My three year old son had an "interview" for reception class where the organisation seemed very hap hazard. The nature of the interview was not fully expained to us and once in there the member of the office staff conducting the interview said it is an interview for the parents not the child. I think we are nice, educated humble people so no worried about our "interview" and our son was a little of the shy side on the day (although he is as articulate as any older child usally I cannot shut him up!) There was no teacher in the room just a memeber of the admin staff and it was all conducted in an office with no stimulus for a child at all - very odd! I am a teacher myself and would not have expected any 3 year old to perform well in such an environment. No questions were directed to my son and he was just expected seemingly to involve himself in the general flow of the conversation about the school..... There were about 12 children interviewed on the day for 2 places and our son was not successful. The feedback given (from the head of the school who was not present at the interview) is that he acted in a "silly" fashion during the interview and did not dispay enough independence. I think he may mistook silliness and lack of independence for embarrassment and this feedback struck me as very unprofessional- a grown man calling a 3 year old "silly".... He is 3 years old, very bright and charming and funny and surely if a 3 year old is expected to never act in a "silly" fashion and be very serious then I am afraid that we live in a very sad world. Just my experience of course I can see that many people are very pleased with this school from this thread. For anyone called to an "interview! with your young children I think you need drill them before into sitting still, behaving very seriously and involve themselves in adult conversation during the interview or you may get some personal feedback that upsets you - as I did!
My three year old son had an "interview" for reception class where the organisation seemed very hap hazard. The nature of the interview was not fully expained to us and once in there the member of the office staff conducting the interview said it is an interview for the parents not the child. I think we are nice, educated humble people so no worried about our "interview" and our son was a little of the shy side on the day (although he is as articulate as any older child usally I cannot shut him up!) There was no teacher in the room just a memeber of the admin staff and it was all conducted in an office with no stimulus for a child at all - very odd! I am a teacher myself and would not have expected any 3 year old to perform well in such an environment. No questions were directed to my son and he was just expected seemingly to involve himself in the general flow of the conversation about the school..... There were about 12 children interviewed on the day for 2 places and our son was not successful. The feedback given (from the head of the school who was not present at the interview) is that he acted in a "silly" fashion during the interview and did not dispay enough independence. I think he may mistook silliness and lack of independence for embarrassment and this feedback struck me as very unprofessional- a grown man calling a 3 year old "silly".... He is 3 years old, very bright and charming and funny and surely if a 3 year old is expected to never act in a "silly" fashion and be very serious then I am afraid that we live in a very sad world. Just my experience of course I can see that many people are very pleased with this school from this thread. For anyone called to an "interview! with your young children I think you need drill them before into sitting still, behaving very seriously and involve themselves in adult conversation during the interview or you may get some personal feedback that upsets you - as I did!