The WOW Factor: How To Ensure Your Child Aces Their Private School Interview

"Victoria, you predicted every single question that came up in the interview! How did you do it?"

That was one of the comments that came up repeatedly after my students sat their interviews.

Parents from across the country were gobsmacked that my team and I were able to predict the exact questions that came up in even the most competitive of schools.

The reality is that because of the incessant competition levels and scarcity of spaces at top schools, tutors and students need to be one step ahead when it comes to knowing how to prepare for the 11+ interview.

To help your child, we're sharing some of our best tips right here.

So, buckle up and take notes!

#1:

Never "over coach" your child or teach them robotic answers to questions.

Teachers and admissions tutors at the leading private (independent) schools want to see that your child is a genuine person with interesting ideas and unique qualities. 

They want to award places to the brightest pupils, not the most robotic ones.

It's therefore essential that you encourage your child to answer questions in a natural way so that they don't come across as being overly rehearsed.

#2. 

Smile.

Yes, it's a simple one but teachers at some of the best schools want to attract friendly and approachable students so it's vital that your child does the basics and smiling is one of them.

Encourage your child to smile when greeting any member of staff. It creates an instantly positive first impression and eases the atmosphere in even the most tense of interviews.

#3.

Answer honestly.

This leads back to the idea of being robotic. Students who give dishonest answers are quickly caught out because teachers/admissions tutors/Head Teachers will often delve deep when answering questions and they'll easily detect the real from the fake.

For instance, if a student is asked about their favourite hobby and they give a dishonest answer. There's a likelihood that the teacher will probe for more details on that area of interest. 

It's therefore essential that your child answers questions in a confident and candid way so that they don't come across as being disingenuous.

Essential 11+ Interview Questions That Every Child Should Know

How To Pass The 11+ Interview

Due to how popular this article has been, I’ve added some additional insights below so make sure you read all the way till the end so that you and your child can soak up some great tips. Hopefully, this article will save you from scouring MumsNet and Google for hours in search for a list of questions that are commonly asked at the interviews of top day and boarding schools.

The original article is as follows:

With the independent school exams being just days away, we thought it would be wise to share some of the most popular 11+ interview questions.

These questions have been asked by interviewers at Eton, Westminster, Haberdasher's, Merchant Taylor's, Whitgift, Harrodian and the GDST schools.

After you’ve read through the questions, read some of the tips below so that your child can be as well-prepared for the exam as possible.

Without further ado, here are ten of the most popular 11+ interview questions:

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What's your favourite animal and why?

3. Who is your favourite author?

4. Tell me about the area you live in?

5. Why are you applying for this school?

6. If you could be any animal/colour, what would you be?

7. What's your favourite subject?

8. Tell me about a news topic that you've come across recently.

9. What's your favourite sport?

10. What are your interests?

11. How would your friends describe you? If your friends could describe you in three words, what would they be?

12. Describe yourself using 5 adjectives.

13. Tell me about the last two books you read and describe them using adjectives.

14. If you could have dinner with any historical figure (dead or alive), who would it be?

15. What are your career ambitions? / What are your future ambitions?

16. What are your thoughts on the current economic climate? (Questions such as these require your child to brush up on socio-political topics and current affairs which we strongly recommend doing before their interview)

17. What’s your favourite homophone?

18. Analyse this text or image. (This requires your child to think on their feet and to come up with an analysis of an unseen image, text or even the observation of an object. It’s important that they practise answering such questions in advance of their interview)

19. How would your teacher describe you?

20. Do you think you’re a resilient learner? Why/Why not?

The key to doing well in the interview is to be confident but not arrogant and to answer questions in detail.

For instance, if you read through the questions again, you’ll notice that very few of them use the word ‘why.’

That’s because the interviewer wants the student to use their own initiative to come up with an explanation for the answer.

In other words, interviewers like students that elaborate and extend answers.

When a student avoids explaining why they like something or doesn’t bother providing explanations for their answers, it comes across as if they’re lazy and unbothered.

It doesn’t make a great impression and it also makes the interview really short.

The interviewer should never have to prompt a student and ask them why they’ve said something or why they like something.

The student should be painting a picture of who they are through their own words and elaboration.

To help your child impress interviewers, do the following

✔️ Practise the questions above and encourage your child to elaborate and extend their answers.

✔️ Write down answers and tweak them where necessary.

✔️ Smile in a natural way and try to sound as natural as possible.

