Ranking of KE schools on LEA form

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clarendon
Posts: 253
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: Birmingham

Ranking of KE schools on LEA form

Post by clarendon »

I was chatting to an acquaintance today and her daughter is due to start at KE Handsworth in Sept. She was telling me that it is inadvisable to put 2 KE schools 1st and 2nd on the LEA pref. form. She said she's heard from others that the Foundation apparently only consider you for the highest ranked school. Seems absurd to me but does anyone know if there's any truth in this?

Thanks
KES Parent

Re: Ranking of KE schools on LEA form

Post by KES Parent »

clarendon wrote:I was chatting to an acquaintance today and her daughter is due to start at KE Handsworth in Sept. She was telling me that it is inadvisable to put 2 KE schools 1st and 2nd on the LEA pref. form. She said she's heard from others that the Foundation apparently only consider you for the highest ranked school. Seems absurd to me but does anyone know if there's any truth in this?

Thanks
It is the LEA which consider your child for the schools named on your LEA preference form, not the KE Foundation - the Foundation just let the LEA know how many places are available at each school and send them a ranked list of 11+ results when these are available. Given that the cut off scores for the 5 KE grammar schools are all different, it would depend what order you put them in whether you might be offered your second choice if your child didn't reach the score for your first choice. Eg, if Camp Hill boys was your first choice, Five Ways second, and Aston third, then a boy failing to get a high enough score for CHB might well still score enough for a place at Five Ways or Aston. But if you put Five Ways or Aston first followed by CHB, if he didn't score highly enough for FW/Aston he would then almost certainly not reach the required score for CHB (which is always the highest scoring of the schools). Rather a long winded explanation, I'm afraid, but the LEA do consider your child for each of the schools you have named, in order, and you will be offered a place at the highest one for which your child is qualified, whether by 11+ score, sibling at school, distance from home to school, or whatever - all schools have to publish their entry criteria on the Birmingham LEA website for all to see. Hope this makes sense. It is amazing how people who've actually been through the process still manage to pass on all sorts of misinformation.
lottie
Posts: 96
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:37 am

Post by lottie »

Hi Claradon

If you live in Bham you should have 6 preferences on the LEA form.

I know that you will have your favourite king eds school so put this one at the very top of the list - then if you don't mind your son going to the other two if he fails to be offered a place at his 1st pref, put them 2nd and 3rd in preference order on the list.

Then place 4th, 5th and 6th your other preferences i.e. local comps.

If you are confused, you could call the foundation and speak to them - they are EXTREMELY helpful, and wont mind you calling them.

In conclusion - YOUR FREIND IN INCORRECT.

Best of luck to your son in his exam.
Lottie :D
clarendon
Posts: 253
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by clarendon »

Many thanks to KES parent and Lottie.... you've both confirmed what I'd thought to be the case. I guess you have to be prepared for all sorts of "misinformation" from other parents, altho' I'm sure they were well intentioned in their advice.

It's actually my daughter sitting the tests this year and she prefers Camp Hill altho' we live much closer to Handsworth! She's very sporty and fell in love with the pool and sports hall at CH. I appreciate you wishing her good luck, Lottie I'm sure you're aware it's a very anxious time.

Clarendon
KES Parent

Post by KES Parent »

clarendon wrote:Many thanks to KES parent and Lottie.... you've both confirmed what I'd thought to be the case. I guess you have to be prepared for all sorts of "misinformation" from other parents, altho' I'm sure they were well intentioned in their advice.

It's actually my daughter sitting the tests this year and she prefers Camp Hill altho' we live much closer to Handsworth! She's very sporty and fell in love with the pool and sports hall at CH. I appreciate you wishing her good luck, Lottie I'm sure you're aware it's a very anxious time.

Clarendon
Hi Clarendon

Camp Hill Girls and Handsworth usually have very similar cut-off scores, although CHG is usally a few marks higher than HW, so your daughter would probably be fine to put them in her preferred order - if she doesn't quite make CHG she may still score highly enough for HW. I wouldn't put Five Ways down after these two, though, as it would be likely to be a wasted choice on your form - FWS tends to require a higher test score than the two girls' schools to secure a place.
clarendon
Posts: 253
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by clarendon »

Thanks KES parent... that's very helpful. We are not considering FW... will put Sutton Grammar as 3rd choice.

I do have a further question tho' for you or anyone else in the know! I'm planning to submit my app. online but was wondering if there are any known pitfalls to doing this. If anyone has been thru' the online process in Bham will they please share this experience... good or bad.

Thanks,

Clarendon
KES Parent

Post by KES Parent »

clarendon wrote:Thanks KES parent... that's very helpful. We are not considering FW... will put Sutton Grammar as 3rd choice.

I do have a further question tho' for you or anyone else in the know! I'm planning to submit my app. online but was wondering if there are any known pitfalls to doing this. If anyone has been thru' the online process in Bham will they please share this experience... good or bad.

Thanks,

Clarendon
There are no pitfalls that I know of, except that I believe you can't submit the photo electronically, so you have to post or take that to the Foundation Office anyway. Personally when I did it I took the application form (no photo needed then!) to the FO myself so I knew it had arrived safely. My advice would be to do this or send it as "signed for" if you live a distance away, so that there cannot possibly be any doubt you have submitted it. If you miss their deadline, even if it is the Post Office's fault, you are basically up the creek. :roll:
lottie
Posts: 96
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:37 am

Post by lottie »

Hi Claradon

LEA Form on-line - no pitfalls to applying online (just make sure you print off proof etc).

KE Application form - I personally would do as Kes suggested and hand deliver it or alternatively recorded delivery - DO NOT MISS THE DEAD LINE.

I can remember being as confused as you, and I didn't find this site in time - but don't forget the staff at the foundation office are REALLY helpful and are used to lots of questions.

Lottie :D
ss1
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:15 pm

Post by ss1 »

I went through the online route with my DD application last year through Birmingham LEA, it was a breeze you will recieve an email confirmation of your selections which gives you added piece of mind. The only drawback I would suggest is if you are like me, you will end up waiting till just after midnight to receive the results. I guess this could be seen a s a distinct advantage.
jah
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:31 pm

Post by jah »

Entrance scores change from year to year; when year 11 daughter applied Five Ways had lower pass mark than K E Handsworth. Camp Hill Boys consistently has the highest passmark as there are so few places. Put the schools in the order that you really want regardless of previous year's pass marks.

I know a family who messed up secondary school application for 2 of their children, and can still be heard in the playground giving advice to other people. The Foundation Office, schools or LEA are best source of information for facts.

Don't do what one family did and put KE schools in one order on LEA form, and another order on KE form. Luckily, they were able to get this sorted out and the girl got to her first choice school, but only on appeal.

Applying on-line to LEA means you get your offer sooner. Makes it easier to find out at same time as your child.

Applying to foundation office; you can do this NOW. Then you won't be worrying in September.
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