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.

Mine got 201 in the WT - got into KGS and is thriving there and doing really well.

My DS got 226 last year (did well in VR, but average in NVR). He had never seen a NVR paper, simply because he didn't need to (we went down the indie route). He got offers from KCS, St Paul's and Hampton!

You can practise and get use to the types and patterns of questions in NVR by doing paper over paper (some primary schools in Graveney catchment offer classes). One mother, out of catchment, focused on Graveney, made her daughter practise every week for a year.

I'd be interested to know whether those children that do well in either the indie exams or the WT do just as well in GCSE's, but have simply focused on exams in different formats/subjects in terms of entrance tests at 11+?

Just curious.. when is the WHS pretest? Are there any others before Xmas? (JAGS?) Trying to plan how much work we need to do next summer and the impact on holiday planning!

We have WHS on 19 Nov. Think there is also a sitting on 20 Nov

Thanks Philippa!

Best of luck with it.. at least its out of the way before the Christmas silly season I guess?

Yes, my daughter is also doing the WHS test on 19th November and there’s another group on 20th. I think they tell you the results around a week later. Good luck to everyone! The way I see it, if she gets in, great, and not much more prep to be done for round 2, if she doesn’t, we can focus on our other choices!

My daughter didn’t do JAGS but I believe it’s already taken place?

You might be right autumn
Best of luck to your DD.. how is she feeling?

Is WHS paper based or online? Do they send you any type of prep pack?

Stircrazy - the WHS pre-tests are on 19/20 Nov and the JAGS pre-tests are similar time. WHS hold 'Toolkit' mornings for applicants where they explain the exam process and give girls and parents another chance to look around the school (much better than open day when it is rammed!). The WHS pre-test is completed on paper. The JAGS pre-selection morning comprises various assessments and an online test in verbal, non-verbal and numerical skills.

My mistake re JAGS.

Yes, Wimbledon is NVR and VR on paper with a pencil, and as said above, you can attend a toolkit session to learn a bit more about the process.

Anyone doing Woldingham on Monday?

Stircrazy- she’s feeling ok. She really wants either WHS or PHS so it’s a big ask of herself, so just trying not to put too much pressure on her!

My daughter is doing woldingham on Monday. She is sitting the ISEB tests there so it will be a long day for her! It's come round very quickly

I hope Woldingham went ok for those that did it.. I've not visited but have heard it described as the Harry Potter School! A friends daughter is there and has nothing bad to say about it.. probably a bit out of my price range though..

Dd came out with a big smile on her face and buzzing...about the food! Whatever the outcome I'm just glad she had a positive experience at her first entrance exam. It seems a lovely school, possibly a bit remote for us, but we will wait and see what happens in January. Emanuel interview this week...

We did Woldingham yesterday and I totally agree, it was a very kind, gentle experience and my daughter loved it. I’m glad we let her do it as a bit of a practice run as it’s not one of our top choices. But if she gets a place and that’s our only offer we’d also be very happy.

Does anybody know if the WHS pre-test / academic assessment on 19-20 November includes any spatial reasoning? The website only mentions VR and NVR.

DD’s bugbear is nets. Although we’ve done lots of practice, it’s still not sinking in.

I’m also rubbish at them - I really struggle with visualising 3-d shapes, despite having done maths and further maths at IB level. DH is at least as bad as I am —despite his Oxbridge degree in a maths discipline— 🤷🏼‍♀️. Sadly I think DD can blame her genes on this one!

How much emphasis do we need to place on nets in the remaining few days until the test? Seems like a lost cause anyway ... 😳

I don’t think WHS included spatial reasoning- or at least I hope it doesn’t as we haven’t done any and it’s one of our top choices.

I don’t think she’s putting enough work in- it doesn’t seem to have sunk in for her that it’s the week after next! I am just trying to remain calm and not push it, if she wants it, she will work for it, I am encouraging her to practice but not forcing.

revolution I've no idea if WHS do spatial reasoning, but there are sample questions of it on the alleyns website if that helps?

autumn I think you are taking the right approach, if your dd is anything like mine then the more you push it the more they dig their heels in!

Thanks! I printed the Alleyns stuff some months ago and completely forgot about it. I will get it out of the drawer.

Good luck to all doing the WHS first stage the week after next. I can’t believe it’s come round so quickly.

@autumnnightsaredrawingin - same, the weeks have flown past! DD also has banding test for state school on Friday, so quite a week ahead. Good luck all!

Where do you live exactly? I may be able to recommend schools that are close by.

Just wanted to say good luck to those sitting Sutton High today, and Wimbledon High next week!
I know it will be good to have results from those before Christmas, so we know where we stand. But I do hope any no's don't shake DD's confidence too much. This process is such a minefield!

Cola- how did the banding test go?

Good luck to everyone sitting WHS first stage tomorrow or Wednesday. My daughter is doing it and she’s feeling ok but we’ll just have to see.