Independent School Interviews Made Easy: Essential Questions Your Child Will Face

You know what keeps parents awake at night? It’s not the 11 Plus exam itself – most parents feel they can help with that. It’s the interview. That moment when their child has to walk into a room full of strangers and… talk.

I get it. I really do.

But here’s the good news: school interviews follow patterns. The same questions come up again and again. And once you know what’s coming, you can prepare your child properly. Not with scripted answers (please, don’t do that!), but with genuine confidence in talking about themselves.

Let me walk you through the questions your child will almost certainly face, and more importantly, how to help them answer with authenticity and confidence.

The Questions That Always Come Up

“What do you like to do in your free time?”

This sounds simple, right? But you’d be surprised how many children freeze on this one.

The problem is they think they need to say something impressive. So instead of talking about what they actually love – maybe it’s gaming, or YouTube, or hanging out with friends – they say something they think sounds “better.”

Here’s what I tell every child at Geek School Tutoring: be honest. If you love football, talk about football. If you’re into art, talk about art. If you spend your weekends building elaborate Lego creations, talk about that!

What schools want to see is passion and enthusiasm. They want to see your child’s eyes light up. They want to hear genuine excitement in their voice. That’s what makes them memorable.

The key is helping your child go deeper than just naming an activity. Not just “I like reading,” but “I love reading adventure stories, especially ones set in different time periods. Right now I’m reading a book about ancient Rome and it’s fascinating.”

See the difference?

“Why do you want to attend this school?”

Oh, this one. This is where so many children trip up because they haven’t actually thought about it beyond “Mum and Dad said it’s a good school.”

And look, I understand. Your child is 10 or 11. They’re not making this decision independently. But the school wants to see that they’ve engaged with the idea, that they’ve thought about what makes this particular school special.

This is where you need to do some homework together. Visit the school website. Look at their clubs and activities. Read about their values. Watch their videos. Then have a real conversation with your child about what genuinely appeals to them.

Maybe it’s the amazing science facilities. Maybe it’s the fact they have a chess club and your child loves chess. Maybe it’s the house system because they love the idea of being part of a team.

Whatever it is, it needs to be specific and genuine. Not “Because it’s a really good school” but “Because I saw you have a robotics club and I’ve been teaching myself coding, so I’d love to learn how to build actual robots.”

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

This question terrifies children. They think admitting to any weakness will ruin their chances.

But here’s the thing: schools know children aren’t perfect. They’re actually looking for self-awareness, which is a pretty sophisticated skill for a 10-year-old.

For strengths, encourage your child to pick something real and explain it with an example. Not “I’m smart” but “I’m good at sticking with difficult problems. Like in maths, if I can’t solve something straight away, I try different methods until I figure it out.”

For weaknesses, the magic formula is: acknowledge it, then show what you’re doing about it. “I sometimes find it hard to speak up in class even when I know the answer. But I’ve been trying to put my hand up at least once every lesson, and it’s getting easier.”

That’s gold. That shows maturity and growth mindset.

“Can you tell us about a time when you showed leadership?”

This one panics children who aren’t head boy or girl, or captain of the football team. They think they don’t have an answer.

But leadership doesn’t have to be about having a title. It’s about taking initiative, helping others, or making something happen.

Maybe your child organised a game at break time that got everyone involved. Maybe they helped a younger child who was lost on their first day. Maybe they suggested a fundraising idea to their teacher and helped make it happen.

These are all examples of leadership. Help your child identify moments when they’ve stepped up, even in small ways.

“Can you give an example of a problem you solved?”

Schools love this question because it shows how children think.

The problem doesn’t have to be huge. It could be figuring out how to organise their homework better. It could be working out a maths puzzle. It could be resolving a disagreement with a friend.

What matters is that your child can explain their thinking process. “I noticed I was always forgetting my PE kit, so I started packing my bag the night before and putting a reminder on the calendar. Now I never forget.”

That’s problem-solving. That’s what they want to hear.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Here’s a secret: they don’t actually care what your child wants to be. They’re not holding them to it!

What they’re looking for is whether your child has thought about the future, whether they have interests and ambitions, whether they can articulate their thinking.

“I’m not completely sure yet, but I’m really interested in how things work, so maybe something in engineering or science” is a perfectly good answer. So is “I love writing stories, so maybe an author, or maybe a journalist.”

The key is showing they’ve thought about it, not having it all figured out.

“Can you tell us about a current event or news story that interests you?”

This question separates the children who engage with the world from those who don’t.

And no, your child doesn’t need to discuss international politics (unless they’re genuinely interested!). A current event could be a new scientific discovery, a sports achievement, an environmental initiative, or even something happening in your local community.

What matters is that they can talk about it with some knowledge and express an opinion. “I read about the new Mars rover and I think it’s amazing that we can explore other planets. I’d love to know if there was ever life on Mars.”

That works beautifully.

How to Actually Prepare (Without Over-Preparing)

Here’s what doesn’t work: sitting your child down and drilling them with questions until they can recite perfect answers.

Here’s what does work: having natural conversations about these topics over dinner, in the car, while you’re out walking. Making it normal to talk about their interests, their thoughts, their experiences.

At Geek School Tutoring, we do mock interviews, but we’re not looking for perfect answers. We’re looking for authentic, confident communication. We’re building the skill of thinking on their feet and expressing themselves clearly.

And you know what? That’s a skill that will serve them for life, whether they get into their first-choice school or not.

The Day of the Interview

Keep it low-key. Don’t spend the morning drilling questions. Don’t give them a pep talk that makes them more nervous.

Instead, remind them:
– The interviewers want them to do well
– There are no trick questions
– Being themselves is enough
– You’re proud of them whatever happens

And mean it. Because they’ll know if you don’t.

Why This Matters

I’ve seen hundreds of children through school interviews at Geek School Tutoring. The ones who succeed aren’t necessarily the ones with the most impressive CVs or the highest test scores.

They’re the ones who walk in with confidence, who can have a genuine conversation, who let their personality shine through.

That’s what we build. Not just academic knowledge, but the confidence and communication skills that open doors.

Our students have gone on to St. Olave’s, Henrietta Barnett, Dulwich College, and dozens of other top schools. Not because they were perfect, but because they were prepared and authentic.

Book a £5 assessment with us today and let’s talk about how we can help your child feel confident and prepared for their school interview. We’ve got centres in Beckenham and Lewisham, plus online tuition available.

Because every child deserves to walk into that interview room feeling ready. And with the right preparation, they absolutely can.

Joycellyn
Managing Director, Geek School Tutoring