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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:
Wobbles21 · 22/11/2020 21:59

At Trinity 6 th formers were providing travel escorts in the first term. There are tonnes of Trinity boys all walking / bussing it together from East Croydon and the teachers keep a very close eye on behaviour at crossing and bus stops. The bus stop is immediately outside the school . My DS goes on the tram from Wimbledon.

montlieu · 23/11/2020 13:55

yes it's correct
Trinity organise a free optional chaperonne service to school for the first weeks of the school year by matching 6th formers to new boys.
It's been tremendously helpful to us and our boys both helping with the journeys and also meet new boys !

SuiGeneris · 24/11/2020 06:03

The chaperone service is a really good idea. Is it for the coach too or just the train?

Do we know when interviews will start?

JustJuice187 · 24/11/2020 09:34

A letter went out yesterday - I believe interviews are in January.

EnolanotAlone · 28/11/2020 14:21

@JustJuice187 may I ask if was this a general interview or scholarship letter? We have yet to receive any update from Trinity or Whitgift on submissions or interviews, so keen to understand what we might expect as we were delayed on submitting our application.

We would be delighted with an offer from either school, however starting to swaying towards the academic, pastoral care excellence of Trinity (vs Whitgift) due to a pecking pecking order with the school of the Alpha A teams vs the rest.

This sentiment was reinforced with Whitgift's application form expecting National, county or regional level representation level for a 10/11yr old - were we the only ones with a blank lines, feeling somewhat initimated by stating the Saturday morning football team on the common.

Can anyone share the reality what Whitgift would be like for a smart, capable all rounder. Just trying to think of the whole child and potentially being on team M, N, O, P for rugby, football, swimming, cricket.

LemonGreen · 28/11/2020 14:54

My son is Yr7 at Whitgift and the most unsporting child ever. He is on exactly zero teams at the school. In the first half-term they had to do tasters for rugby, football, hockey and swimming and the kids are then asked to attend the various training sessions. Because my son had never done any team sports, he wasn't expected to attend but he could if he chose (he did not) The teams are all organised A-F but there's movement over time as they improve, the older kids leave etc.

My son has instead taken up fencing, squash and golf lessons as well as a few academic clubs, orchestra etc. He has plenty of non-sporty friends. They're not all athletes Smile

JustJuice187 · 28/11/2020 15:46

Sorry @EnolanotAlone I’m a bit confused by your post. The query was regarding when interviews are. No one has received their offers etc yet as no boys have sat the exam yet. If you haven’t received any correspondence from the school yet and you say you were late in registering (?) I’d suffer following this up with the school as they have sent out lots of info about the exam process this year.
I can’t really comment on Whitgift - DS has friends there but it is a very different school.

JustJuice187 · 28/11/2020 15:47

‘Suggest’ not ‘suffer’ 🙄

JustJuice187 · 28/11/2020 15:50

Trinity has a very sporty element too with similarly excellent sport facilities - DS1 is more musical than sporty but my DS 2 is def a sportier and I’m equally happy sending him there. The school does have a very caring ethos which is very focused on the boys and their well-being which really comes across from the moment you enter the school.

AveEldon · 28/11/2020 15:56

[quote EnolanotAlone]@JustJuice187 may I ask if was this a general interview or scholarship letter? We have yet to receive any update from Trinity or Whitgift on submissions or interviews, so keen to understand what we might expect as we were delayed on submitting our application.

We would be delighted with an offer from either school, however starting to swaying towards the academic, pastoral care excellence of Trinity (vs Whitgift) due to a pecking pecking order with the school of the Alpha A teams vs the rest.

This sentiment was reinforced with Whitgift's application form expecting National, county or regional level representation level for a 10/11yr old - were we the only ones with a blank lines, feeling somewhat initimated by stating the Saturday morning football team on the common.

