have to email to say you want to stay on the list. Wait lists probably won't move until state school offers day.
It's nice to get away from all the chat at the gates and will give you a chance to mull over offers of you get a few!

Great advice all - thank you.
Agree that we will probably all need a holiday by that point!

Most results get posted out on the Thursday before half term so should arrive on the Friday morning. Wouldn't risk travelling on the Saturday - just in case any envelopes get delayed?

But no reason apart from that - we went away on the Sunday and it was nice to escape the craziness.