Bucks Allocation - PLEASE help!

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

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Guest

Bucks Allocation - PLEASE help!

Post by Guest »

:(

PLEASE HELP!!!

My daughter has been allocated her third place school (not a grammar), even though -

1) She scored exceptionally well in her 11+ - way over the pass mark

2) We put our catchment grammar as first place, and the next nearest grammar as second place

3) We're in catchment for our local grammar

The school we've been offered is in Northants, so we've only had a letter from them (not had one from Bucks at all).

Tried ringing the County Council, but of course, all the lines are engaged - can't even leave a message.

Any words of wisdom? I'm pulling my hair out in frustration, & my daughter is distraught :(

Thanks in advance
sleepless

allocations

Post by sleepless »

I haven't received any post yet (took a day off work especially, couldn't concentrate properly!) so I''m on here at the moment.

You are obviously very desparate about your daughter's situation. It strikes me that you have received your letter this morning and headed almost straight for the computer. What you are, I think, looking for is someone to say that everything will be allright.

Well, I've got to tell you that I'm almost inside your head with you. I have been through this waiting game before and I do know exactly what you and your daughter are going through. Firstly, therefore, please let me offer you my sympathies. If you lived near me I'd come and make you a hot sweet drink but never mind.

Firstly, don't panic until you really know you have something to panic about. You will get through the council on the phone, eventually and when you do, ask them what the cut off score was for your first choice school and then your secnd choice school, bearing in mind that there may be a different cut off mark for inside or outside catchment.

Then, find out from them where your daughter is on the waiting list.

It may be that if, purely for a simple example, your daughter scored 100 out of 120 that other children securing a place at your first choice school all scored 115 and over. The overall pass mark may have been set at 80 and your daughter will have done extremely well but it will depend on the scores of other candidates where the places go.

Make a list of questions before you phone the council so that you don't forget everything in your panic . You can then come off the phone and analyse the situation better.

I really hope your daughter gets the school she wants.

Did you get the 11+ results prior to receiving your alllocation letter? I thiink that makes it worse, in many ways, because you will have already known that your daughter scored really well and there will obviously have been some assumption that she would get the school of her choice or maybe second choice.

We don't get our 11+ results till after allocation (if the post ever arrives!) so it makes it a bit easier.

Anyway, do let us know what happens and very good luck.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Thanks for your reply ............

Yes we did know the 11+ results before the alloaction of places. She got full marks in both papers, which is why we were certain she'd get a place :(

Will just have to wait for the county council to call me back / respond to my email
Diane

Post by Diane »

Don't give up hope just yet!
Each local authority works independantly to one another and just because you have been offered a school out of county doesn't mean you won't be offered one in county, schools frequently offer places to children only to find out at a later date that the child has been offered a place elsewhere.

Your Daughter would be an asset to any school with those results so I cannot see any turning her away!

Good luck!
Guest

Post by Guest »

I hope you're right, but i thought that the whole purpose of this new computer system they've implemented this year, was to ensure that each child received only one offer of a place (rather than some children getting multiple offers, and others receiving none).

I hope the computer has screwed up!!
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