SW London grammar and private year 7 entry 2024.

[Hatty999]

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4907226-sw-london-grammar-and-private-year-7-entry-2024

This is the previous link. Hope it works.

Sorry forgot to refresh the thread!

@Brugmansia really sorry to hear that and hope it works out (I’m sure it will). This is a rubbish process. Hope your DC is ok. There might be a few independent schools you could try if you still wanted to (eg Thomas’ are opening a new school so maybe have places still) but depends on your location and whether that’s even what you want to do.

@Brugmansia so sorry to hear and hope your ds bounces back well. I’m sure it will all work out eventually. I think you are south east so thomass senior won’t work as it’s Richmond but I think it looks an exciting option

Sending hugs @Brugmansia - are there any non-selective independents near you? A friend moved their DC to the Hall School in Wimbledon (I think it is non-selective) and then onto City of London Freemans at 13+. Lots of opportunities further down the line. I also recall a friend’s DS failing to get into Tiffin and Hampton, going to the local comp and then gaining admission to Cambridge… It sounds like education is important to you and that means that your DC will likely have greater outcomes than many. Big hug.

💐💐virtual hugs

Hope your DC is ok

London Park School (by Clapham South) could be an option with spaces, if of interest.

Thanks everyone. Fortunately we have OK state options and DS' second choice anyway was always the state where most of his friends are likely to go and we have a pretty good chance of getting into.

I was always a bit ambivalent about whether independent would be right for him anyway. It was always a bit of a stretch in terms of whether he would get in and I was also not certain if it would be the best environment academically for him either. It's a shame he'll miss out on the level of facilities/sport/extra curricular that he'd have got at private, but it's not the end of the world looking at the bigger picture. We can use the cash saved to supplement with tutors if we need to and provide our own extracurricular stuff.

Agreed Brugmansia. Having good friends going to the same school is a massive plus and one that the 11+ process doesn’t lend itself to, unfortunately for us.

Sorry to hear about this one. It's such a brutal process for everyone. Have you got schools to come that had no 'invite only' to interview? So you won't know until the offer day?

Hi Everyone good news for my DD concerning SPGS. My DD has been called back for an interview. Would appreciate if anyone can share or reach out concerning the interview?

Congrats for DC who got interviews this week , still waiting for Harrodian which is the last one to find out.
@Brugmansia i m so sorry for you and hope your DS is not too sad :(
i cross all my fingers so you get the good state you want🤞🏻its good you have that , we do not have any great one around as out of catchment for the good ones , big hugs !

Harrodian said Friday ( I called) just so we can all relax until then 😂

Congrats @BrightEyesMum that is a huge achievement!!

@Brugmansia sorry to hear that, I hope your DC will thrive at whatever option you choose. I really wish it wasn’t like this, I feel like there might be more of us in this boat come offer day and good to know about movement in later years etc if you do want to move to private school later on. We also applied to our local state school as a back up option (so glad I did as almost missed the cut off date!!) sending virtual hugs!!

@farfallarocks thank you !!! I will stop wondering til then😅

I still can’t understand why it’s taking them so much longer than the other schools even though it was all computerised! They’ve been the least clear/communicative about the process of all the schools we’ve applied to. Still keen to hear though

@farfallarocks thank you so much. Hope everything goes all well for your DC as well. Just really concerned about the interview as DD is little shy and would appreciate any guidance from anyone who has been through this

Agree @travelturtle seems odd to take so long but they did mention taking academic backgrounds into consideration so maybe they try and contextualise the results a bit.

Hello! Was anyone at PHS Athena assessment today? My DD had a great time and really enjoyed the creative task and the 121 interview. Hoping and praying her efforts pay off!!!

So, now most exams are done, it’s now coming to light how many kids in DD’s school class have been tutored purely for these 11+ exams - all subjects. We didn’t tutor as don’t believe in it and feel we pay enough in private junior school fees. Have we been completely naive? Do the majority tutor despite many schools saying not to?

I find it baffling! Will kids be tutored for the rest of their days? If it’s not natural - with some studying of course - is there not a real risk of DCs obtaining places in ill fitting schools in the longer term? 🫤

@W4mamabear my DD also enjoyed the creative task at Putney! She has been ranking schools based on how fun and friendly the interviews have been and so far she loved LU and PHS best. She hated G&L and came out with a big frown!

@Bluerose2020 I would say most people do some form of tutoring- be it with a tutor, the parent spending 1-1 time with the child with past papers, atom, bond, etc or signing up to group tuition. Prep schools vary in the way they prepare; some do lots of exam prep whilst others don’t alter the curriculum at all for the 11+ and a whole range in between.

It doesn’t necessarily means that people will continue tutoring in senior school but I wouldn’t know for certain.

"is there not a real risk of DCs obtaining places in ill fitting schools in the longer term?"

If the majority of the intakes took some form or tutoring (which will be for most of the London selective schools) , then it becomes part of the characteristic of these schools, perhaps it is not ill fitting after all.

Some kids continue to be tutored once they’ve got in somewhere.

In fact academic pushy parents are the most likely parents to spend money on tutoring at all levels of education.

It’s how to stay ahead of that game.

It’s unusual not to tutor for the 11+ as it’s so competitive.

It’s what happens at Tiffin often. Tutored forever then it stops and they can’t keep up.