New to State School Admissions Help Urgently Needed!

[petlover]

Hello,

If you live near Wing it may be worth looking at schools in Leighton Buzzard. They have a 3 tier system in Bedfordshire with middle school from year 5 to year 8, and then upper school from year 9. So if your children are in year 8 now they could start in September at the same time as everyone else. I know Cedars has a good reputation and gets good results, but I'm not sure how easy it to get a place if you are out of catchment.

All the best,

Petlover

[Jazz]

I'd also suggest looking at the schools in Linslade as an alternative - if the children are moving at Easter, they'd go to middle school until the end of this year; the nearest would be Linslade Middle. They would then move on to The Cedars, which is practically next door, with most of the current Y8 cohort.

Applications for upper school in Beds (which is not the same thing as upper in Bucks!) have closed, but there is a late application process (you'd be making an in-year application to the middle school anyway). Allocations for September will be issued on 1 March. The Cedars does tend to be over-subscribed, and I don't know how close you need to be to get in - last year there were 342 applications for 320 places.

Information on school admissions in Central Bedfordshire is here:
http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/e ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jazz]

By the way, you might find the three-tier system suits your daughter better anyway (assuming she gets a place at The Cedars).

Linslade Middle (or Leighton Middle) might be a more manageable move for her, as it probably wouldn't be as daunting as a secondary (NOR 577 - Leighton Middle 467), and would give her time to get to know some of the other pupils before the move to upper school. Upper school does have the advantage of starting in Year 9, so everyone is new, but the upper schools tend to be as big as any secondary (an advantage of the three-tier system can be the smaller schools, at least where they actually are smaller!)

[dejavu]

Van Dyke (upper school) in Leighton Buzzard is also worth having a look at - it is always in competition with Cedars, but over the past few years has had a lot of money spent on it, and I know of a couple of parents who have opted for it instead of Cedars. Get a prospectus for both to see which will suit your child, as they have specialist status in different things.

[Whats my name]

Thanks so much for all help, guidance and advice. Its all been very much appreciated and put into practice!
I have applied for non grammar schools for my daughter, and thanks to the advice here, I have gone for the Leighton Buzzard schools! Now time will tell, as I now have to wait to see what we will get offered.
As for my son. Well, great news today! He has sat his test, and has now got the results through! he scored 137. So, I have no idea what is normal or average, as we never have had any information on this test until just over 1 month ago! Anyway, he found the test pretty straight forward and scored the required amount for the grammar schools. However, now the next hurdle is to see if he will be able to get a place, or if we go to appeal! Anyway, I am so proud of him! Having never seen a test until such a short while ago!He did it!
Thanks again for all help and advice!

[Sally-Anne]

As for my son. Well, great news today! He has sat his test, and has now got the results through! he scored 137. So, I have no idea what is normal or average

Given that the average is 100, the mark needed to qualify is 121 and the maximum score is 141, your son is certainly well above average! Many congratulations to him on getting such an excellent score with so little preparation. I sincerely hope that he gets a place because he is very clearly GS material.

I'm glad you have the plan sorted out for your daughter and I hope that she gets a place too.

Sally-Anne

[Jazz]

There shouldn't be any problem with the upper school place for your daughter - the only Central Beds schools that were over-subscribed this year were Harlington, Redborne and Stratton.

Just wondering if you visited the schools? Cedars has always been assumed to be better than Vandyke, and it does get higher results, but they have had some curriculum changes in recent years so it will be interesting to see if that affects future performance. Cedars also has a new head, following a period with an interim post-holder. He may turn out to be very good, but there is always a settling-in period, and Vandyke does have stability.

Vandyke also now has a bus service that runs from Linslade, because the numbers choosing it over Cedars (or moving to Vandyke from Cedars) are increasing.

I've visited both schools, and personally was far more impressed by Vandyke, but as with all schools it's a matter of deciding what suits your child best.

[dejavu]

Yes - I would echo Jazz's comments. In the past, most people would opt for Cedars over Vandyke because of its former reputation. I know people from our village who are putting Vandyke as a first choice now. It has had a lot of money spent on it - great sports facilities, drama (has its own theatre) and has performed well in sciences - my female vet who now has her own practice went there! Definitely worth a visit and look around.

[petlover]

Well done to your son, and I hope there is a grammar school place for him in Aylesbury. I know someone who got a place at AGS in year 8.
I hope your daughter gets a place at either Cedars or Vandyke too. I used to live in Leighton Buzzard, and my daughter still has friends who go to school there. Most parents seem to like the 3 tier system.

[Whats my name]

Oh help! I could sit down and weep. Nothing gets us more stressed than our babies under threat does it!?

Right, my latest news, regardless of DS score, he has not got a place at the Grammar schools. I got a backward letter telling me I had 14 days to appeal and then telling me I had to tell them what I wanted to do by the 15th March, which means 7 days, not 14! No other school place has been offered.
I called to ask what I should do and how to appeal. They have now sent an appeal form etc. I just don't know what to put for the grounds of appeal! Can the fact that I have now been told that all our local catchment schools are full make any difference!
It appears they lost my daughters application, but this afternoon when I called again, they had found it! However, it does not look like any of our choices for her are available either.
It seems we have no schools left to choose from,all our catchment schools are oversubscribed and have been advised to put down now some of the far away schools, but we would have to organise transport! Which means me trying to change jobs etc, as work will be in the way of school runs!
I am at a total loss! Apparently, though my children have no schools after Easter, I am not likely to get a hearing now until after Easter if I go to appeal!!
This all seems to horrendous! Any help or advice much appreciated! What a nightmare!
It seems you cannot appeal to an out of county school, is that right?