“I believe a well-rounded education will lay the foundations for your child’s success and prospects; I, therefore, support families to go from not knowing what to expect in the 11+ school interview, to being confident and well prepared to secure a place at your desired school”
– Sonya Moledina
Your son/daughter may be preparing for independent school 11+ entrance examinations. As well as English, maths and reasoning skills, the majority of leading independent schools also conduct an interview with your child as part of the selection process.
It would be disadvantageous for your child to be well prepared for the examinations but not know how to succeed at the interview stage. In my experience of highly competitive independent schools, once a student passes the examinations, approximately 1/3 of the students go on to secure the school offer at the interview stage.
I coach parents and children to be well informed, confident, and prepared for the 11+ school interview. My goal is for you and your child to open the outcome letters on results day and have the joy of reading ‘I am delighted to tell you, that you have been successful in gaining a place at our school’.
I believe in commencing school interview preparation at least four months prior to the potential interview as the skills required for success take time and with 100+ interview questions to consider, it is best to consider interview questions slowly and gradually.
Why I am well placed to support you
- I bring an abundance of personal and professional experience to support students through their 11+ school interviews. As a parent of two children, I navigated our way through the 3+, 5+, 7+, and 11+ independent school systems and have plenty of advice to share about what to do and mistakes to avoid in school interviews. My 13-year-old (who attends year 8 at the Haberdashers’ Boys’ School) also shares his personal journey.
- I have undertaken extensive research from former students regarding questions that arise and consulted school experts (school registrars, headteachers, senior school leaders, teachers, and tutors) to establish what schools are looking for and how prospective 11+ students can gain a competitive edge.
- My school interview support packages have been carefully devised to support students from making a good impression, answering typical interview questions, dealing with tricky questions to exiting the interview impressively.
- I have undertaken interviewer skills training; I am on the interview panel for medicine at a Russell Group university and am a Certified Etiquette & Emotional Intelligence Coach.
- To date, I have supported well over seventy students with school (and university) interviews, and my students have successfully achieved offers from St Pauls School, Westminster School, Haberdashers Boys and Girls, Merchant Taylors, City of London School, North London Collegiate, St Helens, and many other day and boarding schools in the UK.
- I host 11+ charity events annually (alongside other tutors) and these events to date have supported more than 250 students through their 11+ journey.
- I don’t know of any other organisation supporting parents on 11+ interviews from their own personal experience, or for the opportunity for your child to learn directly from former students about their experiences. The 11+ interview support I offer is comprehensive as caregivers are coached on how to support their child gradually over the months leading up to the interview and the child can also receive direct support from me alongside their parent(s), if required.
| School interview membership for parents |
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| The parent's school interview membership lasts 14 weeks, with pre-recorded modules sent to you every Monday, from the week you commence membership. |
| If you would like two modules a week, the membership can be completed over a 7-week period. The pre-recorded modules last up to 30 minutes and may be listened to at your convenience, as many times as you wish and either with or without your child. On most modules, the recording is supported with documentation or a quiz to complete to consolidate your understanding of the topic. |
| There will be three live calls in 2023 to consolidate the learnings from the membership. The live sessions last approximately one hour and a recording will be sent to you within 24 hours of the event. There will be an opportunity for a Q&A at the end and you may submit any questions in advance of the live sessions. |
The online live sessions will take place on:
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Membership modules include:
| Session | Module: |
|---|---|
| 1 | Why do school’s interview? What are schools looking for? Format of the interview A growth mindset, calming your nerves and comfort zones |
| 2 | First impressions, body language, conduct & general advice Tell me about yourself Recording achievements and other actions to prepare |
| 3 | Why do you want to come to this school? |
| 4 | Answering questions Question types Describe a picture Mental maths Poetry BONUS: An English tutor’s advice on poetry/describe this picture type questions A maths teachers’ advice for answering mental maths questions 
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| 5 | You and your family Your strengths and your goals Your current school |
| 6 | Sports, extra-curricular activities, hobbies, and interests |
| 7 | Philosophical Questions |
| 8 | Negative Questions |
| 9 | Moral and Debatable Questions |
| 10 | Book Questions |
| 11 | Current affairs/News |
| 12 | Group Interviews |
| 13 | The School Reference Actions/Next steps BONUS: Haberdashers School for Boys- ex 11+ student experience |
| 14 | Parent Interviews |
Testimonials:
“Our son attended Sonya’s interview masterclass, which he thoroughly enjoyed, and the class helped him prepare for his interview which resulted in him gaining all offers. Sonya has been fantastic throughout the process and has always been available for help, support, and guidance, which has been much appreciated. Thank you, Sonya!”
Sonya was very meticulous in her preparation and her instructions to my son. She was methodical and patient and very encouraging throughout the timing of preparing my son which he found very reassuring and boosted his confidence which was greatly needed at that time" (Parent of a year 6 student who secured a place at his first-choice senior school)
"I really enjoyed taking part in the group interview task and found the tips that were shared really useful. I felt so much better prepared for my interview and was able to take it in my stride. I would recommend this class to anyone who has interviews coming up". (Testimonial from a year 6 student)
To prepare for 11+ examinations, parents or tutors may follow a syllabus or utilise structured books and resources, however, 11+ school interview preparation is an ambiguous process. The ‘11+ school interview membership package’ will provide guidance and a structure for you to support your child.
Interview preparation requires caregivers to nurture the child’s mind and cultivate thinking skills over time- it is not an overnight process.
14 pre-recorded sessions and 3 live sessions is in valuable investment at £97 for the full membership. This works out to be less than £7 per module.
