Upcoming girls’ independent SW London schools 11+ exams

[Oceane11plus]

Are there any parents on this board with DDs due to sit independent school exams in January? If so where do you stand in terms of shortlisting schools, revisions etc Are you planning to do any work over the summer?

We are still in the process of fine tuning the list of schools... We will probably end up applying to about 4/5 schools, of which 2 are in the same consortium which means 3/4 exams max.
As far as I am aware, our prep has not recommended any specific revisions for the summer, but I was still planning to make her write some maths, English and VR/NVR past papers, as 2 months without doing anything seems too much so close to the exams. I was thinking of making her do one paper a week in each subject, on top of reading and boosting her vocabulary, with two weeks in August without any paper/formal work.

Any tips on what we should be doing at this stage and over summer holidays, notably from parents with past experience, would be super useful!

Thank you

Whew! This all fits with what I already knew.. just having ‘a moment’ !

@Stircrazyschoolmum, sorry if I’ve missed/forgotten this, (and feeling too lazy to search the thread), has your DD done her ISEB already? Or is it soon?

Feeling totally exhausted today after DD's one hour pretest this morning .
It was super time pressured but not as hard as mocks she sat last week. She didn't finish all sections though at the end of the test the other candidate, true to form, was quick to announce that she had finished all sections which knocked my understated DD's confidence.

Are your DD's exposed to much school chat amongst their friends? I'm trying not to discuss schools with her too much until we get through to interview stage. She hasn't seen any of them in person so it's all rather nebulous. I've found any talk results in requests for rankings/difficulty ratings which then unnerves her slightly so we are just treating the pretest & ISEB (next week for us) as just yet another test taken in school. I just wish I could stop her being exposed to some of the swagger going on in the playground chat. This is probably more because it annoys me than it does her though if I'm being honest!

We're quite lucky in that there are only a couple of girls in DD's class going for indies - so there is little or no chat about it. In fact, DD only found out another girl in her class has applied to JAGs as their teacher was asking them to remind him about the JAGs forms they have to do tomorrow (DD has no idea what this means, and neither do I. I can only assume it's something to do with the reference - but why DD has to do something I do not know and neither does she!)

There is a definite hierarchy of states where we are though, with some being perceived as harder to get into and therefore better, so she has been exposed to a fair amount of bluster about that. Not helped that she is in a class with a majority of younger siblings, who are all being quietly smug about going to supposedly better schools.

@WarmAndco3y the ISEB is tomorrow. I’m quietly bricking it whilst trying to remain outwardly calm and encouraging. I plan to scrub the house from top to bottom tomorrow to distract myself!

@PatoPato an hour sounds intense! Is that still all four areas or just VR/NVR? Do you have to wait long to hear?

In DD’s class from what I can make out it’s the boys in the class doing the schools chat rather than the girls. DD is a younger sibling and it’s been a bit frustrating hearing some of the first born parents naively airing their ‘shopping lists’ as if their averagely bright state child is going to be successful at every school they apply to. I think there’s generally an under appreciation of just how competitive the process can be (especially for the co-Ed’s) and I have to bite my tongue when DD is asked which school is her favourite as firstly she’s not seen any of them and secondly let’s wait and see if she gets any offers first!

Apologies.. mini rant over!

@Stircrazyschoolmum - properly laughing at 'airing their shopping lists'. I'm with you on waiting to see what offers are on the table before declaring a favourite though I'm ashamed to say that I've applied to a couple I'm not in love with because I had a moment where I lost faith that 'the system' will work as it has done before whereby each child ends up roughly where you'd expect them to.

Our teacher had a talk with the kids today to ask them to be sensitive about the school chat. A few have come in clutching their S&C teddy bears as good luck charms causing a few sad faces for those that haven't had the bribery treatment and there was a spate of 'guess what guys I've got into my dream school without having to sit an exam' (out of London) on the WhatsApp chat group they've set up under the radar. Teacher pointed out that some kids don't have any exams until after Christmas and some of those are late ISEB sittings so asked them to refrain from 'announcements' and the sharing of info.

I was being slightly self mocking about being knackered after the CEM pretest as it was only an hour and not even me that sat it! It covered all 4 areas but is cut & diced very differently from the ISEB format.
I think we find out mid December. In the past not too many get knocked out at this stage, maybe 20%, but it might be more ruthless this year as I guess the fewer bottoms on seats in the exam hall come January the better for the school in terms of COVID. That's no bad thing...if it's not going to happen for us I think I'd rather find out now before investing a lot of time over Christmas prepping for the crazy hard papers of the next round. Interviews are by invitation after that. It's not a vanity application - if she's out she's out. I just wanted to give it a shot. There is no value/comfort in it for me for her to get through to a certain stage.

A lot (3 schools) rests on the ISEB next week!

O

not sure what that rogue O is!

What are the S+C teddy bears? @PatoPato

Oh, did the SCHS bears not go to everyone, @PatoPato ? I assumed they had!

@Corblimbea Streatham & Clapham High sent out some toy bears in SCHS branded t-shirts last week with a nice note. DD is very enamoured with hers! Pure and utter bribery though.

@Stircrazyschoolmum best of luck for tomorrow! DD's isn't until January and I'm having visions of her being the only girl left to do the ISEB by then!

@PatoPato sorry to hear about the playground chat. I've said to DD to avoid talking about it unless someone asks her directly. I guess it's good for them at least to know other DCs going through the same thing, and they're not being unnecessarily forced to do the extra school work!

Well done on your DD completing the CEM - I guess it's for SPGS?

@Stircrazyschoolmum all the best for tomorrow for your dd!

Wow, those teddies sound lush! But also definitely bribery tactics there

@stellagibbons Those that didn't apply to SCHS were green with envy. Nice touch on the school's part but I'd be burning that bear if my DD was unsuccessful! (we haven't applied)

Good luck tomorrow @Stircrazyschoolmum - you'll feel so light at pick-up tomorrow once it's done.

@PatoPato - ah - I thought you meant that not everyone who applied to SCHS got sent a bear (we don't know anyone else applying, so wouldn't know).

Thanks everyone.. your messages are keeping me sane! We got a bear too.. Barney?!?

I’m convinced he jinxed DD’s JAGS interview!!

Very clever marketing I have to say, but also
a very good school choice based on where we live. I wish they would let us know earlier!!

@PatoPato , remind your daughter that speed doesn’t necessarily mean accuracy!

Just wanted to pop by and say good luck to all your girls with their exams and subsequent results. This was us this time last year, and I was so stressed about it, but it all worked out really well for us, fingers crossed it’s the same for all of you! X

Thank you @Autumnnightsaredrawingin I remember reading last year's thread and have found it very useful going through the 11+ first time with DD.

I've been wondering about the chat on schools: G&L doesn't seem to be mentioned quite as much on MS and other forums, as compared to schools like PHS, WHS, JAGS, SPGS, Emanuel, LEH, LU etc. - why is that? I thought perhaps as the candidates are more international with the IB option? But tell me if I'm just imagining this!

@dazedandconfused11plus You're not alone, we're also applying It's true G&L hasn't been mentioned much on this thread so far but it might be due to a combination of the thread being more focused on schools South of the river and the fact that beside ISEB which is not school specific, everything will happen in January (interview etc). I remember G&L was a very popular choice in previous years' threads.

It’s done. YAY!!!

DD came out of school with a smile. She felt she had given it her best shot. Not much like atom she said! VR hardest but finished all the questions albeit with a couple of guesses!

Very pleased it’s over and she doesn’t seem too traumatised.

@Autumnnightsaredrawingin lovely to have you checking in.. I followed your thread all last year! I can’t remember where your DD ended up but remember she did really well. How a she getting on?

I think historically G&L and LEH have been far more discussed on this thread and believe both to be excellent but not on my radar due to distance. Hopefully some lurkers will feel brave enough to post. It’s a life line to me having this thread!

@Stircrazyschoolmum - how fabulous to have it out of the way and have a clean house!

We're in for G&L and FHSS but I've not really mentioned them much on account of how I've never set foot inside either of them .
I did manage to visit PHS, WHS, SPGS & IPS in a short lived burst of enthusiasm in 2019. LEH is too far for us.
Because G&L have gone ISEB, DD still won't get a chance to see it as we'll now sit the consortium at FHSS (which seems AGES away) so at at least she'll that school (I'll be craning my neck round the front door as I drop her off)

So lovely to see you @Autumnnightsaredrawingin (you went Putney I think?). The SW London thread last year was fantastic and I regularly go back and revisit it. I hope your daughter is enjoying it.

@patopato would you mind pointing me in the direction to the SW london thread from last year please ?

Hi all, yes DD went to Putney High. We had offers from LEH, PHS, Emanuel, Surbiton and woldingham and a no from Wimbledon High.

She absolutely LOVES it, we honestly couldn’t be happier. She’s made a lovely group of friends, and academically is doing well, she/we were worried that coming from a state school where there isn’t any prep for these type of exams etc she might be behind, but she isn’t.

As parents, we’ve been hugely impressed with the school, the communication and the amazing online parents’ meetings we had recently, it was so easy!

Although it has a reputation as quite pushy, we really haven’t found that. She is doing a really good mix of academic and other stuff eg sport, drama etc. Expectations are high, but manageable. She loves that they do debating as a timetabled subject in year 7.

We had a big wobble in the summer over should we have chosen the ‘better’ LEH, but honestly, we are glad we didn’t. A shorter journey makes SO much difference, especially in winter.

Good luck to you and your daughters, and any Putney questions, feel free to ask! X

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3710053-SW-London-girls-independent-grammars-thread-2020

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3837238-SW-London-girls-independent-grammars-2020-PART-2

Last year's (2020 intake) parts 1&2 here...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3710053-SW-London-girls-independent-grammars-thread-2020

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3837238-SW-London-girls-independent-grammars-2020-PART-2

and the year before (2019 intake) parts 1&2 here...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3347389-As-the-Tiffin-deadline-looms-is-there-a-girls-SW-London-grammars-indies-thread-yet

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3507503-As-the-Tiffin-results-day-looms-a-second-2019-SW-London-grammars-and-indies-thread

I expect this thread to go quiet now as you'll all be feasting on these for a while

@Autumnnightsaredrawingin that is fantastic to hear and very honest of you to admit you had a wobble and that it came to nothing. The ruminations involved in school choices (choice would be the dream) can be agonising.

Are there any girls at PHS that are on the quieter side? DD is not shy as such but she is reserved and often will not contribute unless asked. She's inwardly scathing of 'show-offs' and when I ask her why she doesn't speak up (especially on the Zoom lessons of summer term) she says she does not like to 'flex'.

I have a vision of all the girls at these selective secondaries we've applied to being uber confident and wonder how she'd manage in a peer group full of jazz-hands. I KNOW there must be a mix but you just don't get to see that on the open days - especially the virtual open days as the more outgoing girls tend to be chosen to showcase schools.