Trinity & Whitgift 10+/11+ exams 2024 entry

[SunshineandRainbowMum]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting a new thread for those with children who are sitting for the 10+ Trinity and Whitgift exams this year.

I've been lurking for years reading through the 10+ and 11+ past threads, silently sharing in the anxiety, pain and joy of those parents that have come before me 😅.

I can't believe that the time is now here for my DS to sit the 10+ exams.

Are there any other parents that would like to jump on board this thread so we can support each other through the next few months?

Hi @bigschoolsdilemma we’ll be accepting the T10+ offer this week!

Hello Pollypocket81 and HenriB!

Hello @Pollypocket81 and @HenriB ! My DS is really happy about the offer holders day this Wednesday. Hopefully we get an email today confirming timing etc

Has anyone else has details of decider tour. Isn't it tomorrow?

Trinity's tour is tomorrow morning. If you haven't had an email from them yet, phone the office and ask. The tour starts at 9 am.

Looking for a lifeline here...is anyone holding a City 10+ offer but trying to decide between that and W/T instead?? We are on the waitlist for City 10+ and are praying that a place becomes available but don't know whether to just give up hope and move on!

Does anyone have experience of the Trinity tour yesterday for scholars. We have a place for 11 plus but are a bit concerned as a parent who went yesterday implied a lot was offered to those with scholarships..enrichment opportunities, trips, GCSE choice preference etc which are not offered to the non-scholars. I appreciate these boys have done incredibly well and are the toppers but i also would not like my son to not be offered opportunities for the duration of his schooling, in a school where we are paying for him to go, based on the entrance exam he took when he was 10. I may just be being neurotic so please be kind but these decisions about school are not easy ones!

@Hantsmum123 Well done! Competition is fierce, and the scholarship pot is getting smaller and smaller every year. Your DS must have done incredibly well! My elder boy is a scholar at T, but I don't feel he is away from school on trips a lot because he is a scholar at all. Maybe a day trip once a year? There are a few more scholar breakfasts that he needs to attend at 7.45am though. In terms of GCSE preferences, I am not sure as we're not that stage yet- I think kids just choose what they're interested in- do you mean they're expected to choose certain subjects? He's also a music scholar too and he is told that he can drop music.

Anyone here happen to have a DS who is a music scholar at Whitgift?

My older boy is at T and not a scholar. I don't think the boys are treated any differently or have any less opportunities. Perhaps there was some language they used yesterday because obviously they try to attract scholarship boys? My son says they just go to some extra meetings sometimes but wasn't aware of any trips he was excluded from. Despite not being a scholar, he is now in A teams for a couple of sports and goes to the same matches and on the same trips other A team boys go. He gets a lot of support and feels very appreciated and nurtured by his coaches. I really wouldn't be concerned at all and am surprised to read it. In terms of GCSE choices, all boys can choose any GCSE they want. Hope it helps

@Hantsmum123 congratulations to your son. DS is now in the Sixth form at T and whilst a scholar, hasn’t had any extra events other than academic breakfasts - maybe twice a year. I think the sports scholars get a bit more coaching. There are SO many opportunities for all the boys at T - it’s up to them to engage. My DS enjoys sport and music and whilst not excelling at either has been fully involved in matches and amazing music productions. Add to that all the academic clubs and events which he has signed up for - we have hardly seen him these past few years! Often the boys sign up for unexpected things because their friends are doing them. GCSE choices aren’t restricted if you’re not a scholar. Hopefully that reassures you - feel free to DM me.

My DS finished T 3 years ago and DD 1 year ago. Neither were scholars, but I don't think either missed out on anything because of that. Both were given a wide range of opportunities - especially DS who got very involved in the choir and singing. His talent was picked out by the school as a JBug and encouraged. He went on several international trips, sang in world famous concert halls and was included in recordings for film scores etc. As I said - no scholarship.
It's an amazing school.

DS2 is an academic scholar at T and is taking his GSCEs this year.

