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

[MumsRule20]

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]

@Oceane11Plus that was fantastic Jags did that and a way to show off some creative skills and individuality.

Congratulations to all with the JAGS offers 👍

Wow! The thread has moved on fast!

Congratulations @Brot64 that’s a big achievement and nice to have one in the bag as you say. I can see be logic of having 2 at the same school though.

@stellagibbons commiserations but your DD did so well to get selected for it! I wonder if not having the ‘golden chalice’ helps clarify your thinking in a way as you are not accepting because of the scholarship but on school merit?

I’m in a right muddle and I’ll try not to go on and on about it as it will be infuriating for anyone on waitlist. PHS has a full day of offer holder events tomorrow so that’s DD’s homeschooling sorted! We’ll drive to all the campuses and walk round them over the weekend. I found the JAGs offer letter quite cold and formal (emphasis on payment and acceptance) but I can’t judge such an amazing school on a single communication... so all in the air!

@MumsRule20 I’m sorry to hear you are feeling tired, stressed and anxious, I think there are lots who feel the same, tomorrow has been a long time coming and this year of all years with all the change and uncertainty has been particularly tough on parents. (((Big Hug))) Remind me which schools you are waiting for and if you have a favourite? xx

@MumsRule20 yes, you have my sympathies and do hang in there. I think covid stress on top of school stress is taking its toll on all of us!

@MumsRule20 Sorry to read how you are feeling. You've been so positive and have been cheering all of us up during this process but it's normal to feel this way. I don't know why but I personally feel drained today after the excitement this morning. Hope to feel better tomorrow after a good night.

Congratulations to those with offers today from JAGS. Nothing for us as not one we applied to. Just waiting to hear about 3 schools tomorrow 😫

@MumsRule20 I am with you on the anxiety front, and just when I manage to push it to the back of my mind DD comes to me with a million questions of which school? What if she gets no offers? Where would I like her to go? What if the postman doesn’t come tomorrow? How many hours till he should come?! etc.....
trying to keep her nerves in check - actually it helps because in reassuring her that she is awesome and the world is hers for the taking wherever she goes I remind myself of the same. (And then I find myself thinking that if any school doesn’t want her it’s their loss and then can off!) Ahh the many stages of anxiety!!

Hee hee love how it hasn’t printed what I wrote before ‘off’!! I actually just put 4 stars; you can input what you like..!

@stellagibbons @Stircrazyschoolmum @Brot64 and @Oceane11Plus congratulations your DDs, really well done Re JAGS. We received a WL email from JAGS. A bit of a downer as I found out yesterday it’s the one DD really wants. She had looked on the website and found out the results were due today and she couldn’t fall asleep anxious. I do already have DD there so she knows the school reasonably well.
She asked me if WL was a bad thing. I had received feedback on her ISEB and she did very well in 3 subjects and a just average on the 4th ( which incidentally is are strongest subject and she did very well in this subject in the non-ISEB schools). I had asked for feedback, for my own knowledge. She also did very well apparently in her interview and creative writing, but there were lots of applicants and lots of competition this year.
So it’s a waiting game for us. All the best for those waiting

Not posted for a while, I returned to work doing long hours after my bout with covid. Finding the driving a bit exhausting

her

Congrats @Stircrazyschoolmum@Oceane11Plus@Brot64@stellagibbons on the offers
@WarmAndco3y we had exactly a similar feedback from our ISEB WL schools that DD fell short by a very small margin on one of the subjects . I keep on juggling numbers in my head through the day to convince myself it will move even if the schools over offer as there is a lot of overlap !

@SouthLondonMommy personally I would accept the offer for the school you think might suit your DD now, seeing as you can afford it.
I have gone through this process with my other children, and yes it was nowhere as stressful as this year, we were reasonably relaxed in fact, but the issue is you just never know. And if you need to change schools for Secondary, then you do what you have to.
My other DC also went to independent primaries ( not prep), the home work wasn’t bad and not every night. They still had time to do extracurricular things. All very sporty, musical and interact a lot with cousins, family friends and grandparents.

@WarmAndco3y it’s really frustrating when they do that! Did you think she had a different favourite? I can understand the attraction of being with her sister.. at least she has a good feel for the school and it sounds like she must be very high up WL?

I’m glad you are getting better from
Co-vid.. although the long hours don’t sound brilliant. Make sure you are being kind to yourself. Who are you waiting on tomorrow?

@Trialsat11 and @troubled sending positive vibes and magical postman dust in your direction.. ours doesn’t usually turn up till lunchtime.

@WarmAndco3y thanks for the perspective and that's great to hear. We've also just been accepted for Alleyns and I think both JAGs and Alleyns are meant to be fairly gentle at primary regarding homework etc.

Congrats to all the moms on this thread who have gotten offers today and good luck to those still waiting! I'm sure the waiting lists will move.

@WarmAndco3y I'm sure I read somewhere that JAGS keeps their waitlist purposefully short, so hopefully there will be some movement and you don't have to wait too long.

@SouthLondonMommy congratulations on your offers. We've come from a state primary (prep not an option for us) and the best thing about it for us has been the proximity to school and feeling part of our local community. We go to a good (not outstanding) primary and the teaching has mostly been great - DD happens to be in a very high acheiving cohort and that has really benefited her. What she has missed out on (especially as a quieter child) has been the extra-curricular side of things - they do very, very little sport. Music is very so-so. But, we didn't have an external tutor and a lot of the work we put in was only covering what was missed at school in Year 5, plus exam practice.

@MumsRule20 sorry, I fully meant to give you a virtual hug as well - I'm sorry everything is feeling so hard at the moment.

Good luck to all of you with the final postal drop tomorrow.....after this I am sure those WLs will start to move as people will have all their cards on the table. Quite a few girls at DDs prep are just waiting on KGS and are holding WHS and LEH places. I think everyone will eventually get what they want so sit tight!

@Yossahughes just out of curiosity , would you know if they have a clear preference between those places ?

Is anyone able to advise whether in the event that one pays a deposit to secure a place at a school then later decides to go to another school. Does one lose just the deposit or is one also liable for the balance of the money to make up the winter term ?
I suspect the terms of the offers vary between schools ? Perhaps also whether they will fill the spot ?

@trialsat11 both want kgs as it more local and they have DS’ already there...

@Iamsodone

Is anyone able to advise whether in the event that one pays a deposit to secure a place at a school then later decides to go to another school. Does one lose just the deposit or is one also liable for the balance of the money to make up the winter term ? I suspect the terms of the offers vary between schools ? Perhaps also whether they will fill the spot ?

You need to read the individual terms and conditions carefully - usually you would lose the deposit plus own the autumn term - whether they fill the spot or not

*owe not own!

@Iamsodone , generally you pay the deposit to hold the place. If you don't want to take up the place you need to give notice by the first day of the summer term. You don't get the deposit back.
Once you are past the summer term date you may have to pay for the Autumn term. The Tiffin list often moves slightly in June and early Sept and parents will take the Tiffin place and forfeit a terms fees for a free education.
With so much WL movement expected this year I expect more deposits will be put down than normal.
Also the private sector goes back a week before the state for summer term this year.

Best of luck to everyone waiting for tomorrow.

@Trialsat11 are you looking for LEH or WHS? I think we’ll give up our WHS place on Monday and continue to deliberate between PHS and jags. I wish I could allocate it to you directly!!

@Stircrazyschoolmum I have 3 waitlists - WHS, PHS and LEH :( Each day is an exercise in patience as I try not to think of the disaster !
My friend who would b giving up the WHS place also wished the same but then ! I would hope all the release of offers would eventually lead us to get a place on one of these waitlists .