SW London Private & Grammar: applying for year 7 in 2023

[QuiteAJourney]

Following up from
www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4716365-sw-london-private-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023-part-iii?page=40

Sharing the journey

It’s a numbers game isn’t it, in an affluent area of high population density. If you have more applicants than places the school has to choose somehow, and a combo of exam and interview doesn’t seem an unreasonable way to do it. In other parts of the Uk I suspect it’s as you describe - see how Portsmouth High (for example) has to work to get applicants because it’s a in a completely different sort of area. I don’t think any of us have gone into this process without knowing it’s competitive. It’s our job as parents to make sure the stress lies with us, not our DC.

Having said that am jolly glad it’s almost over. I’d like to go back to real life!

One of the most sensible comments on the forum lately. Particularly like the part

“It’s our job as parents to make sure the stress lies with us, not our DC.” 👏🏼👏🏼

And stay sane ourselves :)

Plenty of people outside London flock to the "elite hyper-competitive schools" in London make the situation way worse then before.

@QuiteAJourney @SamPoodle123 , I believe Emanuel is showing they will support in academic and kids’ interests.

Two friends’ DC , Year 8 and Year 9, on the tennis circuit found the West London super selective schools didn’t support their training programs and competition travel time. One is still trying to juggle it all, the other turn down offer and gone to another school, girls only, which is more supportive.

So in answer to the question of first choice schools it really depends on kids and family and their requirements. Though, I tell DC that all the schools applying are in the good choice category and there are no preference. Seen kids crying hysterically since they know which is the top choice and they didn’t get an offer, so not fair on them.

Good luck to all!

On "Explosive offers" I heard Highgate and Channing issue those in recent years and it clearly written in the offers (obviously there are some parents ignore those).

With record number interviews we heard here in the thread and the pandamic over I think some schools will have to do that this year. - it is just hard to work out the number of offers to make for school based on the past years data.

Does anyone know if Emanuel email results or is it post Thursday to be received Friday?

They send by post on the 9th, to be received by Friday the 10th and they also email on the 10th. Why cant they just email on the 9th!?!?!?!

@SamPoodle123 thanks!

Assuming Exams Vs Interviews VS Offers Vs WL data for all schools is a good calculation exercise but it all boils to offers in hand and helping those with WL offers. Plus the grammar school offers, French Lycee offers and boarding schools offers in the mix.
Good luck to all and do give up places if you know you have an offer you going for. Knew a few families that held on to multiple offers to the final day even though they favoured one school.

Certainly 500 (including 10+) does not tally with 2/3 being called back for interviews.
Just wondering if anyone due tomorrow or Thursday could ask. Hopefully one of the number above will get confirmed (or we might get yet another number thrown into the mix!). 🙃

Apologies if I got the numbers slightly wrong. I was just talking to one of the senior leadership staff about how there seemed to be such a large number of children at the 11+ interview and he said that they had invited roughly 500 back but it might look like more as some were there for the 10+ and some younger siblings were in the waiting area. He was modest and said that not all those attending would have Emanuel as their first choice so they wanted interview the right amount so that they offered places to the right number of students. I didn’t know that they ever promised to interview 2/3 of those applying but perhaps they interviewed 599 and that is roughly 1/3. 😊

@89fomveg thanks for the clarification.
By way of background, and with apologies if you know already, the 2/3 statement is in one of the Emanuel videos. And the HM mentioned 960 applications to a poster (apologies, I don't recall who). "Some 500" instead of 640 is rather a rounding exercise, hence the surprise / questions (especially as Emanuel has 96 places).

Emanuel has a sibling policy with slightly lower pass marks on the tests, so expect fewer than 96 to be available for non-siblings

Indeed. Even within the (let's say) 600 interviews for 96 places, those not having a sibling have a lower probability.

So Emanuel has not been honest.

or the teacher who took that question did not know their numbers?

that was me - he specifically said 960 so I very much doubt they would be dishonest. sounds more like an overworked/confused member of staff erroneously citing wrong numbers in the latter case.

I wouldn't place so much faith on what a teacher said off the cuff. They even invite retired teachers back to help cope with the sheer numbers invited to interview, so no reason to jump to conclusions. Emanuel is still not the first choice for many who make it to this stage.

Maybe the staff member was confused. One person got it wrong. I will try asking on Thursday if someone is available to ask when we go for the interview.

Apologies if someone answered this before, but has someone worked out the total number of available places across SW London popular schools (SPGS, TGS, LU, LEH, WH, GL, PH, KGS, Emanuel, Hampton, TBS, KCS, SPBS, FHSS, SHS, CFC, Kew H, Harrodian, Radnor, Queens Gate, Sutton High, Whitgift, Ibstock + add as you wish StJL, Epsom etc)

It feels the odds should be very good for those at interview stage across more than one school to secure a place once waitlists start moving, what do you think?

Sorry - which one do you mean? 960, 2/3 or the 500 sth DC one of the moms mentioned?

I remember one mum saying total of 7000 (private) places available in London for year 7 but no idea as to the specifics.

All exams and interviews done, such a relief!!