SW London Girls' Private & Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2022

[SkaterGrrrrl]

I watched with interest the information and support on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4177427-PART-3-SW-London-Girls-Indies-11-Results-Decisions-Panic-Over and wanted to start the same thread for South West London parents with daughters who will be applying for secondaries (independents and grammar) for places in year 7 in Sept 2022.

Where are you applying, how are the virtual open days going..... and to tutor or not to tutor?

In terms of work over the summer, we’re doing two mocks (to cover off the different answer styles required for Maths / English and VR/NVR) and get her used to exam conditions, plus about 5 mins of a maths app each day, plus a couple of hours a week of past papers. We plan to do more for the two weeks we’re on a family holiday, probably about an hour every other day.

And definitely still doing all her clubs (though quite a lot has stopped for the summer), and she will carry on with them next term as usual. She also has friends doing creative writing workshops, with more than one tutor etc. But our approach worked last time around, so fingers crossed it works again.

More than one tutor ! If you’ve done this before HighRopes and a gentler approach works then hopefully we won’t be too far off track ourselves with our plans. I think there’s merit too in not peaking too early?

Anyone trying Sutton here? Read the recent changes to stage 1?

@Thisonesfortheroad what are they? Is this for the grammars?

@Thisonesfortheroad I couldn’t find the info on Nonsuch website. Do you have a link to the details about the changes. Thanks

I’m afraid I read it on an 11+ exam forum - no link provided, hence my question here.

The OP said that one of the girls schools have said the comprehension section now includes a few questions comparing two texts. They were commenting how unfair this is as it’s KS3/4 requirement but someone else had replied saying that this isn’t something new as previous SETs have included similar before? Also pointed out it’s multiple choice and therefore not KS3/4 level stuff.

Am green to this whole process so haven’t a view either way. But do know I’ve not practiced any comparison questions in our prep to date. We’re DIY so may be just a gap in our prep.

The girls and boys do the same SET exam don't they?

Ok interesting - if it’s multiple choice it can’t be too hard. Yes same set exam for boys and girls.

Apologies if this has already been asked and I have missed it (using mobile app).
Does anyone know if the GDST are still planning ISEB and if so which papers? Putney High website says English and Maths. NHEHS doesn’t have any information and SHHS says ISEB in Maths/English/VR and NVR but that’s these can be sat in any GDST school.

Or perhaps I am confused and conflating GDST with 11 plus consortium?

I'm finding it so difficult that have not yet been able to view schools. Online really doesn't cut it, sometimes the feel of a place suddenly makes decisions easy. How's everyone else feeling?

On your knees to avoid the fees!

Agree, don’t have a real sense of any of them and any dates that are available all seem to conflict with one another.

@Twoshininglights only SHHS and NHEHS are part of the 11plus consortium. WHS do their own VR/NVR exam (they just released the date), PHS also do their own Maths / English exam. So not all GDST schools have the same process. We are doing WHS only of the GDST schools.

How are we all feeling now schools start again? We've got 6 in person Open Days over the next month or so, all pushed back from last term. Hoping after that to cut 2 or 3 out so the number of exams is manageable. Still can't decide if we should just jettison LEH given they've cut English from tehir entrance exam this year, which is DD's strong suit.

"Still can't decide if we should just jettison LEH given they've cut English from tehir entrance exam this year, which is DD's strong suit."

Wait, wut? Didn't realize this. DD is good at English too. Kind of makes sense as so many LEH girls go on to do medicine, veterinary science etc.

Breaking news

Radnor House in Twickenham announced today they are moving to a bigger site, Kneller Hall in Whitton.

I just noticed that Sutton High has a much earlier closing date for registrations (1 Oct) than lots of the other schools, so if anyone is considering applying there, it needs to be this month.

We’ve got a lot of open days booked in (finally!), plus Tiffin stage 1 is coming up in a couple of weeks. It’s all starting to feel quite real!

Good luck to all DDs sitting for the Sutton Grammars on Tuesday.

ugh, really about Radnor House?! off my list then as it being easily accessible was main plus point!!

@refusetobeasheep

ugh, really about Radnor House?! off my list then as it being easily accessible was main plus point!!

Yep - announced yesterday.

Thanks for letting us know!

@refusetobeasheep , it could be several years before the year 7 entry moves to Kneller/Whitton as Radnor will need to build up the prep school to take over the Strawberry Hill facilities, currently it starts in Year 5. The main down point of Radnor has been the lack of space at lunchtime etc and for sports so it's bound to make the school more popular. Plus Whitton station is on a good fast train line, the catchment for the school is massively increased. It could be a great move to be there when so much investment will be directed towards the sites.

@cricketjoys85 All very good points! I think we will still go to the open day and make a judgement call after that. And try cycling to the new location to see if that's doable!

I know the SW London private school market well and many parents of middle of the road ds will be relieved to know that in the medium term there are more spaces coming into play. If you live in somewhere like east sheen and your ds isn't up to KGS/Ibstock it can be a nightmare.