There is a new head of scholarship (or something) this year, so things might change a little bit, but so far, literally all that it has meant for DS2 is that he has had an "academic scholars breakfast" once a term where presumably they chat about scholarly things. I think there might be a vague theme to them.

There was one evening talk by "inspirational people" that all the scholars were told they had to attend. But the talk was open for anyone to go to, so it wasn't just for them. And when there was the optional 4th form project, it wasn't optional for the scholars, they all had to do it.

He does have a "5th year academic scholars trip" next week - I got the email today - but this is the first one ever. It's a day at the imperial war museum, so it's not like it's anything terribly special.

As for GCSE choices, DS2 wasn't given any extra choices, nor as far as I know was he given more freedom of choice than non-scholars. He had exactly the same instructions and choices as DS1 (not a scholar).

Essentially everyone has to do maths, 2xEnglish, double or triple science (depending on which set you are in in 3rd year), one MFL and one humanity, and then there is a free choice for the other 2 or 3 choices. They try to let everyone do what they chose, and I haven't heard of anyone being told no, sorry, you can't do that combination - I would have thought that was very rare, and for very unusual combinations. And the top 3(?) maths sets do further maths GCSE, but that's independent of whether you are a scholar.

DS1 (never done any singing before) has sung in loads of stuff with the choir - with the ENO; at the royal opera house, royal albert hall, RFH etc, so if your DC is talented at sport or music they will definitely get all sorts of opportunities even if they are not on a music or sports scholarship.

So to summarise, I really don't think that non-scholars miss out on very much at all. I hope that puts your mind at rest a bit.

Did anyone who is in the waitlist for Whitgift 11+ hear anything from the school about a place? Wondering if they started making offers to the wait list already?

About to make a decision for W 10+. DS is not offered a scholarship. We are considering if we should get DS to sit for the Kent test this year and try to aim to get into one of the Kent super selectives, potentially Judd and Skinners.
Is anyone else in the same position? We are wondering if the grammar schools will offer the same academic opportunities to DS. We were thinking that if DS went to a grammar school, we could provide him the ECA activities outside of school but reading all the comments so far it seems that W would provide an environment that is totally different to a grammar school. Does anyone have any insight to this comparison?

@expatinmys . Reading your post is exactly our situation but one year on. We applied for 11 plus. Happy to discuss via DM. Also thanks everyone for your reassurance. It really helps hearing your experiences....

@expatinmys have you visited the grammars? They are both fantastic places academically but very STEM focused and very different feel to Whitgift. Definitely go to the open days.

Most of the movement happens when the state school places are announce I think. A fair number of boys will have applied to the grammars too.

Hello Every one,
My son has cleared W,T and Caterham schools we received offers from all 3 schools. Caterham has provided academic and sports scholarship of 20% but we did not get any scholarship from W &T. My son is interested in Whitgift school We did not attend any school tour before is it possible to have a school tour before deciding the school. My son did not get any sport scholarship but he likes to play football and chess he wants to be in football team. As he did not get any sports scholarships will he able to play with the same teams in school.

@ManvikMom yes they have offer holder tours running all through next week as previous poster on thread highlighted. Just email admissions and they will send you the booking link.

Thank you will email them, and any information on kids who dont get sports scholarships can be in same team.

Whitgift will have loads of teams in each year, so your DS will definitely be able to play in a football team.

He could play in the A team for his year if he was good enough, as it won't be just limited to sports scholars, but realistically he may be put in a B or C (or lower) team, at least at first, until they have figured out who their best players are.

W is the football school 🙌🏼
T & C are Rugby

Hi. We are setting up a WhatsApp group for Trinity 2024 JBugs ie. 10+ joiners. Please PM me if you want to be added! It makes life easier with uniform doubts, sport fixtures, homework questions and everything else really!

Thank you for posting and letting people know who are on the waiting list that it is highly unlikely that they will get a place. It is a very hard wait, after going through with the exams and interviews and perhaps better to know the reality of the situation