11+ Exams - Are we being realistic? / Waiting List offers

[Greenstheword]

This is my second time going through the 11+ process. Eldest DS was a breeze - academic and enthusiastic about revising for exams.

My 10 year old DS who is now sitting exams is mildly dyslexic and scoring 100-120 on CAT tests, depending on the day.

He has problems with spelling and his handwriting is slow and untidy. His Maths is great but he rushes and makes mistakes. On ISEB papers he generally scores in the 80's % On Atom he's scoring on average 115.

I am worried he will end up without any offers at all. We just learned he did not make the second round for Kingston Grammar. Our other schools are:

Hampton, Reeds, Emanuel, Ibstock and Radnor House. Realise he's unlikely profile for Ibstock but didn't want to leave it out as we live very close by.

Has anyone had WL offers from the above schools and did your DC have a similar profile.

Going by the conversation in the threat on SW Girls Grammar and Private (which actually also covers boys!), quite a few people are applying to 6, with most people in the 5-8 range.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4643252-sw-london-girls-private-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023?page=14&reply=121550387

Thanks, seems a lot! So many exams for young children and I am sure they stop feeling any adrenaline after the first 2-3. We are no different and applying to more schools than I would like, but nothing seems a certainty this year.

@Claphamrise 9 for us but some under same ISEB … We re quite central (Kew House, St Benedict) and sadly competition is fierce even for these type of indies 😞

we saw Harrodian the other day and was so taken aback by the whole setting we pray to God he doesn’t get in (can’t believe I’m saying this!) 😖

Just 3 for us - KGS, Radnor and Emanuel. I thought I was doing DS a favour - but now starting to panic that I haven’t done enough. But I think the panic is a natural part of the process and fully believe that all will unfold as it’s meant to. Just hard to hold your nerve!

DS played Harrodian recently at football and said the same thing. "I'm not going there Mum". He said the cafe was great but everything else was awful. Good to know he is a good judge of schools at the tender age of 11 😂

@Twickmum1 probably wiser choice you made as your kid can focus on them rather than a batch of them . I’m pretty sure you’re doing more than enough for him!! We are doing what we can for them, and no one has a clue if we’re doing the right thing… we just get on with it … it’s amazing to know we re not alone though , it’s such a crap process , it’s just so hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t gone through this 💩

@Geville i love your DS! My son (shallow as he typically is) loved Harrodian and how the lady was going on about the pool parties 🙄💃

We have also applied to Harrodian, mainly just because it's ISEB and it's fairly local. I couldn't quite put my finger on how I felt about it after visiting. What specifically about it didn't you like?

What are everyone's to choices at the moment?

KGS for us. Then Emanuel, then tricky but prob Kew...

That’s what a lot of people say about it. We didn’t apply based on what DS said and now sort of regret it as it’s fairly local. I’d be interested to hear more too.

Interested in views on Harrodian too. ISEB was a big factor for us but we actually liked it on visit (our DD is quite into music and art, sports not being a big thing)

It looks lovely and has some amazing facilities but visiting it and also knowing two families that go there , it wouldn’t suit my son who needs pushing .. if left to himself in a chilled relaxed environment he ll do Nothing! Nada!

also I spent a whole hour going around the school and it was clear it was lacking the presence of a variety of cultures .. it also gave off the “lots of money” feel which is just not us.
It was though a lovely, caring school so definitely worth visiting …

Also and I really hope it doesn’t come across in a bad way but for us it felt like a salon/spa rather than a school

Nor for us but definitely an amazing place for other families x

Ooh we're nowhere near Harrodian but I like the sound of a spa school , for me that is, especially after all this 11+ malarkey!

@LoveMyADHD thanks for sharing your views.

@QuiteAJourney good luck hope your DD gets in!!!

@secondaryquandries oh yes.. think marble bathrooms for the kiddies! 😂

They did say though they get about 600 applications for about 45 kids (girls and boys) so it’s very very popular ! Definitely not a back up in a any way!

Yes thank you @LoveMyADHD!

I honestly don't think there are any back up options these days.

Wow, the numbers are worse than for KGS or Emanuel!

DS has applied to Tiffin, KGS, Hampton, Radnor, Claremont and Ewell Castle. I'm really hoping for Tiffin or KGS and sort of regret applying to Radnor because it's such a long journey and a bit of an unknown quantity.

What do you mean by ‘taken aback’ by Harrodian’s setting? My DC loved the setting. Was there something else you didn’t like?

Has anyone heard back yet from Ibstock Place School about the next stage of their 11+ application process?

No news yet. Our email inviting us to the assessment last Saturday said that results will be out this week. I thought they would release on Friday together with results from 'catch up assessment' that took place on Wednesday for those kids with an exam clash on Saturday.
But a friend has just mentioned to me that the invite for her daughter, which took the assessment on Wednesday, did not mention any date.
Not sure where that leaves us...
So far, all schools seem to be following their timetable or even releasing earlier than anticipated (e.g. WHS had said on the 2nd and have send the emails today, one day earlier)

Day did the catch up yesterday at Ibstock and no news either !

On a separate note pick up from Ibstock at 4ish was a nightmare, not sure if it’s exceptional case but it took me 2 hours to get home(took 20 mins to get out of their road )… not sure this time I ll be upset with a No 😂