✔️ Sit in a way that’s comfortable but ‘professional.’ That means no slouching, smart, clean clothing and no fidgeting.  

Remember that elaboration is key.



What Are Interviewers Looking For?

Encourage your child to showcase their hobbies and interests. They should also be able to support their answers with evidence that provides proof of their skills. For example, playing chess gives you analytical and logical thinking skills so it provides proof of the ability to analyse and think logically. Being able to elaborate and provide explanations is crucial to 11+ interview successs.

Interviewers at top independent schools are looking for a number of key things when interviewing candidates.

These include:

• How approachable/friendly a child is

• How confident they appear to be

• How they react under pressure (this is extremely important as the majority of children will buckle when a few difficult questions or challenges are thrown in front of them). Schools are looking for resilient pupils who will be able to handle the challenges they’ll face throughout their academic journey so it’s important that your child learns to project an air of confidence.

• Whether the child will fit into the school environment. One way in which your child can show that they’ll be able to do this is by showcasing their current and former achievements in sport, music and other extracurricular activities. This demonstrates that they enjoy working with others and can contribute positively to the school environment.

• Whether the child can contribute positively to the school (which ties in with the point above)

• Your child’s academic potential. (In other words, does your child have the ability to thrive academically?)

• Whether the school is a good fit for the pupil. For example, does the school have the facilities and resources that will best support your child?

These are just some of the things that admissions tutors and interviewers will be considering when speaking with your child so it’s worth thinking about them in advance. I always advise parents and pupils to put themselves in the position of the school, think in the way they think.

Factor in that they have so many applicants and so few places so why does your child deserve one of those spots?

---

The Importance of Body Language

The manner in which your child presents themselves in terms of their outward appearance is pivotal when it comes to 11+ interview success. Firstly, your child should be well dressed on the day of their interview. If the interview is in the middle of a school day, they can simply wear their school uniform. If however, it is not, then I would recommend that they wear something smart and presentable but not overly formal. Your child should look comfortable so there’s no need to put them in a poofy dress or stiff suit.

In terms of body language, your child should remember to keep their nerves under control by limiting or annihilating any fidgeting, maintaining eye contact and smiling where necessary. This will help them to appear more confident and self-assured.

Two More Very Important Tips

Some interviewers will lure children into a false sense of comfort which results in the child thinking that they no longer need to be smart, presentable and proper. Subsequently, the pupil may find themselves using slang or informal language when speaking to the interviewer. Please encourage your child to avoid using any slang, colloquial or informal language as it may hinder their chances of securing a place at their dream school.

Another important tip is to avoid speaking negatively about their current school as this will create the impression that they have a habit of badmouthing their school or teachers. It’s fine to suggest improvements but this can be done in a delicate manner.

Generally, we advise our pupils to avoid negative talk as much as possible so that they project an air of positivity.

If you found these 11+ interview questions and tips useful, sign up for our next 11+ interview masterclass.

Wishing your child the best of luck with their exam preparation.

Kind regards,

The Tutoress.

11+ Exam Tips for January Independent School Entrance

January is literally just days away and for many parents, it's an incredibly hectic time.

Here at TheTutoress, we're wrapping up our 11+ Christmas course and have spoken to dozens of parents who are struggling with helping their child to prepare for the exams.

So, how do you prepare for the exams when they're just days or weeks away?

What are the best tips or pearls of wisdom for time-pressed parents?

Here are a few of our biggest quick tips.

Tip 1: Keep calm and carry on.

The more stressed you are, the more stressed and nervous your child will be. Rather than panicking and running around like a headless chicken, try to be as calm as possible because evidently your child will react and respond to your behaviour in the run-up to the exams. Always keep calm and have a 'carry on' approach. In other words, be calm but persistent.

Tip 2. Get moving. 

Yes, you're travelling or spending time with family but that's no excuse to avoid preparing for the exams. These days it's easier than ever to carry or download 11+ preparation materials with you. Simply download them to your laptop or purchase an online 11+ practice service such as 11 Plus Hero so that your child can study in short bursts wherever they are.

Tip 3. Get Social.

Make sure your child receives a great blend of academic and social preparation before their exam. Why? Well, these days most independent/private schools select students based not just on their academic ability but on their social skills and interview performance. It's therefore important to ensure that your child isn't just an academic genius but also has outstanding social/extra-curricular skills. Ultimately, students who have both are far more likely to pass the exam and also excel in all areas of their studies.

