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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

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

998 replies

QuiteAJourney · 19/01/2023 13:40

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

OP posts:
SleepyRooster · 25/01/2023 09:46

In the 8 weeks before exams, DD did 3 hours of maths tuition pw, plus 4-5 practice papers pw (maths/English). Focussed on speed/technique in tests. No Atom or any of the apps, paper only. We also read some more challenging classic literature together to work on vocab/inference etc - that was the best bit!

FriendlyMom · 25/01/2023 09:54

@momomamiko that is such an odd coincidence for a full assessment on such late date in the process (offer date for some schools). Which school is that? It must be a very very long process for you!

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 25/01/2023 09:56

momomamiko · 25/01/2023 09:36

Congrats to all DC and parents who are done with the process - must be a relief!

We have 3 more to go, last being on Feb 10th itself. I find it so mean that they had to choose results day to hold their assessments and it is a full day, too! Maybe good to distract and keep me from refreshing emails every 5 seconds but in any case not much left now😅

Wow, still 3 to go and one on the 10th? Which ones are those? The one on the 10th is particularly bad... when will they give you results then?

OP posts:
2012mom · 25/01/2023 10:00

There were lots of discussions about the preparation required for 11+ above. This needs to be viewed in the context of schools you are aiming. There are lots of mums who are interested in Emanuel, Ibstock, etc in this thread, and it is rare for those aiming at these schools (or those at similar level of selectivity in academics), to do more than a few hours of prep per week. It is a very different world as compared to the craziness among some parents aiming at SPGS, St Paul or Westminster etc.

EweCee · 25/01/2023 10:15

I'm also amazed at some assessments and interviews still happening! We finished all exams in December, interviews/ assessments early Jan and now just waiting - I really feel for those families doing such a prolonged 11+ process!

Londonsummer · 25/01/2023 10:22

It is not rare to do more than a few hours of prep. You have a valid point about the extreme lengths people go to for the most selective schools but a 'few" hours won't get you through at the schools you quoted.

I know I shouldn't have responded as this is discussion is pointless and don't want to prolong but that statement is simply not true.

momomamiko · 25/01/2023 10:24

FriendlyMom · 25/01/2023 09:54

@momomamiko that is such an odd coincidence for a full assessment on such late date in the process (offer date for some schools). Which school is that? It must be a very very long process for you!

yes indeed! it is for Brighton College 13+ - I wish they didnt choose such an odd date and planned such a long day. not sure we would apply if I knew the details at the time - date was given after iseb.

momomamiko · 25/01/2023 10:26

Brighton College on the 10th.

I guess it has to be a quick turnaround but no date given as yet!

FriendlyMom · 25/01/2023 10:28

Goodness! Good luck - at least it is not back to back with the January exams and will have some respite time (unless the other two exams are close). I feel for you!

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 25/01/2023 10:39

momomamiko · 25/01/2023 10:26

Brighton College on the 10th.

I guess it has to be a quick turnaround but no date given as yet!

Good luck!

OP posts:
sugarcookie5 · 25/01/2023 10:44

Good luck to everyone for upcoming results!!! This is such a great thread and has been so helpful- thank you!!!

NellyCortado · 25/01/2023 10:52

@Redapples81 - yes, we have the older sibling situation here. DD did unexpectedly brilliantly in her 11+. She had very much flown under the radar at her state primary, but somehow pulled it out of the bag at 11+ and had a real knack for interviews and reasoning, both of which helped enormously.
DS is desperate to match her successes, but he has already been rejected by a school where DD got a wait list place.
Horrible! Cannot wait for this to be over.

Tolacar · 25/01/2023 11:08

We also have an older sibling situation but have always managed expectations from early on. Older DS at very academic school so we have always said to younger DS that we need to find the right school for him and it may not be the one his brother is at. He has been quite accepting of that and is keen to find his place at whichever school that may be. They are 5 years apart so that might help the competitiveness situation some may have, as there isn’t really any between them.

11plus2023 · 25/01/2023 11:57

Apparently lots of kids who are in super selective primaries of schools that go through to 18, also apply for 11+ to move up to an even higher ranked school - is there a palpable difference between these schools, worth taking this kind of headache I wonder!

iRobot2022 · 25/01/2023 12:00

I find the interview the biggest mystery in this process.
I understand the exam, it’s crude and favours the tutored and more mature children, but it is at least consistent. If you are an academically ambitious school it makes sense to take the most academically able children.

I would understand an interview to weed out unteachable or unpleasant applicants. But honestly how many unpleasant children do you know? Maybe I've been lucky but I know very few if any. Most children are much more pleasant than their parents.

So I would understand a school planning to make 200 offers interviewing 220 applicants.

