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

We're taking DD's views into account, but we've agreed with her that the final decision will lie with us.
In the unlikely event we get offers from all of them, we'll be choosing between 4 schools - 2 private and 2 state (and I guess we've already ranked the states because we had to for the CAF). DD prefers both the states over the indies BUT the vast majority of her friends/ class will be going to one of the states so she is far more familiar with those. It helps in some respects that it is highly unlikely all of her group of close friends will end up at the same school.

A friend's daughter and son did the Emanuel exam this morning, we are due to do it next week. Their exam was NOT invigilated due to technical issues! Surely this cannot be fair? Wonder whether those that were not invigilated results will be looked at different. This whole thing is beginning to look like a joke.

It's finely balanced for us. Our local state option is very good, and DD is keen to stay with her friends - most, though not all, of them will go there. It's also a factor that she's bright but not top set material, I'm slightly worried about her bumping along the bottom in a selective school and starting to think she's stupid. There's also the financial factor; we can pay the fees, but our holidays for the next seven years will be much less exciting, and one of the things 2020 has shown us is how much we value travelling.

On the other hand, this past year has really screwed over most state school pupils, and if I can buy her a more consistent education for secondary, I feel I should.

So sorry to hear about the Emmanuel shenanigans, what an absolute nightmare!

Oh and I am fuming particularly as the said friend was rather thrilled that there was no invigilation. I am not suggesting any wrong doing but nonetheless am sceptical!!

@Brot64 have you read @Stircrazyschoolmum posts from earlier on this all? Thanks for your update. I, too would have be delighted with no invigilation, but stir and myself both have ours sitting next Sat and am rather miffed if we don’t have the same treatment. It can’t be allowed and it will be interesting to see what the school do about this all now as the format etc. has to stay consistent for it to be fair and acceptable. Such a shamble. Please do let us know if you hear anymore. Not sure what to do...

@MumsRule20 just did sorry had only seen yours and was too upset to look further. As far as I know my friend's DC did the entire exam without invigilation because they couldn't log in to start with. DD's best friend (different child) also texted to say she was supposed to do the Emanuel exam this morning but there were problems. That was at 9.30am, come 11am she texts to say she couldn't FaceTime because she was going to have a quick lunch then start her Emanuel exam. Another from the same prep apparently did his partly invigilated and 2 subjects not invigilated, and an hour later. He also has time until 3pm to submit!

I mean seriously it's a disaster, I have lost all confidence and it doesn't make it any better that the children are communicating this between themselves .

We are due to do ours next Friday. My DD has lost all interest and is complaining about how unfair the process is. We will focus on the interviews we already had, one more we are still to have and the other ISEB ones. I find it difficult to take Emanuel seriously now but as they wouldn't refund the registration fee we will still do it on Friday.

Geez - with all these remote tests having technical difficulties the whole thing looks like a total disaster! How on earth are they going to be able to fairly compare candidates? Hats off to the schools that saw the writing on the wall and switched to ISEB and interviews pre Christmas.....

@Brot64 just awful. I do hope it can get flagged up to the school as not fair otherwise they may think we / everyone else are none the wiser. It isn’t acceptable. Will you be enquiring on Monday?

@MumsRule20 yes I will be enquiring on Monday. Just waiting to hear if there will be any email from them about this, though I doubt it.

@LittleOverwhelmed Oh my, unbelievable and so not acceptable. The whole thing should have been scrapped. Not only amateur but just such a feat to expect to run smoothly on first trial. The process should have been simplified. As if we don’t all have enough to contend with in today’s pandemic and so tough on the kids, all this running thorough hoops business @Brot64 Good to know and let’s hope they do the right thing. Whatever that might be. I am super keen to know generally what to expect, but don’t think that can be shared here :(

I’m not sure what is worse - trying to run a long process with complicated remote invigilation in an attempt to keep the same exam content...and having it go horribly wrong. OR changing the process at last minute in such a way that makes it impossible for a child to prove themselves? St Cat’s decision to scrap their math, science, English and VR papers this week and replace them with a 30 minute, remotely invigilated writing exercise that needs to be typed and not handwritten doesn’t feel particularly fair either....but I suppose at least it has less chance of going wrong. Unfortunately DD can’t type at all (I should have let her have a phone or an I-pad!!) so she has no chance - I am thanking god they we have a good state option to fall back on and at this moment in time I almost feel like pulling out of the process and demanding my registration fee back.

