SW London girls independent/grammars thread 2020

[autumnnightsaredrawingin]

Last year, there were two amazing threads which were super helpful about exactly this, so I wanted to start a thread for girls due to start September 2020. If anyone from last year wants to contribute please do!

We have narrowed our choices down to 5, sadly not in the right postcode for Tiffin, and decided not to do the Sutton grammars.

So, she will be doing PHS, WHS, LEH, SHS and Woldingham. Also registered for Emanuel but we may pull that one.

From 2 years ago KGS were very late, they post to your home address just before Christmas with a colour coded card & it will be a morning or afternoon session. (They may have changed since).

Hi - I've just received an email from Surbiton, so you may have received yours by now? DD is doing the alternate date (9 Jan) although we may try and switch back to 8th as she no longer has a clash...

I'm slightly in shock at how soon the exams are. We are not prepared and I've no idea how to motivate DD during the Christmas holidays...eek.

Yep, just got the email too

This is going to be a long Christmas holiday - the exams seem so close but getting the right balance between prepping while keeping them calm and motivated until then is so hard! I'm dreading dd's exam week but golly I wish it were already here. I will be drinking a lot of . At school they're just watching Xmas movies and practising carols all day long, time which I can't help but think could be better spent by the kids sitting Jan exams (state school so no interest in indie 11+). No academic lessons seem to be on the agenda for the last two weeks of term

Yes, same here (although not in a state school). Indie schools in our experience also do sweet nothing during the last two weeks of term. I’m 🙄 every evening as my DCs recount to me all the movies they’ve watched during the day. At least if they were doing art projects or something, that would be creative, but they just seem to be plonked in front of a screen for weeks on end.

Thanks all, I now have the Surbiton email. Another very early start!

If your dd is sitting SHS (Surbiton) don't forget to spend time focusing on the All about you paper. It's a series of questions. Make sure she knows what she is good at, what she enjoys, what she finds hard, when she has overcome something difficult, why she wants to go to the school & she will be asked to list the other schools she is applying for. Spend time with her on the SHS school website looking at all the special sports & clubs.

For KGS work on speedy VR.

For LEH use Manchester Grammar school practice papers on their website

For everywhere else make sure they read a good book & the St Johns Leatherhead admissions sample English paper is a fun exercise unlike other schools.

Thanks Gingercat!

Yes, also got the email from Surbiton.

Totally agree about the balance between Christmas fun and working for the exams- so tough. All the usual end of term stuff as well means they’re exhausted anyway. Can’t wait for it all to be done! We are now doing the PHS reserve date so very early Jan!

It’s also v hard to motivate my DD although the sports scholarship shortlisting is an incentive for her, as now WHS is a no, Putney and SHS are very much our top two choices, and hers. Good luck to everyone over the next few weeks. We plan to make a revision timetable with her to try and have some kind of structure or I can see the holidays flying by with nothing much done!

Having gone through this three times i would say try and get them to do just one piece of work every day over the holidays. Discuss and put it out the night before and then they get up in the morning and just do it and then it's done in under an hour.
Easier said than done but I found if they genuinely knew it was just one piece and i didn't start cajoling them into more they got into a little rhythm.

and a croissant & hot choc whilst doing it helped enormously!

You sound like a seasoned professional @amidaiwas! Thank you for the advice. Planning lots of hot choc, treats and Christmasy activities to balance out the prep. Dd seems focused at the moment - I think she, like me, senses it's close and we're on the home run. First exam 3 weeks tomorrow!

As someone on the other side (nearly, lower 6th now) just best wishes to all, and a reminder that the marginal differences between the schools are... marginal.

Try not to give any more pressure than they may already be feeling and understand we can all have a bad day at the office/exams.

All the best, stressful as hell I know!!

Xx Happydads

Just to second @HappyDads sentiments. It all works out in the end and all the schools spoken about in this thread. You then have a couple of years off and start worrying about GCSEs, A Levels and UCAS!

...and as each stage passes you wonder why you worried so much.

Great to hear these wise words from those who have been through it - especially as I'm having a bit of a wobble!
There's so little time left until the exams and it will be such a gruelling couple of weeks in Jan (for all concerned). I feel like my DD still has a lot to cover, especially in maths and exam technique. The sane part of me thinks it's too late and what will be will be.
Argh - am mentally slapping myself and hoping calm is restored shortly!

ColaPip, I completely get you. I’m feeling the same way - the piece of string is infinitely long... but I have vowed to stay calm and not overwhelm the DCs (I also have a DD sitting 9+ in January) and to let them have a fun Christmas break. We do a little bit everyday, but definitely not intensive learning at this stage.

What will be will be.

• I meant my DS is sitting the 9+, not DD

@RevolutionofOurTime - wow 9+ as well. Good luck to your DCs!

A little bit each day sounds sensible and I'm going to give that a try with DD. We're going to have a complete break from 24th-27th and again over New Year. If she's not in the mood, I'm not going to push it - and will just stress quietly instead

I am feeling the same. We are going to aim for one paper a day plus a little reasoning, except for probably Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day... she is absolutely shattered and coughing non stop and desperately needs a break but she also can’t do nothing as she’ll then be at a disadvantage. It’s really rough. She also has to prepare for her sports scholarship assessments! Good luck to all, I just keep focusing on the fact that this time in 3 weeks she will have finished all the exams with the exception of Emanuel! Then it’s just interview, if she gets any!

How’s everyone/their children getting on with revision since school finished? We are doing ok. Managed to do something every day so far, and she’s more motivated now I think... I Hope! Not long to go...

Dd is doing a few papers a day and seems quite content about it all - it's so close that the end is definitely in sight - hurrah! I feel nervous about the exams and whether she'll be faced with stuff she's never covered, but also really glad we're almost there. She has a music scholarship to prepare for later in Jan so need to start paying some attention to that as her instruments have been a little neglected recently. Glad your dd is plodding along well too @AutumnNights and she has her sports scholarships to prepare for too. I'm so proud of my dd over how she is handling all this - everyone keeps asking how she is coping with the pressure but she seems fine, almost chilled about it, it's me who isn't coping .

That sounds great autumn and givemesomewineplease.

Wish I could say the same! DD is huffing and puffing and pretty objectionable about the whole thing. I'm trying to be firm but not too pushy (a tricky balance!) but she seems pretty exhausted from a busy term at school.

So far she's done a few pages of core maths practice (her weakest area) and a few 10 min reasoning and comprehension tests each day.

@givemesomewineplease - is your DD doing timed papers or working through in more relaxed way? Wondering whether to try that for a reality check!

Good luck all. Am terrified at how close the exams are but excited that the end is in sight...!

We’ve done nothing since Friday! DCs are too excited by Christmas. I don’t see the point of pushing it now (and I’m too busy cooking!) Que sera sera...