CLSG Interview

[SleepyHead]

is it possible that different schools weigh the maths and english exams differently? Would certain schools prefer a higher mark in maths and others prefer a higher mark in english? So whilst one schools offers an interview - another might not - depending on their criteria.

To sum up, would schools view a 90% in maths and 70% in English the same as the other way round? I guess it depends on each school and whether they were partial to maths or english

[HappyCow]

They are the same consortium group. City select on performance on exam. It seems that NLCS like to consider other factors such if you are from a prep school. Not only do the preps get to sit together at the exam but they also get the earlier interview dates. It seems they check out all the preps first so they know how many places they have left to offer to the states who come for interview in the second week. DG

Apart from their own prep school which are the main prep schools NLCS take from?
Makes sense what you have said - I don't know anyone in the last few years that has got in from a state school to NLCS. I'm sure they do but must be a very small number.

[Daogroupie]

Lyonsdown, Manor Lodge, Wheathampsted (St Albans prep) Radlett prep, Habs prep, Heath Mount, Stormont off the top of my head! DG

[Daogroupie]

Basically Sleepyhead, they can do what they like! They are not accountable to anyone. You could get 100% in both Maths and English but they could decide they don't want you and you would not get an interview. Thank goodness for state schools and the ranking order that gets you a place if your marks are high enough. NLCS don't sit GCSE English lit as they claim their girls already know inside and out all the 15 plus world class books on the syllabus so there is no point. I have been studying Great Expectations and to Kill a Mockingbird for over forty years and I see more in them all the time so the 14 year girls there must know a whole lot more about it than I do! So if they do favour one of the results I would imagine it would be English. The one state school girl I know who got an interview this year is a first rate writer so I was not surprised at all. I am hoping she will go to HBS where she will sit GCSE English lit and get an A* and hopefully go onto A level. It will be interesting to see how she gets on at interview. But we won't know for a while as she has to wait until all the preps have had their chance. DG

[Finchley mum]

My DD1 a few years back had an interview (and then offer) from CLSG but no interview from NLCS. I did some research at the time and it appeared that NLCS interviewed the top 200 (it had 60 places on offer I think) and CLSG interviewed the top 300 (for 100 places). So I deduced she must have been in the top 300 but not top 200. CLSG said they were looking to weed out the "over-tutored" and the most over-tutored must surely be the girls from prep schools who have been doing nothing but preparing for these exams for the last 2 years? NLCS may not get the most able girls if they follow a policy of preferring prep school girls.

As an aside, DD1 went to a local state primary, is now in Habs Girls and I was told at a parent's evening by one of the teachers that she must have been at a "very good school" as she was ahead of the prep and junior school girls in terms of knowledge of geography, history, grammar etc . This is because that is what state schools teach rather than constant VR and NVR. Having said that, all the very clever girls from prep schools have caught up now!

[shootmenow]

DAO- You are talking out of your bum!
-I help at the NLCS interviews and have done for years. Girls from preps and primaries are interviewed in the same sessions.
-DD2 didn't sit the exam with anyone from her prep.
-DD2's form has roughly 1/3 from NLCS junior school, 1/3 ex-primary and 1/3 ex-prep. DD1's year was the same.
- I don't know of any girls from Habs prep at the school in any years and a few from Lyonsdown and Radlett but I've never heard of the others. The girls come from loads of primaries and preps from a wide area. The only big group in DD2's year is 6 from St. Christopher's.
-NLCS doesn't give a fig what kind of school your DD comes from. They certainly do not leave crumbs for primary school girls after creaming off the preps.
You do worried parents a real disservice when you spout nonsense.

[imr]

My daughter goes to our local state primary and has got a call for an interview at NLCS next week.
Last year 2 girls from her primary school got offers from NLCS - one of them joined and the other went to HBS since her parents did not want to pay the fees (she does not qualify for a bursary) when they had the offer from HBS.

Having said that, the state primary school my daughter goes to was rated Outstanding by Ofsted last year.

My daughter is in the Top 250 at HBS so in case she also gets an offer from NLCS, it will be a tough choice for us.

We did not apply for CLSG so cant comment on their selection critieria.

However based on my daughter's experience and that of the 2 girls I mentioned earlier, I think that independent schools such as NLCS would above all value bright, confident and academically high performing girls irrespective of their background.

[HappyCow]

Congratulations to you & your DD Imr. It must feel good.
It is good to know that about NLCS.

[shootmenow]

Well done to your DD imr! Good luck to her for her interview- not scary at all!- and for March allocation day.

[MumT2]

Does anyone know if the interview days are based on how well the girls perform? So the earlier slots are for the girls that performed extremely well?