@ Brot64 that’s so incredibly unfair! Surely they cannot expect anyone else’s child to sit it with an invigilator next week when it sounds like a free for all today! They should have cancelled the minute the problem arose! Would be interested in finding out what they do about today in terms of marking!

@Brot64 and @MumsRule20 perhaps this is a stupid question.. so please flag it if my thinking is flawed..

If the exam papers were emailed out, what would stop someone sharing them if incentivised to do so? I realise there will be a second set of papers but general format - number of maths questions, format of English questions etc etc Would be of great interest to those yet to sit and a great practice paper for pacing...

I realise most parents wouldn’t share as its shooting themselves in the foot, but some might? (I guess there was an element of risk that format would be discussed regardless)

@Stircrazyschoolmum don’t worry about that as the paper isn’t being emailed out, they have put it all online now since they scrapped the hard copy paper collection and drop off from school.

So, all accessed via Zoom - they will send a “link” via chat when applicants are logged in

It was emailed out today. It’s sitting in a friends email box right this minute!!

@MumsRule20 I doubt much will be done maybe an email to say the issues have now been resolved etc. I don't see them cancelling it again or changing it all to being non invigilated. I hear it's not all the children that experienced technical issues just a particular group.

@Bimbamboosh7 we enquired whether registration fees would be refunded if someone was to pull at of the process at this stage. Not possible, the fee is non refundable.

@Stircrazyschoolmum not stupid at all I have wondered whether they should have sent the exam by first class post (less easier to share as I would assume no one would be crazy enough to take pictures then share them) and require the envelope remained sealed until invigilation commences. It may have been more reliable than the current method.

We did the Jags creative writing at home, no invigilation and that was emailed with instructions not to share and a time limit. Whether all followed those instructions and no assistance was given, we will never know, however I think it's easier to tell with creative writing whether the child completed it alone or was aided. There's also the option of contacting the current school for the child's past written pieces to get an idea of how they usually write and then comparing it with what was written at home. Let's hope everyone was honest though as you said, some parents may indeed assist their DC.

(They emailed them when the zoom bit crashed.)

@Stircrazyschoolmum what?? The Emanuel paper was emailed? I thought they sent a zoom link!

@Brot64 I thought the same in wondering why they never opted post out but reckon then one could have blamed the post for tampering etc. Also with the timeframe and delays - more of a logistical nightmare. I also know of other schools who did ISEB also asked applicants current schools for a piece of their creative writing. Much. easier option. Amazing JAGS were so relaxed in their choice as you mentioned

@Stircrazyschoolmum Am with you now.
Oh goodness! What will she do with that email I wonder. Like treasure or should I say breach? 🧐 I guess nothing to stop it being shared. If it does, those who don’t get to see it are immediately at a disadvantage, as essentially none of us know what to expect from the new exam format since they switched it from paper - online. Like you say will be different questions but still...not allowable. To be honest with you the dates should have been changed too as soon as they knew it couldn’t happen at the school. Rescheduled back to back so less chance of anything being passed on. Not great news any of this...

So sorry to hear about the Emanuel balls-up today. That is very stressful for all concerned - both those who sat and those who have yet to sit
By contrast DD sat Radnor House this morning at home. They posted the papers out on Thursday and a live link last night which we'd all had the chance to test run beforehand. The papers had to be unsealed in front of a Teams-linked invigilator who had 6 children each to monitor. DD sat the maths paper with mic & camera on then resealed the envelope on screen, had a 5 minute break to go to the loo then did the same with English. Option to drive them in or post them. Worked like a dream and I was so impressed having initially been gobsmacked at the change in format. Funny how the passage of a few days during a pandemic can make you come to terms with almost anything.
So of all the schools we have sat for, Radnor - which is the least hothousey (for want of a better word), managed to most closely replicate how they run their process in a normal year.

It will be SO interesting to see what all of these schools do next year!

@patopato that seems like a pretty stress free situation. Bet you are relieved to get it done and that your daughter is pleased to have had a chance to show all her heard work! Do they use special envelopes to stop people from tampering with the papers and putting them in another identical envelope?