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Secondary education

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

983 replies

MumsRule20 · 13/01/2021 17:42

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]

OP posts:
Oreo2019 · 15/01/2021 11:31

DD has just received an invite for WHS group interview, too! Yay!

Sabdav11Plus · 15/01/2021 11:32

It s a group activity - A friend s daughter sat last year and said it was almost be like a junior version of The Apprentice minus the commercial aspect

Gladtidings1 · 15/01/2021 11:33

We have a straight no from whs. It was a long shot for us and I'm ok with that (although not going to tell DD just yet as she didn't know we were expecting anything). It was a nice email though and seems like a good school for the 60 girls who finally get through the process! Good luck to those still waiting

Yossahughes · 15/01/2021 11:34

We got the invitation from WHS too - so relieved!

PatoPato · 15/01/2021 11:38

All my eyes saw when I opened the WHS email was 'It has been such a pity not to have been able to invite the girls'..... a heart stopping moment.

Having completed the first interview this morning which was utter car crash (I'm still cringing when I replay it back in my mind), I'm not feeling good at all. DD is so strong on paper but god awful at interviews. It's going to be her downfall. Anyone else mortified at what they overheard at interview?

Trialsat11 · 15/01/2021 11:39

We also have a 45 min interview . I'm so nervous . It is DD's and ours first choice and we live on the doorstep !

montlieu · 15/01/2021 11:40

Ibstock Place School has anyone got input on their online learning workshop ? It’s a group activity

SouthLondonMommy · 15/01/2021 11:43

It will be a stretch school for a lot of applicants and also not the first choice for others (its not SPGS). I think schools with that profile get a disproportionate number of applicants and the school do have to over offer.

Everyone applying to so many schools makes the numbers fairly meaningless these days. Alleyns select the top 5-10% academically so if you are in that range you are in with a good shot.

SouthLondonMommy · 15/01/2021 11:44

my post to @montlieu about Alleyns!

dazedandconfused11plus · 15/01/2021 11:50

Big hugs to all those whose DDs didn't make it to the WHS interviews. It's a numbers game and those odds are frankly ludicrous!

DD is through which is a relief. However, the pessimist in me is worrying she will be borderline for each school and still will be without an offer in February!

@PatoPato really don't worry. They are only 10/11 years and the schools will all be aware it's probably their first time being interviewed (and I'm sure a random stranger 'interviewing' a 10/11 years old is peculiar to UK independent school culture; can't see that happening anywhere else in the world!) Better to bomb the interview than be weirdly overly-polished. I think it's more cringey for us tbh!

Stircrazyschoolmum · 15/01/2021 11:52

We’d literally just finished the Emanuel exam and the WHS invite came through! Quite a surprise as it’s a stretch for us.

@Gladtidings1 I’m sorry to hear that and hope you are not too disappointed.. not saying anything might be the kindest policy if she is unaware.

@PatoPato what happened on the interview, was it group or individual?

DrRamsesEmerson · 15/01/2021 11:52

@PatoPato, DD's interview for LU was pretty catastrophic! Even without being able to see the screen I could tell she was getting everything wrong. I comforted myself with the thought that she was polite and she was talking- she didn't clam up - but really those were the only positives.

PatoPato · 15/01/2021 12:05

Individual with 2 teachers, 10 minutes - punchy, no pleasantries, no opportunity to ask questions. She blurted out how nervous she was immediately after saying Hi.
5 minutes on getting to know you - favourite subjects, hobbies etc. It was this she tanked on. Honestly it was appalling. It was an opportunity for her to tell then what kind of person she is and it was wasted.
Then 5 minutes reasoning over an image - she was much stronger & more comfortable on this but is also a very leftfield thinker so came at it from a very quirky angle before they got her back on track with redirecting her thinking & she kind of got there I guess though not very eloquently. I love the quirk aspect of her but it's not for every school, maybe not for any school Shock

Think I'm going to have to go for a run

Stircrazyschoolmum · 15/01/2021 12:48

Wrap up warm @PatoPato, it’s freezing out there! DD is beside herself there is snow forecast for the morning and she has no work to do!!