But actually trying to judge and score 10 year olds based on a 5 minute conversation just seems odd. Especially when there is a school report that probably sheds much more light.
My kids have had hundreds of play dates over the years… some are loud some quiet, some messy some tidy but other than the real extremes I don’t think I would be able to pass a judgement on the majority of them that would define the next 7 years of their education. I wouldn’t have a clue.

PreplexJ · 25/01/2023 12:13

Redapples81 · 25/01/2023 09:09

Anyone else’s DC have older sibling (s) that have been through the process and the current DC waiting for the results feels the pressure of the success of the older one? Or just assumes they will get the same?

Not experience myself but I know cases that olders get into St Paul's / QE / HBS but the younger silbing didn't get in last year or this year, with similar ability and similar prep level as the olders.

It is just the reality that the London 11+ is a different level game compared to 3-5 years ago.

To ease the pressure of the young sibling I think it is important to manage the expectation - first foremost the parents expectation, if that goes away younger sibling shouldn't feel the pressure as much. Sometimes positive input from the older sibling and some fun activities distraction help too (depends).

I once mentioned it is like the Harry Potter sorting hat, if you TRY HARD and not get to the school you want it is probably not the right school for you. On the positive side, the well prep DCs will BE sure thriving at the less competitive school since during the process they've developed a lot of discipline, knowledge acquire ability and sense of competition and resilience is a bit part of that..(at the minimum, having fun doing NVR or maths puzzles).

knopka · 25/01/2023 12:15

We have a sibling situation here that is even worse - they are sitting exams at the same time (10 + and 11+, they are 19 months apart in age but are consecutive school years).

It's tricky to manage and we have realised that we may have to split them - although they are academically very similar, personality and interests wise they are chalk and cheese.
It will all depend on the offers they get (or dont get).

PreplexJ · 25/01/2023 12:16

Londonsummer · 25/01/2023 10:22

It is not rare to do more than a few hours of prep. You have a valid point about the extreme lengths people go to for the most selective schools but a 'few" hours won't get you through at the schools you quoted.

I know I shouldn't have responded as this is discussion is pointless and don't want to prolong but that statement is simply not true.

Exactly the thread is all about sharing the fake journey

Londonsummer · 25/01/2023 12:30

iRobot2022 · 25/01/2023 12:00

I find the interview the biggest mystery in this process.
I understand the exam, it’s crude and favours the tutored and more mature children, but it is at least consistent. If you are an academically ambitious school it makes sense to take the most academically able children.

I would understand an interview to weed out unteachable or unpleasant applicants. But honestly how many unpleasant children do you know? Maybe I've been lucky but I know very few if any. Most children are much more pleasant than their parents.

So I would understand a school planning to make 200 offers interviewing 220 applicants.

But actually trying to judge and score 10 year olds based on a 5 minute conversation just seems odd. Especially when there is a school report that probably sheds much more light.
My kids have had hundreds of play dates over the years… some are loud some quiet, some messy some tidy but other than the real extremes I don’t think I would be able to pass a judgement on the majority of them that would define the next 7 years of their education. I wouldn’t have a clue.

I compeltely agree with you.

If I compare this to an adult job interview process - you can have a good CV, relevant experience, good references, a solid candidate on paper - and within 15 mins of the interview, the interviewer can evaluate fit with your team, organization...

But these are 10/11 year old children whose personalities, interests, etc are developing every day, so it does seem cruel to invite them into an interview and not make an offer.

KGS said everyone they call for interview will either get offers or waitlisted, at least that's more sympathetic.

Pleasegrowmore · 25/01/2023 12:32

I have the opposite (in a sense) with siblings. Eldest DD is already at State secondary, doing very well. She didn't get through to Tiffin round 2 and we didn't apply for any private schools. Most likely outcome anyway is that her younger sister will join her at that (excellent) school. Though Tiffin is her first choice. SPGS is almost certainly financially impossible.

I went to SPGS myself, and my older sister went to a different school, less academically high achieving one. History repeating itself ..?

PreplexJ · 25/01/2023 12:37

momomamiko · 25/01/2023 09:36

Congrats to all DC and parents who are done with the process - must be a relief!

We have 3 more to go, last being on Feb 10th itself. I find it so mean that they had to choose results day to hold their assessments and it is a full day, too! Maybe good to distract and keep me from refreshing emails every 5 seconds but in any case not much left now😅

Good luck!

readingcat · 25/01/2023 12:44

iRobot2022 · 25/01/2023 12:00

I find the interview the biggest mystery in this process.
I understand the exam, it’s crude and favours the tutored and more mature children, but it is at least consistent. If you are an academically ambitious school it makes sense to take the most academically able children.

I would understand an interview to weed out unteachable or unpleasant applicants. But honestly how many unpleasant children do you know? Maybe I've been lucky but I know very few if any. Most children are much more pleasant than their parents.

