“They passed the written tests. Now there’s an interview. What on earth do we do?” That’s the message I get from parents every December, usually with a list of fifty questions they’ve found online and a plan to drill every one.
Please don’t. The interview is the one part of the 11+ where over-preparing does real harm. Schools are not checking whether your child can recite answers. They want to meet the actual child, and see how that child thinks when the question is new.
It varies from school to school, so read each school’s own page. Here is how three London schools describe theirs for 2027 entry.
One member of senior staff, after the written exams. The school says it looks for creativity, engagement and the capacity for independent thought.
An interview plus a group activity, for children who scored well in the assessments. The school wants to know your child beyond the test results.
A second stage of a group interview and taster lessons. It also lets children see what life at the school is like.
Notice what none of them say: nobody is looking for a perfect speech. City of London School even says no specific preparation is required or expected. What they reward is a child who listens, thinks and talks honestly.
Most questions fall into a handful of groups. Questions about the child and what they’ve been learning tend to take up most of the time.
“I haven’t thought about that before, but let me think…”
Those are the most useful words in any interview. A child who says them and then works through the problem out loud shows exactly the courage interviewers are hoping to see.
I teach ways of thinking, not scripts. Here are the three I use most.
Situation, Task, Action, Result. Asked about a challenge, a child might say: “I had to read a poem in assembly (situation). I’d never spoken to the whole school and I was nervous (task). I practised every evening and asked my mum to time me (action). It went well, and I learned that practice really does help (result).” Four short steps, no rambling, and the child sounds organised.
Some schools show a picture and ask “What do you think?”. Go in four steps. “I can see a small boat on a stormy sea.” Then a detail: “The sky is dark, but there’s a strip of light near the horizon.” Then a meaning: “Maybe the artist is showing there’s hope even in a bad time.” Then an opinion: “I like it, because the light makes me want to know what happens next.” There is no single right answer. The school is watching how your child thinks.
“If P = 4 + 2m, what is P when m = 6?” Talk it through: “Two times six is twelve, plus four is sixteen, so P is 16.” Saying each step means that even a slip shows good thinking, and the interviewer can see the method, not only the answer.
“My favourite book is a classic because of its themes of adventure and personal growth”, said in a flat voice. Interviewers hear this all day. A child who says which bit they loved, and why, with real excitement, is far more convincing.
Choosing a book to look clever, then struggling with the first follow-up question. Interviewers ask follow-ups. Pick books your child actually enjoyed and can talk about in detail.
Have two or three books your child has really read and genuinely liked.
“What are you reading?” comes up in almost every interview I hear about. Honest enthusiasm for a funny book beats a nervous summary of a serious one.
This is how I would prepare a child over about four weeks:
A few minutes a day of a children’s news source. Pick two or three stories your child finds genuinely interesting and talk about what they think.
Ask one interview-style question a night, casually. “Should there be homework?” Let them disagree with you, and ask “why?”.
Look at the school’s website together and find one or two things your child honestly likes: a club, a subject, something they saw on the open day. That’s their answer to “Why here?”.
With a tutor or an adult your child doesn’t know well. Include one question they can’t possibly have prepared, so the unexpected stops feeling scary.
Many interviewers end with “Do you have any questions for me?”. One real question is plenty: “What do Year 7s do at lunchtime?” is perfectly good.
Light chat only, early nights, a good breakfast and arrive in good time. Your calm is catching, and so is your worry.
The children who do best are not the ones with the most polished answers. They are the curious ones who are comfortable being themselves.
These are the published dates at two of the schools above. Every school is different, so check each one on your list.
Both schools make their decision on the written tests, the interview and a report from your child’s current school together. The interview is one piece, not the whole picture.
Many schools use the ISEB Pre-Test or the London 11+ Consortium before the interview stage. The school finder shows how entry works at each school, and the free 11+ guide covers the skills behind the written papers.
Usually about 20 minutes. City of London School says its interview lasts around 15 to 20 minutes, and St Paul’s Girls’ School says approximately 20 minutes.
Not always. At City of London School and St Paul’s Girls’ School, children are invited to interview after doing well in the written assessments. Highgate invites “a significant proportion” of candidates back in January.
City of London School says no specific preparation is required or expected. Getting used to talking about books, ideas and the news at home is different from learning answers, and it is the kind of practice I recommend.
Some schools see children together as well as alone. Highgate’s January stage is a group interview and taster lessons, and City of London School adds a group activity to its interview.
Some schools allow it. St Paul’s Girls’ School says interviews can be held remotely, at a time that suits your time zone, even though its written assessments are in person. Check with each school.
I prepare children 1:1 online for 11+, 13+ and 16+ entry to the UK’s leading independent and grammar schools. Tell me about your child and the schools you are considering, and I will tell you honestly what the preparation should look like.
Enquire About LessonsSources: City of London School: 11+ entry · St Paul's Girls' School: 11+ entry · Highgate School: 11+ admissions. Details change from year to year, so always check the official websites before you apply.