The 11+ interview: help your child talk, think and stay themselves

The format changes what useful practice looks like

These are examples, not a ranking or a template for every school. “Group interview” may describe a structured discussion rather than four children taking turns to deliver answers. “Taster lesson” means that how a child responds to teaching can matter; it does not license us to invent the task or scoring.

If the school publishes little, ask what your child should bring and approximately how long the visit lasts. An honest “we do not publish the questions” is still useful: practise adaptable skills rather than chasing leaks.

For wider context, read our Highgate, JAGS, Sevenoaks, Manchester Grammar and Withington profiles. An interview format is only one part of whether a school fits your child.

Practise the conversation underneath the answer

ISEB’s free interview resources focus on confidence and conversation, handling nerves and thinking about first impressions. Its 2025 preparation advice encourages curiosity and conversation while keeping wellbeing and balance in view. That is guidance, not a secret school rubric.

We suggest two short conversations a week as a starting routine, if your child finds them helpful. Choose something they actually did, read, noticed or wondered about. Ask one opening question and two genuine follow-ups. Then stop. Repeating a full mock every evening risks teaching a child to hunt for the approved sentence instead of listening.

Some schools are explicit about avoiding preparation. Channing discourages interview coaching; City of London School says no specific preparation is required or expected. MGS likewise says its unfamiliar Assessment Day content requires no preparation. Our exercises are optional conversation practice, not a requirement to rehearse a school’s assessment.

Use ordinary topics: a project that went wrong, a character they disagreed with, a rule they would change, a hobby they recently began or a small problem they solved. The goal is not to make every subject impressive. It is to help the child add a reason, example or reflection when the first answer is short.

Do not correct accent, personality or harmless childish phrasing. Help with clarity: speaking loudly enough to hear, answering the question that was asked and pausing before racing into the next thought. Some children communicate differently; agree suitable preparation and adjustments with the destination instead of enforcing one style of eye contact or body language.

A real answer grows through follow-up questions

Fictional practice exchange

Adult: “What do you like doing outside school?”
Child: “I make tiny rooms from cardboard.”

Adult: “What is difficult about that?”
Child: “Making the furniture stand up. I used too much glue at first, so now I fold little tabs.”

Adult: “What would you make next?”
Child: “A library, because shelves are difficult and I want a ladder that moves.”

The detail shows what the child enjoys and how they worked through a problem. If a parent had replaced “tiny rooms” with a prestigious activity the child barely knows, a follow-up could leave the child with little genuine detail to add.

Another fictional response: “I didn’t enjoy the book at first because the narrator complained all the time. Later I understood why, but I still found another character more interesting.” A useful follow-up asks what changed the reader’s mind. “It was amazing and very descriptive” gives the interviewer much less to work with.

Practise not knowing, too. “I haven’t thought about that. Could I take a moment?” is a complete and respectful response. So is “I don’t know that word—could you explain it?” A child should not guess what a question means simply to look quick.

The best book is one your child can actually discuss

Unless the school specifically asks for an object or book, do not arrive carrying props. But a child should be able to discuss something they have genuinely read, watched, made, played or investigated. Familiarity gives them somewhere to go when the first answer prompts another question.

There are real exceptions: Manchester High encourages an invited interviewee to bring an item of personal interest. Let the child choose it and explain why it matters. An object connected to something they genuinely do is more useful than a parent-designed display of accomplishments.

Try: What surprised you? Which choice would you have made differently? What did you look up afterwards? What would you change if you made it again? These invite thought rather than a plot summary or list of achievements.

Fictional concise voice: “I like goalkeeping. You wait a lot and then have to decide quickly. I used to come off my line every time. My coach showed me when staying back gives me more time.” That is enough. A quieter child does not need to turn it into a speech.

Keep a small note of two books and two interests only as a prompt at home. Do not hand the note to the child to memorise. If their genuine answer changes by interview day, that is not a failure of preparation.

A group task is not a competition for airtime

A child can contribute by offering an idea, asking another child what they think, connecting two suggestions or changing their mind for a reason. A quiet child does not need instructions to dominate. A confident talker may need to practise leaving room.

Made-up family exercise: three people choose how to spend a fictional £30 outing budget. Each must propose something, respond to another idea and reach a decision. Halfway through, reduce the budget to £22. Notice whether the child listens and helps the group adjust; do not declare one choice correct.

Useful phrases can be practised without scripting a performance: “Can I add to that?”, “What do you think?”, “I see your point, but…” and “Could we combine those ideas?” The child should use their own words on the day.

In a taster lesson, the parallel skills are listening to the instruction, attempting the work and asking when genuinely confused. Being first to answer every question is neither required nor necessarily helpful to other children.

Teach recovery instead of chasing a flawless performance

Children lose their train of thought, misunderstand questions and give one-word answers. Let this happen during practice. Wait a moment, repeat or rephrase once, and help them add a concrete example. The experience of recovering is more protective than twenty rehearsals in which the adult supplies every word.

Fictional recovery: “Tell me about a time you helped someone.” “I can’t think of one.” Pause. “Could it be something small?” “My friend was new to our swimming group, so I showed him where the lockers were. I didn’t teach him swimming or anything.” The child’s correction makes the answer believable rather than weak.

Agree a simple way to pause when nervous: feet on the floor, a slow breath, then ask for the question again if needed.

If distress is more than ordinary nerves or affects daily life, the application process is not the place to improvise support. Speak with the child’s current school and an appropriate professional, and discuss the actual visit with admissions early.

The parent conversation has a different job

First establish whether parents meet anyone at all and whether that conversation contributes to selection. Withington says parents join at the end to ask questions and that this part is outside selection. Do not turn it into a second child interview by answering questions directed to them.

Stockport Grammar invites selected parents and children to meet a senior leader together as its final admissions stage. That is not the same as Withington’s unassessed closing questions. Speak truthfully about ordinary home support if asked, and let your child answer when the question is addressed to them.

Prepare two specific questions that affect a decision: how support would work, how a child gets home after activities, what happens when work becomes difficult or how beginners join a particular ensemble. Avoid asking for facts already clear on the website simply to appear interested.

If asked why the school appeals, connect your answer to this child and something you have actually learned. “The facilities are amazing” says little. “She wants to keep orchestra without giving up netball; we want to understand whether that week is workable” opens a useful conversation.

Do not coach your child to repeat the family sales pitch. Parent and child may notice different things. A respectful difference is not a defective application, and an interview is not the right moment to make a ten-year-old carry adult ambition.

A calm two-week practice plan

If the child becomes more rehearsed or worried, reduce the practice. The schedule is our suggestion, not a school requirement. A child already comfortable talking with unfamiliar adults may need only format familiarisation and a logistical plan.

Do one practical run-through: where to arrive, who meets them, what they should bring and what happens afterwards. For an online interview, test the school’s specified device and link, sound, camera position and a quiet space—but do not add online assumptions when the school expects attendance in person.