So I would understand a school planning to make 200 offers interviewing 220 applicants.

But actually trying to judge and score 10 year olds based on a 5 minute conversation just seems odd. Especially when there is a school report that probably sheds much more light.
My kids have had hundreds of play dates over the years… some are loud some quiet, some messy some tidy but other than the real extremes I don’t think I would be able to pass a judgement on the majority of them that would define the next 7 years of their education. I wouldn’t have a clue.

You would be surprised at how revelatory an interview can be - and 10-15 minutes is usually more than enough for an experienced teacher to get a flavour of a candidate. Remember, teachers interact with hundreds of children and are very adept at reading a candidate’s learning style, language, responses etc. Interviews give the school an opportunity to: find out more about the candidate’s interests and personality; get a sense of the candidate’s learning style (this in combination with a group assessment); see how responsive the candidate is and what their interpersonal skills are like; see how the candidate thinks on their feet, especially when presented with new material. You can tell much more than you’d necessarily expect from a conversation of this sort, and that includes shy or less forthcoming kids.

You might also be surprised by how many kids showcase less encouraging behaviours in interviews or group situations. Although most try really hard, I have encountered kids, for example, who: don’t listen; talk to other kids while the teacher is setting out the task; don’t engage with the task; are rude to the teacher or others; are palpably bored or disinterested; lie; admit readily to not really wanting to come to the school etc. (This is a minority of applicants, but it is not unusual.)

SamPoodle123 · 25/01/2023 12:44

iRobot2022 · 25/01/2023 12:00

I find the interview the biggest mystery in this process.
I understand the exam, it’s crude and favours the tutored and more mature children, but it is at least consistent. If you are an academically ambitious school it makes sense to take the most academically able children.

I would understand an interview to weed out unteachable or unpleasant applicants. But honestly how many unpleasant children do you know? Maybe I've been lucky but I know very few if any. Most children are much more pleasant than their parents.

So I would understand a school planning to make 200 offers interviewing 220 applicants.

But actually trying to judge and score 10 year olds based on a 5 minute conversation just seems odd. Especially when there is a school report that probably sheds much more light.
My kids have had hundreds of play dates over the years… some are loud some quiet, some messy some tidy but other than the real extremes I don’t think I would be able to pass a judgement on the majority of them that would define the next 7 years of their education. I wouldn’t have a clue.

This is exactly my thought. How would they know whether a dc fits after a short time with them? Esp for schools that just do a 15 minute interview. I wish I knew someone in admissions so I could know the inside scoop on how it is all done!

Ilikelists · 25/01/2023 12:44

iRobot2022 · 25/01/2023 12:00

I find the interview the biggest mystery in this process.
I understand the exam, it’s crude and favours the tutored and more mature children, but it is at least consistent. If you are an academically ambitious school it makes sense to take the most academically able children.

I would understand an interview to weed out unteachable or unpleasant applicants. But honestly how many unpleasant children do you know? Maybe I've been lucky but I know very few if any. Most children are much more pleasant than their parents.

So I would understand a school planning to make 200 offers interviewing 220 applicants.

But actually trying to judge and score 10 year olds based on a 5 minute conversation just seems odd. Especially when there is a school report that probably sheds much more light.
My kids have had hundreds of play dates over the years… some are loud some quiet, some messy some tidy but other than the real extremes I don’t think I would be able to pass a judgement on the majority of them that would define the next 7 years of their education. I wouldn’t have a clue.

Completely agree!

Original poster
QuiteAJourney · 25/01/2023 12:48

readingcat · 25/01/2023 12:44

You would be surprised at how revelatory an interview can be - and 10-15 minutes is usually more than enough for an experienced teacher to get a flavour of a candidate. Remember, teachers interact with hundreds of children and are very adept at reading a candidate’s learning style, language, responses etc. Interviews give the school an opportunity to: find out more about the candidate’s interests and personality; get a sense of the candidate’s learning style (this in combination with a group assessment); see how responsive the candidate is and what their interpersonal skills are like; see how the candidate thinks on their feet, especially when presented with new material. You can tell much more than you’d necessarily expect from a conversation of this sort, and that includes shy or less forthcoming kids.

You might also be surprised by how many kids showcase less encouraging behaviours in interviews or group situations. Although most try really hard, I have encountered kids, for example, who: don’t listen; talk to other kids while the teacher is setting out the task; don’t engage with the task; are rude to the teacher or others; are palpably bored or disinterested; lie; admit readily to not really wanting to come to the school etc. (This is a minority of applicants, but it is not unusual.)

Show quote history

@readingcat , many thanks for your contribution (which, given your professional background, is particularly relevant).

OP posts: