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Secondary education

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Original poster

Trinity/Whitgift 2021 entry

558 replies

Onvacation · 27/09/2020 20:44

I have found the previous threads for Trinity/Whitgift entry really helpful, and I don’t think there is a 2021 yet. My son will be trying for 10+, and for a sports scholarship. He is bright, and pleased to be back training for his sports, but he gets really stressed in exam situations and works slowly. He is only trying Trinity this year because he is not at all sure he wants to leave his primary school, but if he managed to get a scholarship I think he might decide to go.

I was hoping the activity on the exam day might help motivate him, but we got the email saying it wouldn’t be happening because of Covid. Can I ask if anyone had more success at 11+ than 10+? Do they ever offer academic and sports scholarships? I am assuming that we will more have the issue of him getting stressed in the exam, and not passing, than standing a chance of a scholarship, but just thinking of best possible scenario Wink. Thanks!

OP posts:
Longingfornormality · 15/01/2021 17:14

@AveEldon - oh no! Really! Ok, I will tell him to be prepared to answer a maths question in the interview then! Wink

notabirthday · 15/01/2021 17:28

@grammarhopeful - our email was very non-descript and just said "well enough" and don't contact us, we'll contact you so looks like I will have to write this off as an option if other folks have interviews and comments such as "very well" in their emails and resign myself to him going to one of the two local comps we're in actual catchment for which have only a third of kids passing maths and English GCSEs. Nightmare.

GrammarHopeful · 15/01/2021 17:52

@notabirthday, oh no, I didn't mean to make you or anyone else feel worse, please!

I was confused by the language myself, this is what the first line actually said:

"we are writing to advise you that [DS] has done well enough in the assessments to be invited for an interview. He has done very well, but please be aware that we interview a larger number of boys than we can ultimately offer places to."

Otherwise, it's the same 15 min interview everyone else seems to be getting that may involve Maths or English. They requested he has a paper and pen for the problem-solving.

Jige · 15/01/2021 18:31

notabirthday I wouldn’t read to much in the letter Trinity have sent. My DS1 now in Y9 got the same worded letter from Trinity and he was offered a place at the school after the interview. These letters are not personal case by case, they don’t have time for that and so everyone will get the same standard letter if your son has done well enough in the test. The decider in the past has always been the interview. Having said that it’s all different this year and I do feel for you and your DS. Just look at it in a positive way that if your son has been invited for an interview he’s done well, otherwise they wouldn’t have invited him. A interview invite is by no means a guarantee for a place hence the letter is phased in that way “we’ll enough”, he’s got through the first stage.

The letters received for an invite from Trinity where they are considered for a scholarship - there is sometimes a mention of the headmaster wanting to speak to the parent. But again that was before covid.

hopefulone1 · 15/01/2021 19:28

Hi has anyone had any feedback on the music scholarships for trinity or Whitgift? Thanks

notabirthday · 15/01/2021 19:43

Ah I've just noticed that our email has a (2) at the end of the subject title - wonder if they have 2 standard emails. Wonder if the "very well" received in others those that are in with a chance of an academic scholarship and we're just in with the masses and their email has a different number in the title?? I have to stop stressing about this as won't do me or ds1 any good!

LillyD · 15/01/2021 20:20

@notabirthday - we got the same email as you. We are in the ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’ group! Without further word from Trinity l am haunting this thread. Not a healthy occupation for a weekend. Anecdotally my friend did manage to speak to Trinity on Thursday and was told that the standard was so high this year that they don’t know how many to interview. Not what I wanted to hear but hopefully an indication that our sons have still done v well to meet the standard.

Longingfornormality · 15/01/2021 20:27

@notabirthday @LillyD - are your DS’s names further down the alphabet? Just a thought that they are scheduling in batches maybe? And can only confirm timings once they’ve done one lot? If the letter says that your DS has done well enough to be interviewed then I’m sure you’ll be invited back, doesn’t make sense otherwise. Hopefully someone in the admissions team is following this post and can see the angst it’s causing and clarifies soon!!

user1468247878 · 15/01/2021 21:08

So, am I correct that some have received the below wording and some have received it without the "very well". Has any/every one in the latter noticed a (2) in the subject?

And has anyone been asked for anything other than a 15min zoom interview?

Then have some received an email that states passed but with no date for interview?

And has anyone been requested to meet or speak with the HM???

Good luck to everyone 👍

"we are writing to advise you that [DS] has done well enough in the assessments to be invited for an interview. He has done very well, but please be aware that we interview a larger number of boys than we can ultimately offer places to."

JustJuice187 · 15/01/2021 21:31

@Longingfornormality my experience with DS1 is that it was just one question in one of the subjects depending which they were weaker at in the exam although don’t quote me on that. Might be completely different this year.

JustJuice187 · 15/01/2021 21:33

@GrammarHopeful I was confused by the language too but have decided not to read too much into it / the staff are all working remotely and I can imagine someone sticking that in at the last minute and it then not getting checked again before it’s sent out

JustJuice187 · 15/01/2021 21:44

Sorry just realised I missed the query about 2 in the email title - no we don’t have that.

Zoomez · 15/01/2021 21:47

It has been such a hard time for so many people.

My son interviewed for Whitgift the first week of Jan. I think it went well but no mention of academic scholarship although it went well.

I feel the communication from Whitgift has been good but also we have a surname near the start of the alphabet so not sure if that help anyone.

Good luck all and commiserations to anyone whose son did not make it to interview stage. Such a strange year. I am not sure we can afford it without some assistance anyhow.

user1468247878 · 15/01/2021 21:48

@JustJuice187

Sorry just realised I missed the query about 2 in the email title - no we don’t have that.
Thanks!

Do you have the 'very well' and an interview tomorrow?

JustJuice187 · 15/01/2021 21:52

@user1468247878 - are you from the admissions team? Sorry for asking but I don’t think I’ve seen you on the thread before? Is your son interviewing tomorrow as well?

user1468247878 · 15/01/2021 22:01

[quote JustJuice187]@user1468247878 - are you from the admissions team? Sorry for asking but I don’t think I’ve seen you on the thread before? Is your son interviewing tomorrow as well?[/quote]
Sorry, no I'm not. I'm an anxious parent too, and a newcomer to the forum as you have noticed

In answer to my own questions

I received an email with same wording as the other poster including both well enough and very well. It didn't have a (2) in the subject, and we/he has a 15 min zoom interview tomorrow. No mention of a chat with HM

Very interested to know if that is uniform to all, or of there are slight differences that may allude to ranking or scholarships etc

Or perhaps just frantically reading too much into things on a Friday night?!

JustJuice187 · 15/01/2021 22:21

@user1468247878 - ok - good luck to your DS - I know it’s a worrying time but as I said previously it really looks like a typo and I’ve decided not to read anything into it. As long as your DS does well tomorrow I’m sure it’ll be fine.
HTH

user1468247878 · 15/01/2021 22:31

[quote JustJuice187]@user1468247878 - ok - good luck to your DS - I know it’s a worrying time but as I said previously it really looks like a typo and I’ve decided not to read anything into it. As long as your DS does well tomorrow I’m sure it’ll be fine.
HTH[/quote]
Thanks and I'd be inclined to agree with your approach! What will be, will be

I feel so sorry for all the kids this year (my eldest is in yr 10 and has missed as much school as she has been in for her first GCSE year). They have had to put up and deal with so much disruption. My son had eltham entrance this morning which was the third rearrangement.

Wishing you and everyone else all the best

user1468247878 · 16/01/2021 11:11

All done

Eavesdropped a little (can't help but to!)

Much harder than I was expecting

But all done now....phew!

Good luck everyone

GrammarHopeful · 16/01/2021 11:15

DS's interview this morning went very well. I couldn't resist to listen behind the door (again!), and would rate it 9/10. He bouncing of the wall with positive energy, and I have to admit to wiping a lonely tear too.

The interviewer took the time to get to know him (through the pre-form submitted a while ago), made him feel really at ease chatting about his interests (the two of them exchanged some peculiar geographic facts—don't ask!), and then giving him two challenging maths problems (he solved both, although made a mistake in the first one, which he self-corrected as he was explaining his reasoning). Then he read a passage out loud and had to answer a comprehension question. And finally an NVR problem, which DS answer in 2 seconds (correctly).

And then they had a few minutes to discuss DS's (sensible) questions about the school.

The whole thing took just over 20 mins.

I think Trinity just went on the top of our list based on the way the interviewer made DS feel.

Best of luck to others having theirs today and in the coming week!

Childwell · 16/01/2021 11:56

Does anyone know if Whitgift are still doing interviews for entry this year. We haven’t heard anything since the exam so I am assuming that’s not great. I heard on the grapevine that other people were having interviews currently so just wondered if they had all finished yet or are they still ongoing?

AveEldon · 16/01/2021 12:09

@Childwell they are interviewing until 27 Jan

JustJuice187 · 16/01/2021 13:47

Hi @GrammarHopeful pleased to hear the interview went well. Ours did too. Which teacher interviewed your son?

Tougher than expected but DS seemed to cope

Childwell · 16/01/2021 14:06

Thank you.Thats good to know

GrammarHopeful · 16/01/2021 14:22

@JustJuice187 Thank you! I'll pm you, as feels a bit outing to put it down here.