11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi
My daughter passed her 12+ but failed to gain a place at either of the grammar schools in our catchment (Sir Henry Floyd and Aylesbury High) due to them being over-subscribed.

However my daughter tells me of a boy in her current tutor group who failed the test but went through on appeal. His first choice was Aylesbury Grammar but he has been given a place at Sir Henry Floyd - my daughters first choice school.

I don't understand how he has gained a place at his second choice school - Sir Henry Floyd - after initially failing the 12 + - whereas my daughter passed the 12 + and failed to gain a place at either Sir Henry Floyd - her first choice or Aylesbury High her second choice. Can anyone explain this process??

Very frustrated Mum!! (Appeal date pending).

I would ring Admissions on Monday and ask - it also makes good evidence for the appeal - are you on the waiting list because you shoukld have been above this boy!!

Dear sarab

Your daughter does not have priority because she passed the 12+ and the other pupil qualified on appeal. If this is the situation when there is a vacancy, then both children are deemed qualified and treated equally.

Likewise your daughter does not have priority because Sir Henry Floyd was a first choice. Bucks operates an equal preference system.

What matters is the application of the admission criteria. Who is in catchment? Who has a sibling at the school? Who lives nearer?

Admissions will be reluctant to talk about the other pupil because of the data protection act.

Regards

When was the appeal? Was it before allocation? If not you should have got a place -

If the Appeal was before the allocation then he must live nearer or have a sibling there - have you asked where you are on the waiting list?

When was the appeal? Was it before allocation? If not you should have got a place

Not necessarily. Another pupil (who had a place) might have withdrawn after the appeal .......

Hi Sarah

I think a little clarification may be needed here. The Appeal for the 12+ will have been heard very promptly after the 12+, and almost certainly before the 12+ school allocation took place - probably in the first week of June.

As Etienne says, if the Appeal was successful, that child will then have been treated exactly as if they had passed the 12+ in the first place and the normal allocation process will have been followed. Thus, as the child presumably lives nearer to the school or has a sibling there, they will have been given preference over your daughter.

The caveat that Guest55 is raising is that IF the 12+ Appeal took place after the initial allocation of 12+ places on 15th June and the child has been allocated a place ahead of your daughter since that date, there is a case for Bucks Admissions to answer, as the waiting lists were still being drawn up over the last 2 weeks. However, I think that is unlikely to have happened if you look closely at the exact timeline.

The critical question to ask is the date on which the other child heard that they had been allocated a school place - if it was the weekend of 15th June then nothing is amiss and the system is just working against you on all the usual frustrating rules.

Sally-Anne

Yes - I think Sally- Anne is correct -

However, you must be near the top of the waiting list I would think - do contact Admissions and find your position.

Thanks to your all for all your comments.

I now understand that the boy in question was treated in the same way as my daughter regardless of him not gaining the pass mark required initially.

It has now come to light that this is just a case of being one of the unlucky ones.

We have requested to be put on a waiting list but as yet have not been informed of our position.

In the meantime we have an appeal date of 18th July. In the meantime I need to focus on the fact that my daughter is not unhappy at the school she attends (Lord Williams's - Thame) she just wants to prove that she has the ability to attend grammar school.

Thanks to you all once again

Sarab - for the appeal focus on what the school offers that LW doesn't.

Are either of the specialisms - performing arts and science - your child's strengths?

Good luck

And perhaps buildings that aren't blackened by smoke and the prospect of some drama lessons next year!