SW London Private & Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2023 (Part II)

[QuiteAJourney]

Continuation of the thread
SW London Girls' Private & Grammar - applying for year 7 in 2023

www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4643252-sw-london-girls-private-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023?page=40

Looking forward to continuing the journey with all of you!!

@KindergartenKop @AC7001 I don't see how it could be less than 150 and I expect it will be more. They are undoubtedly a highly ranked school but most people I know who had interviews are more keen on St Paul's, Tiffins or KGS and I am sure this would be something that they are used to as it must be the same every year.

The information on the school website, which is linked in the interview invite, says it is one 15 mins interview with one member of the senior leadership team. Seems like something which can be replicated online easily enough.

@VickiMent yes you have a point, people apply to a couple of 'top' schools and so Hampton might not be top choice for them.

I was looking at the bus route map, they have kids from a huge area though. As far in as Parsons Green and as far out as Windsor and Ascot!

@VickiMent interesting point re offers. We didn't apply to Hampton due to location and the fact that I wasn't sure we'd even get an interview. Is KGS considered as popular?

@KindergartenKop , yes a lot also apply to Tiffin and other top schools you have listed plus RGS. Yes in my ds's first class the boys came from Worcester Park, Leatherhead and Windsor as well as the local areas. There are lots from Chiswick, Sheen, Richmond, Twick and then Weybridge, Esher, wimbledon across the year. The Windsor journey is actually quick and easier than the buses that cross the river at hampton court.

Have you got a favourite if you get KGS/Hampton/Tiffin or are you concentrating on getting through each week?

We didn't apply to it, it was on our radar but they weren't as open as other schools with visits and we never managed to see it. We also weren't keen on the split campus. Some of DS' friends are very very keen on it though and have had interviews.

Our Head said that despite Hampton being a better school academically, KGS is equally hard to get into. He put it down to it being smaller (less places for boys in our case) and other options in the immediate area being limited.

@sailingsunshine the journey to KGS and Tiffin is easier for us so I think we'd prefer those if we got an offer, but I have no idea if we will!

What about you?

Yes I realised I got confused. The group ones are for scholarahip only. Emanuel has group experience for both normal and academic.

@KindergartenKop , I've been through it and have a ds at Hampton, he also had a KGS offer but he likes football and it's played at a higher standard at Hampton so it was an easy decision.
I'm sure your ds will do very well, it's a really long process if you have to hang on for early March too. Best of luck.

@SamPoodle123
Actually my DS's were both talking about verbal reasoning rather than maths -they finished maths papers but both had a couple of verbal reasoning questions at the end they ran out of time to do. Oh well. Not long to go to find out

@sailingsunshine we don't have a massive preference for sports/art/drama and stuff. He's more of a general geek 🤓 so just needs an academic atmosphere so it sort of makes it easier to choose IF we get offers!

@knopka ah, I thought you were talking about the math.

I can't wait to find out about Emanuel! I feel like we have been waiting forever to find out. At least I am less stressed as we heard back from two on Friday with positive news.

@SamPoodle123 do you have a preference towards single sex or co-ed? What are your views about them?

@Workhar not really. I went to co-ed in a different country, so for myself, I would prefer co-ed :) But my dd does not mind either way. We only applied to one co-ed (Emanuel) and did not apply to Latymer Upper (although, I kind of wish we did, but it was too late when I changed my mind). We applied to 3 all girl schools, so most likely dd will end up at one of those! I do have a ds, so it might be nice for them to go together. But ultimately, it is where they get in and what suits them best. I just hope the schools we applied to and that dd gets into is the best one for her.

What about you?

@SamPoodle123 ideally I would have liked a co-ed but SW london didn’t offer us many options. Both KGS and LU were not great pastoral fits for DD.

@Workhar may I ask what concerned you re pastoral at KGS? Thought that was a strength of the school.

My apologies! Maybe I used the wrong language. It wasn’t a great fit for DD who is academic and not into sports. She didn’t enjoy the open day.

@Workhar ah! I see what you mean. Thankyou. I think the open days at KGS were hugely crowded, especially when it rained at one.

Wishing everyone luck and hope you are all ok!! What a process!

Re: Emanuel communication of progressing to stage 2 - I understand that those applying for art scholarships have been asked to handover portfolios on Monday am and collect in the late afternoon. Assuming that they are going to communicate art scholars whether they have progressed at the same time as everyone else, that would point to communication on Monday evening or later.
Any others have heard similarly?

Sorry if I have missed this but does anyone knows how many girls have been invited for the WHS interview tomorrow? Don't really know much about the details of it apart that it is a creative assessment. Thanks a lot for your replies.

A friend phoned and was told some 400, which I think is quite a lot as they do not have that many spaces (some 60-70, I think, but not sure).
I think it is a group exercise, solving tasks together.

Jeez… 400! That’s a lot!

@Taurus23 I was quite surprised, tbh. Apparently, they dropped 1/3 of applicants between stage 1 and stage 2. At least, this is what a friend was told when she asked.

400 seems quite a lot. From what I have heard all girls that went to second round last year ended up with a place offered or waitlist.. for 60 places ?

how many groups are there? Mine is in the morning 8.40 and there are at least group a and b