Hello, we will be applying to a moderately selective independent school for our DS who is currently in Y5.
The prep for the tests is going well but I'm increasingly fretting about the interview side. My son will talk endlessly to me about topics he's interested in (including history, aeroplanes, space travel and endless rather inane Roblox chat) and will contribute in class. But he is really quite shy, awkward and self-conscious with adults he doesn't know. Nothing unusual there I know, and the interviewers should be used to it, but he really clams up even when he's asked easy questions that he should be able to answer.
Eg today we went on a tour of the school we're applying for and we met the librarian. My son loves reading and reads prodigiously but when she asked him what he'd been reading he just said 'I don't know' and looked at his feet 🤦♀️.
I think I will need to organise a mock interview for him a bit nearer the time but I appreciate it's a mistake to over-prepare them and that schools don't like this and will spot it.
Can anyone recommend anything else we can try between now and January please, to build his confidence so he can open up a bit more? He hates drama so that's not an option.
It seems there are so many options to help you with the exam prep (tutors/Atom/past papers/Bond books etc etc) but I've read nothing about this so please hit me with your suggestions! Thank you.
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11+ interview prep - help please!
BarqsHasBite · 16/04/2024 13:55
Charlotte120221 · 16/04/2024 16:53
Your getting a bit ahead of yourself as most schools are interview by invitation only and they won't be until late Jan - early feb 2025?
All you can do is make sure he has stuff to talk about - by encouraging him in doing what he enjoys. The interviews are one on one rather than in front of other adults and the interviewers want the kid to feel comfortable so are happy with some general chit chat before any 'harder' questions. As long as he has a few interests and knows that the interviewer is genuinely interested in anything he has to say.... he'll be fine.
Honestly I think stressing about it now could just make the situation worse?
DibbleDooDah · 16/04/2024 18:04
Ban the words “I don’t know” and get them to replace them with “Let me think about that”.
Game changer for my DD. In the heat of the moment she would panic and do exactly the same. The new phrase takes the pressure off, gives them time to process the question and think about an answer.
Apart from that, seriously don’t over prepare for the interviews. You can spot a coached child a mile off.
MuddyBoots21 · 19/04/2024 14:21
My suggestion would be to invite some family friends/ Uncles/Aunts/ Godparents over that he feels comfortable with regularly and get them to try talking to him about his interests in an informal way. Does he have a Grandparent or someone he could walk their dog with. ie, he's doing something else at the same time - maybe he'd feel more relaxed walking and talking?
At this stage it's just a question of getting him to feel comfortable and happy engaging with adults. I think also, the point to make to him nearer the time is, when he's talking about his interests and hobbies, there is no wrong answer - schools will just be trying to understand who he is and what makes him tick.
My son's school shared a list of interview type questions and we took these on an away weekend with our teenage God daughters ( who are older) and their parents. We had good fun talking through them in the car and the other kids came up with some great answers to some of the more philosophical questions. It was all done in a light hearted fun way and I think this approach helped my son relax a bit around the whole process. Fun 'Would you rather?' type books and games you can play as a family may also help him relax and stimulate conversation.
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