Hi everyone,

Newbie on here, so apologies if this information is out there already and I just haven't found it yet!

DD just missed out on 2017 entry to SHSG as we are i/c but she scored just under the 303. We didn't go through any appeals process, as I just think it was a 'bad day at the office'.

Anyway, we have put her name down on the waiting list for an 'In-Year' application in the hope that a place comes up at some point in the future.

DD is very happy at secondary school, but still really wants the grammar route if it were possible (as do Mum & Dad!).

Just wondering if anyone had any information to share about the exams that the girls are asked to sit if they do manage to get offered a chance to sit for an in-year place. Looking at the SHSG website, it mentions that the girls are asked to sit a maths, English and science paper, but I have no idea what to do in order to prepare for this. With the 11+ there are the obvious masses of material to use for preparation, but this feels like a bit of an unknown, so just trying to get any information that people are willing to share if you have gone this route. For now, I have assumed that she needs to be on top of her 11+ style material, as well as being fully up to speed with the Year 7 KS3 material in each subject.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice with this.

DD got in to SHSG as an in-year applicant at the end of year 7 four years ago. In the meantime, she had been in the top stream at a local comprehensive and doing well. When she was invited to take the in-year test, she had a look at the SHSG year 7 booklet to see what topics would have been covered in maths and science and brushed up on the ones she hadn't covered (because her current school was doing some things in a different order) using the CGP KS3 Science book and BBC Bitesize. In the event, I think she said that they were told not to worry if there was something which they hadn't been taught - they could indicate that they were unable to answer for that reason - but I think DD had a go at everything (even the question on the maths topic she realised that she actually hadn't done, but at least her answer probably gave the teacher who marked it something to laugh at ).

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Thanks for the info that you have shared.

I think we just have to stay on top of things at her current school and then see what else we can do to try and cover any additional topics that are in the Year 7 syllabus and then take it from there.

I suppose without knowing what they are going to throw at her, it is difficult to customise any other sort of preparation.

Do you mind me asking approximately how many girls sat the test and how many were offered places? I know it is probably dependent on how many leave, but just trying to get some rough numbers. Also when during the year did your DD sit the test? I have heard that they quite often only happen towards the end of Year 7 in preparation for a Year 8 start.

Thanks again!

24 or 25 sat, for 3 available places, which were all filled. There were at least another two in the same year group once they had moved on to year 8, as two more girls from DD's former school also got in.

DD sat the exam on June 28th or thereabouts; we got the offer of a place on Tuesday 9th July, for DD to start the following Monday, the last full week of the summer term.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Thanks again... that is really useful to know. Surprised to hear that your DD had to start so quickly once the place was offered, although I am sure that this was to her benefit and allowed her to start building friendships before coming back in September.

Did the school give you much notice of when the exam would be?

About two weeks. Possibly we got the letter on the 15th, which was a Saturday, because I emailed the school on the Monday to confirm DD's attendance.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my questions on this.

I hope your DD has got on well at SHSG!

That's okay .

DD was one of the girls who got all A* / A or their new-fangled equivalents, in her GCSEs this summer.

Fickle object that she is, for sixth form she has now moved on to a rival establishment on the corner of Middlesex Avenue .

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx