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

DD is sitting the Surbiton High School exam right now and it seems to be going smoothly as far as I can tell given she’s sat at the kitchen table with a teacher invigilating via Teams! What a bizarre time this is.

I am jubilant because this is our last exam! So ready for this process to be OVER. Just interviews (hopefully) to go...

@Stircrazyschoolmum, I really love your optimism, and i'm going nuts about it too. However, sadly, if they are cancelling exams, closing schools and banning us from leaving our houses (as they quite rightly need to), then travel so some of us can get our independent school entrance exams done, will not be added to the essential travel list! Just think how that would look in the press. Sadly, I think the boat has sailed and for those who didn't bring these forward, we'll all now be doing them remotely in one shape or form, or perhaps being assessed for entry through another medium altogether. I for one would not (even with the despair this is causing my DS) condone private school entrance exams to be essential travel.

@Lindseylovescake optimism and caffeine are the only things keeping me going right now!

It will be interesting to see if we are still ‘allowed’ to pick up the Emanuel papers.

I just checked my emails and Alleyns won’t let us know until 22 Jan regarding 2nd stage.. so it looks like the first piece of data will be PHS for us..

Sending positive vibes to your DD @Flossietea !

I agree - it’s not essential travel and it pales into insignificance compared to the mess that senior schools students are facing with cancelled GCSEs and a levels. This should have been a good opportunity to sort out the senior school application process in the south east because frankly over the years it has become quite ridiculous - instead it has become even more stressful and ridiculous for the poor DCs involved and I am dreading the fallout which will undoubtably result in more stress and worry for a large proportion of us....

Epsom College are going ahead with their ISEB exams on site this week. Just heard. Very surprised!

SWPS cancelled all their exams and are basing decisions on a 10 minute interview!

JAGS have just emailed to say that exam will go ahead tomorrow, but will be CAT4 verbal and non-verbal reasoning only, plus their interview and creative writing test.

I don't know what to think. How will they be able to compare that data with the girls who have sat ISEB already and done maths and English as well (both are strong points for DD). Plus, will they share this with SCHS - who have already said they will not be placing as much emphasis on verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

This is so odd .. I thought the question was that they can’t make the girls sit the test onsite . Why would they change the format and still do it onsite ?

Sorry - it's not onsite - it's online (from home) and that's why they can't do the ISEB because apparently the ISEB can't be invigilated remotely or sat outside of a recognised test centre).

Does anyone know what the time pressures are like for the CAT4? Does she have to work fast, or is there plenty of time?

The interview and creative writing have been done already - DD's interview was abysmal and, in hindsight, we should have done a lot more to prepare.

My DD gave CAT last year and it’s much easier than ISEB . Not adaptive or time pressured .
It is very similar to the GL familiarisation packs online .
Maybe they are using CAT scores to compare with pupils whose references have their previous CAT scores as mostly all preps do it at the end of year 5.Just a guess !

I think DS did CAT4 early in year 7 for streaming purposes as they didn’t trust the SAT scores! He didn’t do any prep for it and seemed very unstressed by the process.

DD should’ve done it at the end of year 5 but didn’t due to lockdown...

Emanuel has just withdrawn its paper based test and gone to fully online. More details tomorrow apparently..

@BookShark Have you got the links yet for the KGS can tomorrow? My DD is doing it tomorrow pm but we haven’t received anything yet from Mercer Mettl. I’m wondering if I need to chase up ASAP!

@Dozymum2020 Nope, but we have had an e-mail saying they're working on allocating us an online slot - it sounds as though yours has already been allocated though. I get the impression the team are pretty frantic, so presumably you'll get your link tomorrow morning - if not, then I'd chase the admissions team. I know exams are going into the weekend anyway, so I'm sure they'll find a way to fit you in, even if there are issues with the slot you've been allocated. All very stressful!

Thanks @BookShark. I’m sure we will get it in the morning at some point. I shall be refreshing emails regularly!! Yes, we did already have our online slot booked in as it was the time when DD had originally been due to go into KGS to sit the exam. Hope you get confirmation of your online slot soon. You’re right, I’m sure admissions are manic sorting out all the DCs that had been due to sit exam at own schools.

They were extra busy at KGS with all the glitches that happened with the exams today! Hopefully all has been sorted on that front now. We didn’t get our link until late evening yesterday

We also haven't got a correct email from KGS or Mettl - a few random ones which clearly weren't right. I think they're working through...

My DD is sitting KGS tomorrow am, we haven't received the Mettl link either but we received the timing for the exam.

I’m just thinking aloud, but given WHS, JAGS and CSHS all have prep schools (that are currently closed) and JAGS had allocated 6 girls to a computer suite, if they spread the exam out over a few days and used their prep facilities as well as their own, they could have 1 or 2 girls in a classroom and get it done pretty quickly?

I have Dc at WHS and it is still open for keyworker children so that wouldn’t work unfortunately (mine is in secondary but I assume junior children are also allowed in if necessary)

Got to say Surbiton was quite impressive and I’m already dreading the KGS looking at screen and working on paper plus the QR code melarchy !
But no doubt Surbiton has earned some respect with how they managed to do the exam at the same date and had a backup plan in case of cancelling the exam altogether !

DD fluffed her interview for LU (I was listening outside the door). Oh well.