Part 2: SW London Girl's Indies 11+ Pandemic Panic!

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www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3962084-Upcoming-girls-independent-SW-London-schools-11-exams?pg=40

Hello all, this thread continues from the previous "Upcoming Girl's Independent SW London Schools 11+ Exams" thread set up by @Oceane11Plus.

@PatoPato cleverly noticed, message slots were running low for the epic long thread as above, so all chat now continues here...

[Post edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

I reckon waiting lists will be very broad this year and a lot of movement on them too. I think the number passing grammar school SeT was higher this year, but scores also seem higher at our prep, so some people will also be surprised either way by grammar outcomes and that will impact some Indy schools, too (WHS, Epsom College, Surbiton tend to be influenced by Sutton and Tiffin test outcomes from grammar. I very much doubt they will move permanently to ISEB as I think schools like to express their ‘Brand’ through their admissions process - e.g. the crystal maze style group interviews at WHS last year!

@EITEL not all private schools are prep schools. Indeed some have secondary schools, which they would want the junior school pupils to progress to and especially if there are no formal entrance exams, then these DC don’t get the prep you are suggesting.

Also, as some PP have suggested, support during the pandemic is not a straightforward private vs state school divide. It is an individual school thing. I have heard mixed reviews from both sectors.

My DD did her ISEB in one of the schools we applied to, actually I’m happy she didn’t do it in her school as it gave her a ‘real exam feel’. Also she is happy she did it all in one go. She did some Atom learning just for a few weeks to practice the technique and did the mocks all in one go. We also hadn’t heard of ISEB before the schools we applied to signed up to this, with just a few weeks to the exam. I have been through this process before with other ( male & female) DC. I can easily say this has been the most challenging

I'm not so concerned with the state versus prep allocation as I have it on good authority that they are considered as two separate pools to which a certain number of places are allocated (perhaps 50/50 in some schools as EITEL has mentioned.

I do think, however that those extra weeks of preparation for the ISEB could have meant those state school children taking the ISEB later were at an advantage. Personally, I was happy that DD sat hers early as one of her schools required it and it gave us some breathing space over Christmas. However I know of DC who were working through Atom and GL papers from October to early Jan and spending many hours with tutors over the Christmas holidays.

We totally bought into the idea that a child can't prepare for the ISEB but are now persuaded otherwise. If you had the money for online subscriptions and tutors who could help you adjust to the new format, I believe that made a big difference. The uneven playing field this year is within the state school applications in my view, not state versus prep.

It is what it is, however and I certainly don't envy the admissions departments. Many have interviewed all candidates this year, so hopefully that will give them additional information to go on.

@dinosaurinmybelly I agree with you.

In the end I think it will level out....

@EITEL I think for most indies with a junior school the split will be 1/3 state 2/3 prep, as most schools will take the majority of their junior cohort. The most common number seems to be around 60 places, so in a co-ed school that’s broadly 15 spots for state girls (and 15 for external prep). It’s hardly surprising with those odds that there are a lot of rejections.. all you can do is reassure your daughter it’s nothing she did wrong but just a numbers game.

I wonder if you added up all the applicants and the number of places available across all schools in the area if there are enough places to go round....and if not, why sort of numbers are we talking about? It’s one thing talking about 1000 girls going for 60 places but is the reality that there are enough places for 3/4 of all applicant or maybe more?

In my opinion , it is the hardest this year with the multiple formats thrown at the kids . In terms of ISEB , there is no transparency as to what components is being picked up by the schools .
There is definitely some weightage to the references if I have read the mails correctly especially WHS which clearly mentions that they have closely read each reference in view of the unusual circumstances .
The interview process this year may be a deal breaker and I'm a bit worried about what could they glean in 10 minutes general interviews !
For WHS , they mentioned in the open morning that their intake is 30% state usually

@Yossahughes don’t forget these 1000 applicants are the same applying to different schools. So they don’t really represent the actual numbers of people needing places.
This is why it’s going to be tough, this year especially, even for the admissions teams

@warmandco3y that’s exactly the point I was trying to make....if it’s the same set of 1000-1500 applicants then there probably is space for everyone but we are all hedging our bets as paranoia is so high. At DS’ prep there was one boy in the scholarship set in the year above who didn’t choose a “banker” as his parents thought surely he will get one of those 3 choices as he’s really bright and has very high CAT scores etc...he passed all the written exams but got turned down at interview for all of them so was left without a school - luckily he was able to apply again at 12+ but it put the frighteners on parents who the following year then added 2 or 3 bankers to their 3 choices....and so the mad cycle gets perpetuated...not sure how it can be stopped though?

