Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

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tigger2
Posts: 755
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:35 am

Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by tigger2 »

Both dc's will have to undergo interviews soon as part of the selection process for 11+ and 13+ entry ...one will probably be a group interview and others will be a 1-1..........

Any advice/tips would be very welcome- Thank you in advance !

Tigger
Yummiemummie
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 9:02 pm

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by Yummiemummie »

My two did these. Honestly, only bit of advice is to be themselves.
These schools know what they are looking for.
Sue123
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: London

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by Sue123 »

Ok, let me see what I can add here.

First, I told DD that what the headmaster or other interviewers are looking for is: would you be fun and interesting to teach? (Try and imagine you are the teacher. Would you want to have you in their class?) Are you capable of listening and can you give some interesting answers? So, don't be shy - you are there because they want to see you after all - but do be respectful. If you don't understand a question, just ask them to explain. Don't fidget and don't look out of the window.
(There was quite a good article on Oxbridge interviews in the Telegraph a few days ago. Yes, they are 8 or 9 years younger but it is not so very diffierent, in my view. Some of the same principles apply.)

Some schools interview in pairs or small groups. The important thing here is to tell your child to try and strike a balance between letting the other child speak and not being drowned out. It is just as important that they can listen and perhaps even add to what other children are saying as it is to speak articulately themselves.

Questions I have heard about
which book have you read recently? (make sure that they can say a few interesting sentences about a book they really liked - or didn't like - and why.)
what do you like to do in your spare time? (playing computer games is not a good answer. Playing the piano can be - but I heard of one case where a girl was asked to play a piece on the spot in the headmaster's study - so be careful.)
do you know who your street is named after? (if it is the name of a famous or not so famous person.)
Some schools will get children to engage in a controversial topic (e.g. battery farming vs. free-range chicken keeping - this is not something you can prepare for very well but you could practise having a few discussions at home.)
We were told to make sure that they are on top of current events (e.g. the Olympics) and that they know the names of senior members of the royal family, the PM etc, but didn't get any questions like that in any interview.

Hope this helps a little!
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by mystery »

Can you say which schools ?
Sue123
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: London

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by Sue123 »

This is pretty much based on my experience of the North London consortium schools but also on what we were told by our prep school. However, we applied in 2008 so some things may have changed for some schools. e.g. some may have moved from group interviews to individual interviews, or changed their interviewing technique and so on.
tigger2
Posts: 755
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:35 am

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by tigger2 »

Thank you so much for your replies. They are very helpful...I do want them to be themselves but I would feel terrible if I sent them in without giving them some idea of what may be asked of them...

Thank you again !
Tigger
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by mystery »

I think it all depends on the selectivity of the school. I'm sure at some indies round here they are just checking that, so long as the child got the minimum needed in the entrance exams, the child hasn't got two heads and the parents are likely to keep up with the fees and check the child will do the homework.
Sue123
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: London

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by Sue123 »

I am sure you are right Mystery - the North London consortium are (mostly) highly competitive to get into, as are schools such as UCS, Highgate, City Boys and Forest, not to mention SPGS, St.Pauls and Westminster. But other schools may apply much softer standards.
Yummiemummie
Posts: 160
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 9:02 pm

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by Yummiemummie »

I honestly don't think there is a wrong answer, they are children and if they enjoy playing computer games that's fine. Mine got into top inde selectives by being who they are and not worrying about right and wrong answers.
Please don't coach too much, it will show.
One school got round this whole thing by asking children to bring an object along to chat about. my sons friend told us he had taken his iPhone! Why not eh?

Lots of luck!
Jiff
Posts: 140
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:31 am

Re: Advice much appreciated on headmaster interviews please

Post by Jiff »

I agree with Yummiemummie - my youngest DS took a Yu-Gi-Oh! card to his headmaster interview and still got offered a scholarship! He also got asked about his interests which we had listed on his application form including his football, trumpet (and playing Yu-Gi-Oh! cards).
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