City of London for Boys - 11 Plus

[Stressed11]

@daogroupie - habs interviews finished last Wednesday (I checked with admissions) please can you explain your thoughts regarding their questioning about QE

[Miro]

In my opinion I think Habs wanted to know if, for some boys, they are backup to QE or not?
They didn't ask DS about his score at QE - as he did well in their exam - but they asked other boys in his group and their scores weren't high.

[Aadi]

Hi Miro

Which scores Habs written exam score or QE score. Habs did not tell me his score or how he has done in his written exam. Did they tell you?
My son was not asked that question and neither were other children in his group.

[Daogroupie]

This is new. I have known of students interviewing at Habs for the past six years and never before has Habs done this.

They asked boys in the group interviews if they applied to QE and what was their score. They also commented to some in front of others that their mark was a fail.

I really hope that parents have complained to Habs about this and this behaviour will not be repeated next year.

I have had a lot of pms about it with some parents reconsidering Habs as their first choice because of it.

I think Habs is an excellent school but they have really let themselves down with this behaviour.

It seems that they now see QE as their main competition for the brightest boys especially in Herts, Barnet and most of all Harrow where there are no other state selective options except QE for boys.

I appreciate they need to be able to plan how many offers to make but forcing boys to reveal their scores in front of others and then telling them in front of others "That is a fail" is really startling behaviour from such a highly respected school. DG

[Miro]

Hi Aadi,

No Habs didn't release their exam scores. But in the group of my DS, the teacher asked 2 boys about their score at QE and their scores weren't high but she didn't ask ds about his score at QE. I think they don't want to be backup to QE for some boys.

[Miro]

I appreciate they need to be able to plan how many offers to make but forcing boys to reveal their scores in front of others and then telling them in front of others "That is a fail" is really startling behaviour from such a highly respected school. DG

I didn't know that. Of course it is inappropriate telling the boys "That is a fail".

[Daogroupie]

I hope the parents of boys who witnessed this have complained and I think an apology is due to the boys who experienced this. I have always defended Habs but this time I think they have gone to far. DG

[FAC51]

It seems that they now see QE as their main competition for the brightest boys

DG

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

It would be interesting to know if the boys who faced this particular line of questioning were from state primaries. Nobody from DS's school has mentioned it.

We've heard from other parents in recent years that Habs save their highest scholarships for the brightest state school boys. It seems they've decided the best way to identify such boys is to bludgeon their QE scores out of them.

Apart from being pretty cruel to the boys with lower QE scores, it doesn't say much for Habs' faith in their own exam and interview process!

PS. Would the last few posts in this thread be better split off and labeled HABS rather than carry on in a thread about CITY?

[Stressed11]

My son is at a state primary and was asked about QE so your theory might be correct.

[busybee30]

As was mine - also from a state primary