Can anyone share the reality what Whitgift would be like for a smart, capable all rounder. Just trying to think of the whole child and potentially being on team M, N, O, P for rugby, football, swimming, cricket.[/quote]
National, county or regional level - this is for the sports scholarships not just normal entry though

EnolanotAlone · 28/11/2020 17:27

@JustJuice187 realise offers are not til feb.. I was just wondering what was in the letter you received? Sorry curious as we haven’t received anything yet.

EnolanotAlone · 28/11/2020 17:29

We registered well before cut-off in early Nov, not not sept/oct when applications opened.

JustJuice187 · 28/11/2020 18:02

@EnolanotAlone they have been sending regular updates by email to all applicants on the exam process - we’ve not received any special letters 😁. Would suggest you get in touch with the school if you’ve not heard from them at all.

AveEldon · 28/11/2020 21:34

Which school?
We have had one email from Whitgift and one from Trinity - that's it

GrammarHopeful · 29/11/2020 00:10

@EnolanotAlone

If it helps, we received the following from T so far:

  1. Application submission complete
  2. Application review result (day later)
  3. Video link for 11+ Applicants 2021 (on the 20th).

DS sat ISEB elsewhere, as you know, so I am just hoping to hear whether he'll be invited to an interview at some point.

JustJuice187 · 29/11/2020 09:26

Maybe it depends on whether you are sitting ISEB at the school. I have had all the above but also an email last week confirming further details of the day and that interviews are in Jan. Nothing further. I really wouldn’t read anything into that btw. We are only sitting ISEB there because it’s the most familiar environment for DS2.

montlieu · 29/11/2020 10:03

@SuiGeneris or us chaperonne was for public transport, TRAIN TO EC+ BUS, both ways until boys felt they could do it by themselves I.e.

EnolanotAlone · 30/11/2020 09:38

Thank you @GrammarHopeful@JustJuice187
We logged on to the registration and can see there were registration confirmation etc - the updates we’re sent to DH 😩 and ended up in junk folder. We are all full time Exec PA’s managing these logistics. Breathing ever so slightly easier now..

Feeling ever so apprehensive, what are peoples views on the likelihood the schools will to advise ( put us out of our misery) with interview dates before term ends. There is no apparent delay in marking actual papers - a cutoff / shortlist must be easier to determine this year. Am I wishful thinking - I could never be patient for Christmas presents either Grin

JustJuice187 · 30/11/2020 13:49

Difficult to say @EnolanotAlone - previous years we were told about 2- 3 weeks after exam.
T has a second ISEB sitting on the 12th so quite possibly not before Christmas would be my guess.

slydish · 04/12/2020 21:28

Well I am now quite concerned.

My boy will sit the iseb.

I think we could only afford it with a scholarship and we would not be able to get bursary help, which is fair enough.

He loves sport. He wants to try for sports scholarships but is not a national champion.
I now wish I had downplayed it.

The school just seems like it is so big and has such wonderful facilities.

I would be very concerned that my son if he gets a place won't be satisfied with the grammar he is likely to be offered.

Anyhow I am feeling now that I have done the wrong thing by applying. It just feels wrong in my stomach if you know what I mean?

slydish · 04/12/2020 21:29

And anyway he is from the state system so may not even get very far!

Walkingtheplank · 05/12/2020 00:06

Dont undersell your son because he is at a state school.

My son was at a state primary and has a chunky academic scholarship. - and we were never told by his primary that he was especially clever so it was a surprise when we received the offer.

We had tried for a sports scholarship but he's not county level so nothing came of that.

His friends are a real mix of ex-prep and primary school boys. It's very mixed in that respect.

Good luck for tomorrow. I'm sure they'll make it fun. Wrap up warm, they might have to leave windows open.

EnolanotAlone · 20/12/2020 06:24

Has anyone received any interview coms yet for W other than 26/11 email? interviews meant to be starting from the 6th.

AveEldon · 20/12/2020 07:12

@EnolanotAlone

Has anyone received any interview coms yet for W other than 26/11 email? interviews meant to be starting from the 6th.
Yes we had a email last week
saturnrover · 20/12/2020 08:47

Yes we got an invite to interview.

What do they say to parents? I am more concerned about that part of the interview.