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?

@JustAmum1986 how do you know? Have the foundation/schools told you he wasn't selected for a bursary? I imagine they are still working their way through their lists, assessments and their allocation?

I was concerned because I hadn’t received any communication about the bursary, so I reached out to the Whitgift Foundation and this is what I was told…
“Unfortunately, we have received the shortlists from both Trinity School and Whitgift School last week and DS’s name does not appear on them. I have emailed each admission team to double check if this was correct and to get in touch with you by email to let you know whether he has done well enough at the entrance exam.”
I’ve since heard from both W & T and was advised he didn’t score high enough in his entrance exams to be put forward for a bursary place :-(

My DS left T in 2020, and DD in 2022. Although neither had diagnosed SEN issues, they both benefitted from assistance from the SENCO team who are brilliant.
DD in particular (who obviously only joined for 6th form) was assessed after she sought advice and found to have processing issues. She also had several sessions with the school Psychologist. Whilst she didn't qualify for extra time, it was arranged that she could use a laptop for her A levels and have rest breaks. A significant proportion of her year had adjustments including extra time.
She had ND friends at the school who were supported well, as well as those with dyslexia etc.

@JustAmum1986 I wouldn't loose faith yet - I have heard of some boys with discretionary awards so you never know. The waiting is hard though I must admit.

Really? Is that for 10+? W or T or both? I have kinda come to terms with a rejection because of his low scoring so thank you for giving me a bit of hope 🙏🏼

What kind of scholarship did you apply for? Perhaps some discount will come this way?

Just the sports scholarship award at both schools 🤞🏼

Fingers crossed this will help! 🤞

It is a very tough experience for the boys and the parents. You search for the schools you aspire to, study hard, prep hard, take the exam, make it to interview and scholarship days, work out how you can afford it, wait, worry, wait, question what you're putting yourself and son through.
It's a competitive situation. Some boys make it, some deserve it, some have a good day and scrape through ( We then see those boys struggling, having to go to clinics after school, in lunch breaks, not getting the grades to stay on in 6th form). Then there are the boys that don't make it. Nerves get the better of them on exam day. They are borderline on interview day.
I speak from experience. DS1 flying high in L6. Smashing everything. A Whitgiftian through every vein in his body. And then DS2 placed on a waiting list and a place that never came up.
The thing is, DS2 in truth would have drowned at Whitgift. He's happy where he is. Thriving.
I know we all want the best for our children and be assured Whitgift is a wonderful school but only for the right child. This is why they do their absolute best to work out who is the best fit. The boys are scored in a league table. Then interviewed. Then depending on where your son is will depend on scholarship and bursary offered. Its tough but the best get the most. I guess that's the fairest way.
I hope this helps. I know how emotionally draining it is.

@bigschoolsdilemma sorry that your DS is not on the list of bursary, but does it mean he still have chance to get an offer of full fee? I am also waiting. 😥
@bigschoolsdilemma I thought the bursary assessment offers to those applied and got offer no matter how good performance of the entrance exam. It’s not really fair if bursary only offer to those with high academic achievement, they are good enough to get the academic scholarship, aren’t they?

Sorry, message should be reply to @JustAmum1986

But unfortunately the bursary pot is not unlimited. There is not enough money to give a bursary to every child that applies for one.

So the schools have to decide who to give the bursaries too, and so they (usually) work down a list of entrance exam scores, and allocate the bursaries as they go.

But the bursaries will still be given out according to income, so for example a boy ranking (say) 20th on the entrance exam list could still get a 50% bursary, while a boy who scored higher in the entrance exam might only get a 20% bursary.

It might seem unfair, but it's probably the only way to ration out the amount of money available.

Yes my DS is still in the process and can still be offered a place although we will need some kind of discount as won’t be able to afford fees, music lessons, lunches, trips, buses, uniform without one plus the VAT on top when bloody labour take over!!!!
The foundation were given a list of applicants the week before last so they don’t wait for offers to be made. I’m my opinion they cherry pick the top performing academic students and help those families only which had I know prior to putting my DS through this growling process may have made me think twice 🤯

Agree there has to be some kind of system but to base it solely on entrance exam score and not to make the bursary allocation criteria clear before you put your DS forward is unfair. My DS is an exceptionally talented boy in many co-curricular areas but not a 9 grade student. I’ve struggled to pay pay the entrance exam fees for both T&W and could have saved myself & my DS allot of stress pressures and money had the school made it clearer. The sales pitch is all bells and whistles on diversity and inclusiveness but sadly it’s not the case 😢

I'm not a bursary applicant but I've always been aware that bursaries go to the brightest / highest achieving children who wouldn't be able to pay fees and attend the school without it. As said above, the money pot is always limited so exam performance seems the most obvious and fair way to select the children who get help. However, there are also music, drama, art, DT and sport scholarships for those exceptionally talented in other co-curricular areas. So these otherwise talented children are not overlooked at all. Also, to reassure you (as a Trinity parent through my older boy) - music classes are not obligatory (my son has never had any), buses are free for under 16s (my son and all of his friends use only public transport), there are amazing second hand sales where you can buy as good as new uniform for very little so it actually ends up costing less than their normal clothes would, a lot of boys bring packed lunches and don't buy lunch at school, finally, there are a lot of boys who don't go on any trips at all and it's also normal. Trinity is very down to earth like this.

I agree that the schools could be more transparent about how bursaries work. There is information available but you need to do
your own research.
Having said that when I asked the admission team ( W ) I did get my questions answered and was very clearly told to be considered for a bursary the child needs to score in the top 5-10% in the entrance exam and this still would only mean a consideration. Having assessed for a bursary is still not a guarantee. Assessments take place well before the interviews finish so the Foundation contacts families whose child had been shortlisted by mid January.
I agree with the previous poster, bursaries are awarded for the academically high achieving kids who otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend independent schools.

Yes, agree that bursaries are awarded for the academically high achieving kids who need financial support, but can be widened and shared to more DS, 5-10% seems quite little.
Also, it would be more helpful if the school could be more transparent about how bursaries work, at least we parents could have better plan and won't be too nervous about the result.
We have no experience about 10+ and 11+ in independent schools, just worry to burden school's workload if email to ask everything, that's the reason we are in this chat group, want to get more information from experienced parents. Really appreciated for the above sharing! xx

DS had his interview 2 weeks ago for Whitgift for 10+ intake. Is there an additional assessment for bursaries? If he has not been invited so far , would it be safe to assume he is not shortlisted for a bursary?

Yes if you haven’t heard from the Whitgift Bursary Foundation directly, then assume your DS did not score high enough in the entrance exam/s to qualify.

It might be late for some but maybe there are parents here who would try again next year at 11+ or parents who are just trying to gather information for next year, I am happy to answer questions ( if I can ) regarding bursaries.
My son is in receipt of one at W.

10+ T emails out.

Do you mean 10+ offer emails? If 10+ offers are being sent today, would anyone please share if they received any 11+ offers? Thank you

They weren't due out until next Friday?

No news from us, 11+ T...

Good luck all!

Yep just received our acceptance letter for 10+ T. Nothing from W yet.

Over the moon!

Good luck all!

I thought they were due the 9th as well but it seems they are coming a week early this year. The 10+ and 11+ results were both to be sent next Friday on the website. Keep us posted if anyone gets an 11+ email and good luck everyone!