Reeds 11+

[ticking]

Anyone's DS take the 11+ at Reeds on Tuesday? I would be nice to know when people start hearing results! I know on the letter it says results posted on 30th, but I'm fairly sure we heard earlier than that when our eldest took the test!

So thrilled for your Mummy2prince. I was on your other thread and really felt for you! Completely delighted that Reeds has come through for you and take no notice of the other Mums elsewhere and at your school gate. He will do extremely well at Reeds I'm sure. All schools are becoming far more academic as the competition is so intense these days. Your DS and you have both done really well. It's a very nuturing kind school from what I've heard and some people prefer that over hecticness and constant competitions. I know I would!

Mummy - maybe clarify with the head tomorrow? Has she told you this “off the record“ because I’m not sure schools are allowed to give offers early, even bursaries or scholarships? They’d have everyone on the phone! But maybe the head is letting you know unofficially?

Mummy2prince. Fantastic news. I feel you have dodged a bullet and gained an Angel.

@mummy2aPrince09 Wow, your son must be absolutely exceptional to get a 100% funded place at a great independent secondary school. Make sure you and he appreciate the extent of his achievement! Really well done to him.

@mummy2aPrince09 I really don't understand this. None of the scholarships took place until Thursday 23rd Jan at Reed's and all scholarship pupils must have an interview. No exceptions including for exceptional circumstances. There is no bypassing the system for the academic scholarship just to have been offered it on the strength of the exam alone. Also the academic scholarship is a maximum of 20% not 50%? But your Head has been told the day before that your son is being 50% scholarship with no interview? I think your Head has got mixed up or I am concerned that she is again misadvising you.

So I think you need to double check all this for accuracy. My friend is waiting for Reed's and her Head called today on the back of your news...and was told that categorically no scholarship offers or bursary offers have been even decided on, let alone a random headmistress being told the day BEFORE scholarship interview that her child had got one without interview?

And my friend is still waiting for her home visit which is mandatory in the case of a bursary when the parent is disabled ....and they have told her that they won't make decisions until all home visits are complete ....nobody will be told until 6 Feb.

So I don't think that can be correct .....and you need to clarify directly with the school rather than get your son's hopes up. Or have I misread and it is not Reed's?

light - I have to agree that there’s no way a registrar would release this info before the official offer day. It would go against the code of practice and be extremely unfair to other applicants, some of whom will also be waiting on bursary places. They’re would be total chaos - with everyone phoning the school, demanding to know in advance if their bursary application was also successful.

As for scholarships, if there are interviews taking place now, there is no way scholarship offers will be made before all interviews are completed. It would make a total mockery if the whole admissions process. Even without scholarship interviews, they would not be able to release this info before the official offers day. No way.

Something is not right here

@somekindofmagic @Frazzledmumofboys Pretty sure that the exam on the alternative day was the same. I queried it with them as we had a clash too and they said it was exactly the same exam. Maybe there were less breaks so it seemed shorter? I'm biting my nails too for the results!

@Moooooooo and @lightandfluffy Oh no! I so wanted this story to have a happy ending

@mummy2aPrince09 have you double checked with your head. I have my fingers crossed for your son. Have you applied for a foundation bursary? Maybe the criteria / timetable is different.

My friend was really concerned about this - a school releasing an offer a week or two ahead of their promised schedule at the expense of others including her own son - so she checked again today.

Reed's only had their scholarships interviews yesterday.

All potential scholarship students were interviewed.

No exceptions were made. Not for foundation pupils and not for standard applications.

No offers have been sent out and none will be until next week.

All scholarship successes will be informed next week. No exceptions have been made and none will be.

Bursaries - ditto.

Foundations (for those with eg disabled parents such as yourself). Those offers will be sent out on 6 Feb. Home visits and reports have not been completed. No offers have gone out and none will be til 6 Feb.

So I think your Head is leading you up the garden path. Have you been in to speak to her? Is she mixed up or are you? It would be awful for your son to get his hopes up over someone's misunderstanding so you really need to check all this.

@mummy2aPrince09 would you consider deleting your replies on this thread? I think in the interests of your anonymity and both yours and your DS's futures, you should delete your responses and the other thread too. Get in touch with MN HQ - you can report a post or a thread and ask for it to be deleted and go from there. They will help you. Please don't leave this up.

If you need to start a new thread, change your username and anonymise yourself somewhat. Come back and ask for advice but try not to give away too many details if possible. You could be a single Dad etc. Make it up.

I feel like as things stand currently you could be in trouble with your school and a future secondary school and it may have far-reaching consequences all round that you would not wish.

I would question this too, my DS got what was considered high academic scholarship at the school. We had to have an interview and then wait for the amount. Seems a bit odd that you would get offered a 50% scholarship without an interview at all? I would be a bit worried your Head had got it wrong.

I thought it sounded highly dubious from the outset...and I doubt very much it is the head who has got this mixed up. From a purely cynical perspective, posting claims like this...with all its accompanying congratulatory praise, might be fuelling a little wishful thinking trip, but as innocuous as this might seem, could ruffle a few more feathers than you’d wish!