DD’s JAGS interview was very ropey, the tech kept freezing so she missed bits and became flustered. She described her picture using words including ‘thingy’ ‘whatssit’ and ‘pointy pits’. Plus she forgot to talk about any sports or drama achievements. The chap she had acted like he had never spoken to a 10 year old girl before.. sometimes I wonder if they expect far too much.

Flossietea · 15/01/2021 13:16

At my own 11+ interview (many moons ago) I told the interviewer I wanted to be an opera singer when I grew up. The nice lady asked if I sang a lot and I just said ‘no not really’ and elaborated no further.
My mum was beside herself when I told her but I still got in! So, I guess you never know what they’re looking for.

DD’s interview today went ok I think. I didn’t hear much because she demanded I left her alone but she seemed happy afterwards. Who knows if she’s what they’re looking for? We just have to wait for February! Confused

stellagibbons · 15/01/2021 13:22

DD's JAGS interview was terrible as well - she was monosyllabic, somehow ended up talking about sport even though she's not sporty at all as the interviewer latched onto something she said in passing and didn't expand on a single question.

Pretty much the only question she came even slightly alive and sounded confident in was the maths one, which is something I guess.

We've only applied to a couple of indies as we're not that set on DD going private and wanted to stay relatively local, which limited our choice somewhat. So JAGS was our only interview and, as it was quite early on in the whole process, I didn't really take it that seriously for some reason? Obviously I'm kicking myself now.

I do think it has been so hard for them this year - DD hasn't been able to do a couple of her activities for the best part of a year now, so has pretty much forgotten that she ever did them. It's really hard for them to talk with passion about much when they have barely left the house for months on end.

Yossahughes · 15/01/2021 13:24

I wonder how many of the 1000 applicants for WHS made it through to the group assessment phase?...quite bizarre to think that some of our daughters might be in the same group! 🤪 DD also got an invitation to the Sport Scholarship assessment that’s just a 10 minute interview as opposed to an actual physical assessment so very odd....

stellagibbons · 15/01/2021 13:25

@Flossietea DH was telling me that his mother sat in his sister's interview for secondary school for some reason, and was horrified when she was asked what she really disliked and her answer was 'school' and when asked exactly what about school she didn't like answered 'the work'. She still got a place!

stellagibbons · 15/01/2021 13:26

Congratulations to everyone who is hearing about interviews and good luck, and commiserations to those who aren't. I've been trying to keep off this thread a bit as we've got a wait now to hear anything, and I'm trying (and failing) not to think about it too much!

EITEL · 15/01/2021 13:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trialsat11 · 15/01/2021 14:42

Did anyone have a clash for LEH and WHS ? I know WHS cannot be rescheduled but was wondering if LEH would .

PatoPato · 15/01/2021 14:56

Back from my run - brrrrr, v cold
Thank you for all of your stories of rubbish interviews that made me feel not so alone.
EITEL 'I still replay it in my mind and feel physically sick' - this will be me from now until end of Feb

Yossahughes · 15/01/2021 14:58

No - but we are cutting it very fine between the LEH interview and her WHS sports interview...5 mins in between! 😱

MumsRule20 · 15/01/2021 15:06

@PatoPato I am so sorry about your WHS news, I hope your DD is ok - have you told her yet? Breaking the news is so hard. Hopefully you cleared your head a but after the run? Try keep faith. Remind us of options left?

DD did Emanuel exam today. I won’t elaborate much but didn’t go too well and a bit of upset. Also worn down by last few months and now homeschooling, I suspect.

@Stircrazyschoolmum how did your DD find the exam today?

Well done everyone else with good news and keep faith to all those who haven’t had good news as hoped.

Keep the inspiring interview stories where it didn’t go as planned but didn’t impact chances of an offer. Anything to keep the spirits up during this rollercoaster ride.

OP posts:
dazedandconfused11plus · 15/01/2021 15:16

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/3481914-what-was-the-worst-11-interview-answer-your-dc-has-given

Re interviews, this might put you at ease! Grin