I admire your commitment to your children, your entire 'applications marathon' and the struggles you face. I get it!
Lots of kids hate public speaking. They are not all plucky little chatterboxes. Others answer questions without focus or really listening to the question being asked. Consequently, some may have limited or unprepared oral expression which puts them at a disadvantage in an interview situation.
Then there’s the uniquely difficult skill of the school interview itself. You can’t ‘cram’ for it; you have to think deeply about a range of possible subjects they might ask your child. Prepare step by step - you can't 'wing' an interview.
Additionally, timed interview responses are also assess the student's general knowledge, ability to discuss ideas or relate an unseen image to their own understanding of world issues. Does your child know where to find a certain country on a map? Or who the UK Prime Minister is? Or the name of the leader of the Opposition? How about the U.S President? Or deeper social and political issues?
What about acquiring an impressive, apt and invigorating repertoire of vocabulary to allow the child to express their ideas in a distinctive style? How can all these elements build your child’s range of expression, their creative writing techniques and distinctive interview voice? Yikes, there’s so much being tested in that interview!
Time is running out. Action needs to be taken if we’re to ensure the children can really do themselves justice in the formal interviews which are now only days away for some schools. Don’t leave it too late as others will do just this, creating pressure on later slot availability. Very few experienced teachers are offering a dedicated preparation session and study package at present.