It's all very strange, I'd love to know the truth but I'm guessing we probably never will.

Can I please request that parents stop slagging the poor parent who is clearly extremely stressed with the situation at hand. She’s obviously had more than her fair share of problems.
We’re all here to offer support and exchange information. Lets keep it to that.

Fully agree. Hope Mummy is OK.

My understanding is Reeds provides excellent pastoral care and a rounded education. It does have increasing academics and with that a more positive image to increase numbers of full fee paying parents..... those things need to happen to sustain it's future.

Unlike some other schools. The school was originally founded to provide support /education to children in need (various circumstances are not the children's fault). Need can be defined and it's up to Reed's to work that one out....

There is an active supportive charity and pot that is separately sourced/funded. The Reeds website makes it clear that they will make the process as pain free as possible for their foundation applicants ......so in this case I do believe someone 'might' have mentioned something to a head ,to remove stress from a parent. It's not a formal offer in writing....

Bursary/foundation places at Reed's (unlike other schools) are likely based on the support (incl pastoral) the school can provide. The website makes it clear it isn't who is the smartest on tests.. as that would be a bit contradictory.

I'm sorry if it is upsetting to others applying for bursary places etc but Reeds I suspect bases its few foundation places on the 'children' (not parents) who may need it most.

Good luck to all of those applying. It's a well rounded school and it's why we want DS to go there.

Does anyone know of anyone who did get a scholarship interview?

Having been through this process twice now I'd say it's probable she's been given an early indication.

I have been given "an indication" from another school (not Reeds) and it's due to some slightly unusual circumstances, this particular school aren't sending letters for another 2 weeks....however it was accompanied by a massive "do not tell anyone..." DS doesn't even know yet as his best friend is also in the process.

This is the first time I’ve been through this process. No prep school guidance (as not in prep), no clue what’s going on, the difference between CEM, GL, VR, NVR.... nothing. Fumbled my way through the lot.

This is the craziest system I’ve ever encountered. I thought if you wanted your kid to go into the private system and you had the funds, you paid and they went.

We would love my son to go to Reeds but we were so clueless at the process that I doubt we’ll get a chance.

I honestly can’t believe I’m obsessing over this. There is so much going on and all I’m doing is trawling the internet for clues as to whether he’s got in or not. A fruitless and idiotic thing to do.

I even went as far to phone the school to see if I too could get ‘an indication’. I was kindly but swiftly told ‘no’. I luckily got a titter when I ended the call “well no problem, totally understand, just trying my luck. If my son does get in then I’m [name removed] if he doesn’t then I’m someone else!” A genuine giggle followed so I’m not feeling ‘the crazy’ alone. The woman said on the phone she’s been bombarded with similar requests and not to feel bad. Poor blimin ladies though.

Does anyone know if there’s an 11+ mothers support group? It must have gin and cheese crackers. I may just start one for next year. A
Small fee of £8k a term and free hair combing and soothing encouraging pep talks!

As a writer and actress, don’t be surprised if “11a+ The Musical” takes to the stage next year

@Didsomeonesay 🤣 you made my day!

Ill be camping at my letterbox on Friday/Saturday in anticipation for our lovely post lady.

Will the letter be in a big fat A4 or possibly the tiny one?? At least by next week this time we all will have a lot more clarity 🙏

Good luck to you all, I’m sure the schools are experts in choosing the right candidates, children that will flourish there...

I really do wish Mummy2a all the best and very much hope her DS gets a place at Reeds or other schools she has applied to.

I do think it’s a little disingenuous to come on a thread on which people are anxiously awaiting scholarship recalls, the day before the interviews are to take place, to announce that your DS already has a 50% scholarship . No interview needed. Particularly, as the maximum amount for academic scholarships, as another pp pointed out, is 20%.

As if a school would be awarding scholarships before the interviews have even taken place. What a waste of everyone’s time and effort. Even if he had achieved 100% and was absolutely outstanding in every conceivable way (and maybe he is), they still need to go through the motions if an interview. It’s basic equal opportunities and professional practice.

This kind of thing creates bad feeling because not everyone has a prep head who is even interested in writing them a half-decent reference, let alone phoning the school for privy information.

Finally, even if, in some parallel universe, this has actually happened, the last thing you would do is tell anyone else You could throw the school into disrepute and risk your place!

Well said Mooo. I’m really not sure why anyone daring to question this disingenuous claim, is perceived by some to be inappropriate. This claim itself is inappropriate. It is misleading at best...

Who knows - I think it's very unusual to be given any indication, but that said I've known friends who have siblings at a school have advance knowledge, but not a complete newcomer in with 600-700 others and needing a plum fully funded place. .

@Didsomeonesay - firstly don't panic, many people are in this for the first time...

There are a lot of parents going slightly nutty at the moment including me.

@ticking ha. Thanks. Maybe you and @BooRadley7 can join the focus group for the new musical. I’m so far leaning with the title “11 Plus 1 Crazy Mama”