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Secondary education

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Original poster

Trinity/Whitgift 2020 entry

780 replies

Breathe10 · 07/12/2019 12:31

I've read through lots of chat re 2019 but can't see a 2020 10/11+ 2020 thread. How are your DS's getting on?

OP posts:
Aquasw · 10/02/2020 11:15

@KCB1980 I would think they were just checking his maths ability and you must assume he did really well on others for T. The interviews were all different I think based on day/ interviewer. Oddly my ds was asked how he would kill a dragon ( as were others on that day but not all). Now tell me how you judge that?? Difficult to mot overthink it all. I now have ds with me at home on an inset day on Friday. Nightmare. Was hoping I could steam open on the quiet!!

KandCa · 10/02/2020 11:30

I think this week will be a watch as much as i can Netflix week.... You cannot imagine how time flies when you are watching it Grin

Frazzledmom · 10/02/2020 11:58

I'm with you @KandCa !! When I'm not at work, I'm mindlessly binge-watching boxsets or Netflix to take my mind away from over analysing!

Brrrr10 · 10/02/2020 18:08

@KCB1980 was it for 11+? Mine was asked comprehension questions and a couple of maths but nothing written. I keep going over what was said etc and his answers which are making me nervous even though there's nothing we can do about it. Do you think if he didn't get all the questions right at interview that's a outright no thanks?

KandCa · 10/02/2020 20:28

I do not think there are right or wrong questions. I believe they want to see the boy for what he is and not some rehearsed answers....My DS came up with a "mummy answer" (what I tell him all.the time, not what he does) and the teacher asked if his parents told him that... So they expect the boys to be 10/11 years old....your DS will be just fone.!

PopgoestheWeaz · 10/02/2020 22:52

Brrrr10 I also don't think they are just looking for a right answer -- otherwise it would be the same thing as the written exam, no value added.

I think they want to see how the boys reason, how they get to their answer. So for the example of killing the dragon, there isn't a right answer - they might like what follow up questions the boy asked (is it a chinese dragon? A fire-breathing dragon?) or how he described his actions - did he use good descriptive words in a way that he didn't when writing in the exam because perhaps he was too nervous, or writing isn't currently his best , most fluid subject.

If he received maths problems, then again, how did he approach the problem. Was he able to convert the words to numbers? Did he try breaking the numbers down, partitioning to make it easier.

Brrrr10 · 11/02/2020 08:29

Thanks @kandca and @popgoestheweaz can you tell how much this is breaking me down! It makes more sense to me when you put it like that. Three more sleeps!

jasmine372 · 11/02/2020 10:51

My son who took the 10 plus had science questions !! He said the interviewer was a science teacher and was asked what sounded like logic science questions.Hmm
Other than that the usual why do you want to come here etc type topics .

SoupDragon · 11/02/2020 12:08

I don't think there is a lot of point asking the boys why they want to go there - the answers will pretty much always have been supplied by the parents.

Many years ago with DS1, I was told they use the interviews to see the boys with potential v those who have clearly been heavily tutored. It also helps them see behind the exam results - eg DS2's English was very poor compared to his maths but they could see this wasn't because he was illiterate 😂 I remember the headmaster saying "we aren't worried about that - we can fix it" so they had clearly seen through his appalling written English to the boy underneath.

Frazzledmom · 11/02/2020 13:21

I do believe lots of boys will have received some form of tutoring either by parents at home or in the form of paid tutoring.

What constitutes "heavy tutoring?" Oh to be a fly on the wall during these interviews!!

chalkyc2 · 11/02/2020 13:38

I need something to distract me for the next 3 days. I didn't ask DS too much about the interview as I didn't want to over analyse the answers - but I do know he had to read out loud and answer some questions. So now I'm worried his English paper was terrible (would fit). And T didn't do a non verbal paper did they - one of DS's strengths over verbal. Literally can't concentrate. Waiting on 3 schools including T. Not from a prep so haven't got anyone else to whinge at apart from this forum!!

SoupDragon · 11/02/2020 13:44

What constitutes "heavy tutoring?"

Well, it's the difference between someone who has had an hour every day for a few years and someone who is had an hour a week plus some home practice because they won't have covered the maths syllabus in time or seen a VR paper.