Anyone else doing FHSS? Have you heard anything about interviews? They’re supposedly happening next Wednesday but we haven’t been given a time slot yet or any other information

Also worth remembering that large schools like Surbiton High can have 6 classes in Year 7 so 150 places so 100 spaces to fill excluding the junior school girls so they will offer at least 300 places and use the waiting list.
For a school that is a back up for many like Notre Dame in Cobham they will offer to a really high % to those who sit because their decline rate is high.

I might have mentioned this before but if you look at the Kew College prep school Senior School results website page and count the number of children in the photo and the look at the list of offers you get an idea of how many offers are made in SW/W London!

For those interested in LEH there are 75 external places up for grabs and last year there were 430 applicants....so just under a 1 in 5 chance....WHS had 600 applicants last year for 60 external spaces and surbiton had 600 for 100 places ...Sutton was 290 applicants for 80 places. If girls are applying to at least 5 schools the numbers start to look a little bit less challenging. I would imagine that unless you are SPGS you might need to over offer at least 100 percent...

@Flossietea - me! and nothing so far from FHSS

I wonder how many are being called to interview at the different schools, presumably a lot more than in previous years, given the exam chaos.

LU called 450 to interview for 120 places.

@Singingrain1223

....and a lovely photo it is

They averaged just over 3 offers each, with the vast majority trying for 5 schools as recommended by the Head.
Numbers for that year 6 were very low , with only 12/13 in each of 2 classes, so that helped.

Best of luck to everyone in this very stressful year.

I see that KGS have moved result of exam back to 20th, with interview on 23rd. 😬

Yes, this is all super reassuring to hear (the idea that some children in particular will receive many offers but can only accept one), even for those of us who have been through this already multiple times! Good also to remember that many schools are truly lovely, so important not to rule out or discard mentally something you may have applied to perhaps as more of a "safety" school. I myself am guilty of that time time around. Must remember to keep an open mind.

does anyone know how any are called for interviews back at PHS ?for how many external places and the rough split of those places between state and prep/private ?
... by any chance
thanks

@Yossahughes sorry I completely misunderstood your post.
Yes the hysteria is worse this year, because of al the curved balls that have been thrown at so.
I honestly never thought I’d be as anxious as I find myself being, sometimes.
To an extent as well, it’s probably because one of the schools will be a perfect convenience for my family, and is a very good fit for DD. In previous years, I would’ve been more more at peace than I am this year

@montlieu I’ve been back over all my PHS notes and can’t find a thing about interview/offer stats! I can’t even find the date they are making the offers.. WHS seems a week earlier than most? Do you know if it’s 4 form entry this year? I kind of assumed it would be as they have the new building?

I've got these stats from various open days/websites

PHS (2020 Virtual Open Day)
700 apply for 108 places of which 70 are filled externally and 38 from the junior school
The split is roughly 1:2 state to independent (I assume this refers to the external offers)

WHS (2020 Virtual Open Day)
600 applicants for 60 external places, 40 come up through the junior school

FHSS (2020 Virtual Open Day)
100 places - 90 external, 10 come up from Juniors. No stats on number of applicants

G&L (from their FAQs)
900 applicants for 120 places, no stats on how many are interviewed
25% of applicants are from state schools.
10 full bursaries

I'll keep digging. I love stats

@PatoPato I would hug you if I could.. socially distanced of course!

a few more bits from my notes....

WHS is 40/60 state/ indie intake.
Class size of 24/25 (so with 100 in a year looks like 4 classes)

FHSS 5 classes of 20

@PatoPato you're just absolutely brilliant !

anything on Alleyn's by any chance ?