SW London Grammar and Private year 7 entry 2024

[lolo99]

Not sure if this thread has been started but if not, I would like to share experiences, tips and generally talk about schools and their pros and cons and processes to ease the anxiety and pain for us parents :)

Good luck to your DD @W4mamabear and so sorry to hear that for your DD @DrBeatt - it’s so hard them going through the disappointment when we know how hard they’ve worked.

Sorry to hear this and yes agreed so disappointing. Hopefully they may give feedback

Has anyone with a “no” from any school asked for any feedback (and got it?)? - I’m pondering whether to, just out of interest, but wondering if it’s a futile exercise or if at least I should wait until the end of the process? Anyone got any experience?

@ItsMeHi48 we did ask G&L for feedback a few years back now for DD1 and they were the one school that actually gave useful, quantitative and transparent feedback so it's worth asking. Some other schools just gave vague/generic responses. But I would always push for feedback.

Sorry to hear about disappointing news for many today, it sounds like G&L has been very tough this year. It's difficult because bad news always comes first and we have to wait till February for good news (hopefully!). Wishing everyone good luck and hopefully the next weeks pass fast!

thank you @sanam2010 - super helpful to know 👍

Did you get feedback on the first stage written exam, or did your DD get to interview stage though?
Also a no for us from G&L, and also pinning a lot on PHS. But I do have the nasty feeling PHS have asked a LOT of people back for 2nd round. All the kids I know who sat it incl my DD are in the 2nd round (and these are from a bog standard state school, and good but not especially high flyers).... so I think a lot of us may be disappointed later on down the road (unless anyone has some more encouraging information....).

Last year, a pp got feedback from Emanuel. The poster wrote about it in last year's thread and the poster's dc went on to get a spot at Kings. I think it is always helpful to get feedback. Sometimes, it could just be a few points or the dc had an off day. Good luck for the other schools. I always say when one door closes another one opens. What is meant to be will happen (even if it is hard in the moment). Later in life you usually look back an understand why one thing happened....as it opened doors to other opportunities.

You could try asking during the interview if they could give a rough estimate on how many went on to interview and how many from interview usually get offers. Last year during the Putney interviews there were a few teachers walking around. Someone asked this and the teacher gave an estimate (I forget what it was, but it was posted in last years thread). For us last year, it was different, most that we knew did not make it to interview.

Sorry to hear about bad news , it is always disappointing because no matter what you always have hope of a good news.
but yes focusing on the one you got is a good thing to do :)
anyone had the KGS interview this morning ? Hope it went well…

Personally I would argue, what is the point? If their maths/English or whatever wasn't high enough, then you would hopefully know that anyway? It won't change anything? Are they transparent anyway? Who knows. I would say just accept that she didn't make the cut and move on.

We had KGS this morning- very busy but well organised. I believe just generic questions on the general interview. Fingers crossed. Not sure how many they interview per places but I think they are all day over two days.

@CocoC this was following the written exam. You really can't extrapolate to PHS because you never know and schools have different priorities and weightings. I know a girl who didn't pass PHS but passed LU so it is luck of the draw sometimes. Exam format, form of the day, if the schools bother to read school reports and references. Crossing my fingers for everyone.

Same here my friend’s daughter passed LU but not PHS so i agree.

@lolo99 My DD sat both St John’s and Epsom this week, too. She ran out of time for the online abilities for St John’s and dreadfully for the VR for Epsom. She said she only answered 35/50 ques for the VR! 😬 Found the rest fine, though 🤞🏻

Yes, I’m willing to accept she hasn’t made the cut @lolo99 and more than happy to move on. It’s simply interesting and informative to know if we were to consider her potentially applying for an occasional place in the future somewhere - it might give us some intel to inform a decision on that. Or it might not. I’m definitely in the zone of trusting the process and believing she’ll end up where she’s meant to be and will be fine, so it’s not something I’ll agonise over at this point especially when we still have schools to hear back from etc.

Anyone on here have a DD interviewing at FHSS next week? - mine is and hoping that’ll be a good experience as she liked the school when we visited.

I am not sure how transparent they are. But if you need feedback for later exams then worth it. If not then no point. Just my opinion. You can create your own story also if preferred which am sure many do.

It’s always the verbal and non verbal stuff I have found 😩

@Bluerose2020 DD said the same about Epsom, said she only finished 14/20 in VR (am a bit worried now that your DD says there were 50 questions???) and that nobody in her group finished. Found the rest fine as well, loved the creative writing topic.

Yes my DD is going there. My husband and I liked the school but DD hasn’t seen it yet.

I also obtained feedback when my son was unsuccessful at some schools during the 8+ process. The schools only provided feedback after some time had passed and then it was predominantly quantitative so quartile in each subject etc

My DD had the general interview this morning. It was more about herself, family and what she enjoys doing. The teachers were very positive. Our interviewer came back with DD and talked to us at the end, she also celebrated my DD's birthday (tomorrow). Very kind! It took around 30 mins in total. Some children were back around 20 mins. Not sure which one is a good or bad sign :)

Neither a particular sign - my DD got an offer last year after a chat that lasted more than 30 minutes, her best friend got an offer and the interview lasted 15 minutes... other friends had anything in between. I know at this point we try to read signs into it (I did last year) but, in this case, it does not tell you anything. If your DD got a general interview chances she will get an offer or, at the very least, be shortlisted.... most likely the former (all the 8 kids at my DD prep that got a general interview got offers).

Thank you for your feedbacks.
my DS interview went really well :) (general one) he had a great time and the teacher was super nice , my DS is from a state primary and he used to go to that school so they had that in common to talk about 🙃among plenty of other things . My son was apparently very chatty ah ah.
not sure how long it lasted i think 20 min ?
the only thing he said thay i might be a bit far for us but my husband told him its not a problem my son will need to travel by tube anyway no matter which school, i just hope they wont say no because of distance.
The school closer to us he did not get to second stage anyway so its not like we choose like that and we really like that school.
so finger crossed🤞🏻and for you too !

My DS had a subject based KGS interview which was much more focussed on the subject (English) than just a general chat. Had always assumed that those with a general interview would be more likely to get offers but who knows (if anyone got a place off the back of a subject based interview I’d be interested to know). Fingers remain crossed.

Hampton interview tomorrow which I think will be more general - though also sounds like it will have academic elements.