The school wants the natural talent.

Of course they've pretty much all had some tutoring or practice though.

KandCa · 11/02/2020 13:59

I agree with @SoupDragon. I do know some children that would have 1.5h, 3 times a week and that I believe is heavily tutored
Then again depends on what school you come from. Some schools are pretty poor and to have any chance at getting in you'd have to teach them outside school. My DS had 1 hour a week on the weekend to cover essay writing, which is his weakest point at times and we just wanted to make sure he had enough support on it. He did do a lot of exam practise during Xmas holidays, but that is more to do with exam.technique as opposed to studying the curriculum....as this is not taught at school per se. I do not believe he has been heavily tutored...

Adaryn · 11/02/2020 15:08

Time is going so slowly!!! Wish they'd email the results so it could be a day earlier.

Ds was asked to explain how a plane flies! Along with other science stuff. Questions seem so random.

LuluBellLondon · 11/02/2020 17:18

I guess it's all dependent on the child isn't it (re tutoring and what parents decide is appropriate). We didn't tutor but also decided fairly last minute to go for the 10+ ... on the basis that we thought our DS had a shot because he is bright (not a genius)/does well in exams. Don't think we'd have been so cavalier about it if we thought it would be a massive stretch and he didn't stand a chance. So we didn't have a tutor at all (I should say he is at an independent primary school but one that doesn't 'support' prep for 10+ exams), but did do probably an hour every other day with him ourselves (Bond books and old papers) from early December. A little more ad hoc through the Christmas period. His interview seemed pretty standard from what he said and included some English comprehension.

KandCa · 11/02/2020 21:24

Here we are all trying to over analyse every single aspect ... Just because the wait is killing me! Do the Heads really know before us? As if that is the case I have a someone to sweet talk tommorow... ConfusedGrin

JustJuice187 · 11/02/2020 21:56

I think the questions definitely depend on the interviewer. We had a science question which DS walked straight into by saying science was his favourite subject Hmm- found out subsequently he was interviewed by a science teacher. 😳

Frazzledmom · 11/02/2020 23:22

The wait is killing me!!!

Two more days till letters get posted...I'm really hoping for good news!!

Aquasw · 12/02/2020 15:17

Yes this wait is exhausting. Trying to be excited too.... what will be will be. If they don't get in it won't be the right environment for them to thrive. Having said that I think they will do well wherever they go as peer group is all important.

jasmine372 · 12/02/2020 16:01

Starting to get nervous now.
don’t remember it being so stressful when I took school exams many moons ago !!
Who else is going to open the envelope before telling their son ! I am ! Shock

Mummy195 · 12/02/2020 16:32

Does being interviewed by the HM mean anything?
My other DS was interviewed by sub teacher, instead of the usual maths teacher, somehow, I had in my mind that meant something from the mums helping that day. Probably just in my mind. lol

Mummy195 · 12/02/2020 16:37

We do have to talk about envelope sizes though.

IME, a small envelope is a NO. But that said, we once got a small envelope and it was a waiting list.

An A5 was a definite YES.

Once, we got a large A4, I got excited and said to DS that must be a yes, but panicked when I felt it because it felt like an info pack. So I said, oh no they are probably sending us next year's prospectus and telling us to try again next year. It was a definite YES with lots of paperwork. Smile

Enpot2007 · 12/02/2020 16:46

Good luck everyone. Re envelope sizes as I read it a post about it a year before last which was really helpful. I can only speak on Whitgift but a yes was in a small white regular envelope. It’s packed really well so very deceptive. The letter inside is beautifully written.

I waited for my son to open the envelope. Big mistake! The wait almost killed me.

KandCa · 12/02/2020 18:05

I will be opening it.... for sure....cannot cope till the end of the day! Neither can DH! Sadly that is all we talk about these days.....what if scenarios.....two more sleeps!

Good luck everyone! Truly hope you get the envelopes you have been hoping for!

BariSai · 13/02/2020 09:16

Okkkk.... good luck everyone!!
I’m a little confused, are we receiving the letter today or tomorrow? Or would it be a email or a phone call???
I am brain dead atm😩

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