So there you have it, three quick tips for handling last minute 11+ revision.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and as always, please feel free to share it on Twitter using the hashtag #thetutoress @thetutoress.

Wishing you the best of luck with the January 11+ exams.

Victoria (The Tutoress).

Why Being an Early Bird is Key to 11+ Success

Are you the parent that hasn't read a single book, article or blog post about the 11+ and have no idea about what the process involves?

Are you the parent that's left everything to the last minute and now you're nervous about how to help your child pass?

Or are you the parent that's researched every area of the 11+ since your child's first birthday? 

Are you the parent that's immersed themselves in reading as much 11+ guidance material as possible?

You see, there are two very different types of 11+ parents.

The first type is the one that leaves everything to the last minute and then freaks out when they realise that their child doesn't even know the basics.

The second type is the parent that's so well prepared that they've studied every piece of literature known to man.

As 11+ experts, we've noticed that the second type of parent is far more likely to have a child that passes the exam simply because they are prepared! They are an early bird and as they say, the early bird always catches the worm.

Time and time again, we come across parents that are the first type and they leave everything to the last minute. As a result, their child is overwhelmed and struggles to score higher than 50% in practice tests. Such parents have no idea how to help their child improve and quite frankly, they often expect miracles from tutors like ourselves. They expect us to magically take a child that doesn't have a grasp of the basics and turn them into geniuses.

Sometimes, there are rare instances where we can help such students but often enough it's the children that have been studying for at least 1.5 years and have worked consistently hard that end up passing the 11+.

So what can you take away from this?

Start preparing for the 11+ as early as possible! 1.5 years is the ideal amount of time.

The exam is meant to test natural ability and potential so ultimately a child that has built an exceptional vocabulary and has a wonderful grasp of English and Maths from an early age is much more likely to pass than one who is trying to cram at the last minute.

Leaving things to the last minute is one of the worst things that you can do when it comes to the 11+ so try to prepare as early as possible.

PS. It's okay to teach your child yourself but it's also good to have your child assessed by a tutor at least once before they sit the exam. It's even better to enrol your child in an 11+ mock exam so that you can find out how they're doing in comparison to other students and identify any weak spots that need addressing.

If you liked this post, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend that might also benefit from reading this advice.

Wishing you the best of luck with exam preparation.

TheTutoress.com.

3 Things Successful 11+ Parents Always Do

There are a small number of parents who confidently exclaim that every single one of their children has passed the 11+ exam.

Such parents are the ones who leave other parents filled with envy; they just seem to be able to do everything and they do it with such grace and ease.

It's difficult not to be jealous of them.

I was recently talking to a parent who declared that every single one of her four children had received multiple offers from prestigious grammar schools. 

She asserted that only one of them was particularly bright and that she had hardly tutored them because she couldn't afford to.

She was a normal working mother who simply wanted the best for her children and did what she could to help them pass their school entrance exams.

Intrigued, I began thinking about the many other parents that I've come across over the years who have had similar success with the 11+. 

Many came from 'normal' backgrounds and didn't always tutor their child excessively.

They did however, share three things in common.

1. They believed that no matter how well their child did in the exam, they would always show their child that they were proud of them. They didn't hold back on giving love or affection based on how well their child did. They understood that exams can be hit or miss and that failure in one exam isn't a reflection of their child's full abilities. 

2. They were willing to invest what little money they had into at least a few months worth of intensive tuition. For instance, several of the parents I spoke to invested in 5 or more hours of tuition per week for their child in the final two months before the exam. In the instances where they couldn't afford tuition they simply taught their child themselves or asked an older sibling to help out and then they hired a tutor for a few hours on top. This ensured that key topics were covered and that their child was ahead of their revision schedule.

3. They didn't put all their eggs in one basket! This has to be the most important thing that I observed from these parents and it falls in line with some of the advice that I usually give my clients.

Make sure you have more than one option when it comes to the schools you're applying for. Parents whose children succeeded in the 11+ exams often applied for multiple schools and the vast majority of these parents applied for both grammar and independent schools as a back up measure. They understood that even if they couldn't afford independent school fees, they could look into options such as scholarships and bursaries. 

There's so much to learn by speaking to successful 11+ parents. For me, it's always an eye-opener and I am often amazed by the wonderful advice that they share.

Whether your child has already sat the exams or is about to embark on their 11+ journey, pay attention to the tips above and always remember that your attitude and positivity has a huge role to play in how successful your child is in the exams and beyond.

Here's to your child's success!

Victoria.

Founder, TheTutoress.com.