BUCKS SECONDARY ALLOCATION PROFILES 2006 - 2015

[heartmum]

Wise post SSB3, is quite sad the HT are in charge rather than county. It's obviously very important GS's produce great results, just at what cost.....! Dollyx

I could see this happening, with 50% of DCs class at grammar not from Bucks but from great distances away (some getting up and leaving home at 6am to get to school in time). As southbucks3 said, less parents supporting events (too far away to travel for a bit of fundraising), less players on the school sports teams .... but hey ho - we've got 100% achievement levels at GCSE A-level. Who cares about the high average/bright achievers from local Bucks primaries ... hold on, wasn't that the reason Bucks still had the grammar system for local bright/able children. But as previously posted - it's the grammar heads in charge now not county!!!!

[Rags]

The reality is, regarding making friends at school, even in cachment it's a long way. my sons' friends in AGS/AHS (ok, girlfriends, too) are far enough away that an evening trip to pick up or drop off after a social activity is an hour's duration (late evening when there's no traffic - and no public transport.) And that's within catchment.

With OOC children it becomes... difficult, socially.

I can't say impossible, because I knew someone who commuted from Greenford to Northwood, daily, for school, (waaay far out of cachment) and he was a good friend - made socialising an exercise in logistics, but we - and he - managed.

The correct solution, of course, has to be either Grammar schools everywhere, or nowhere (depending on your political leanings, I suppose) - but having them some places and not others makes the system horribly skewed.

[sunshineonarainyday1]

They also have to have a serious rethink of some of the school's catchment areas.

[MrsChubbs]

Just popped back to see how everyone is doing and am gobsmacked about some of these distances! Hope someone sees some sense in all of this soon and those involved this year get some reasonable resolution.

[kittymum]

They also have to have a serious rethink of some of the school's catchment areas.

As far as GMS a the catchment areas just fine - our villages have always gone there - the problem is that as opposed to 30% of our kids being in the grammars its a lower number so that displaced % is being left without a school place. If GMS and SWBGS were filled with local kids as intended then everyone would have a space!

[sunshineonarainyday1]

Totally agree Kittymum, I think it's more changing things like removing Maidenhead from SWBGS catchment, it seems silly that a Bucks child passing the 11 plus, living in Bucks, only 7 mins drive from the school would only be allocated a space after Maidenhead children.
Also there was a problem with GMS catchment area last year with regards to some Stokenchurch children getting places, this year seems to be 100 times worse and will just get worse each year. Maybe they need to have places such as Stokenchurch/Lane End that have a closer sec school than GMS changed to be in the catchment of the closer school.
Who knows, but I think they do need to at least have a look.

[berks_mum]

Is there an IC/OOC percentage break up for SWBGS intake for last year and this year?

[Sally-Anne]

Is there an IC/OOC percentage break up for SWBGS intake for last year and this year?

As of Allocations Day in March 2014:

70 Bucks resident qualifiers
46 Windsor & Maidenhead
4 Oxfordshire

58% IC, 42% OOC.

[Lillie]

I think another issue with Great Marlow School is that it has become a victim of its own success. It has gained in popularity in recent years, achieving excellent results, and therefore parents understandably want to send their DC there. The same is true of The Misbourne, which 3 years ago, was not popular due to being in special measures. It has turned itself around with an impressive headmaster and is now a very popular option with parents out of catchment of the school. The uppers tend to have good years and less good years, and parents react when choosing schools.

The whole system is just geared up to having parents scrambling around looking for a decent place to have their children educated. As said before, the problem will only get worse with the increased numbers of people being offered Bucks GS places from ridiculous distances. I don't know what the answer is other than scrapping an outmoded system which only benefits a minority of our local children.

[heartmum]

Is there an IC/OOC percentage break up for SWBGS intake for last year and this year?

As of Allocations Day in March 2014:

70 Bucks resident qualifiers
46 Windsor & Maidenhead
4 Oxfordshire

58% IC, 42% OOC.

In addition, Sally-Anne is their a breakdown of Bucks IC (qualified for 11+) who were from state primary schools and private schools? Be interesting to see the figures!