Wanted - Bucks parents with long memories...!

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
Marylou
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Wanted - Bucks parents with long memories...!

Post by Marylou »

Is there anyone, parent or teacher, who remembers a major consultation carried out among parents of primary school children in Bucks in the summer of 2003? The survey was distributed to parents of children in Y4 and below in the 2002/3 adademic year. Y5 and 6 were excluded as these children "would not be affected" (Some were! :roll: )

A long time ago, admittedly, and those children would now be approx Y7-10 of secondary school.

To help jog your memory, the full title of the consultation was "Getting a School Place from September 2005 - Consultation about Proposed Changes to School Admissions and Secondary School Catchment Areas." The questionnaire was accompanied by an explanatory A4-sized booklet with a lime-green coloured cover and pages printed on yellow paper (!) and focussed on catchment area changes and amendments to the oversubscription criteria, specifically whether the sibling link should be retained. I have a vague idea that the survey was repeated :? but would be grateful if anyone can confirm this.

Any replies would be very much appreciated, please feel free to PM me if you prefer. :)
Marylou
amber08
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:01 pm

Wanted - Bucks parents with long memories ...!

Post by amber08 »

Hi there Marylou, rather bizarrely I clearly remember completing the consultation document - was it really that long ago ?! I don't have any recollection of it being repeated though. Hope this helps :)
Marylou
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Post by Marylou »

Hi Amber, thanks for your reply. :)

I believe there has been another, more recent, consultation since the one in 2003, a couple of years ago, I think - that one dealt solely with catchment areas. The one I'm interested in also asked parents whether the sibling link should be retained from 2005 and, if not, whether such changes to the sibling arrangements should be phased in. Do you by any chance remember anything about this part of the survey? I'd be interested to know how it was worded and how respondents felt about the issue at the time.

Best regards.
Marylou
amber08
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:01 pm

Wanted - Bucks parents with long memories ...!

Post by amber08 »

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you Marylou, half term and all that :wink: I do remember the catchment areas one because we were allocated some rather bizarre schools (ie. 5+ miles away and no chance of getting in - as they say, go figure?!). Anyway, I digress - I do remember something about the sibling link being phased in/out because I have three children and with one in an out of catchment which we're very pleased with it could impact on nos. 2 and 3 but can't remember if this was a separate document - I have a feeling it wasn't but was part of the original consultation. I will have a look round to see if I can find anything - I tend to hoard stuff and it may be that I still have the consultation documents! I realise this seems unlikely but in our house its distinctly possible :roll:
kind regards
Marylou
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Post by Marylou »

Thanks, Amber! Your house sounds just like ours.! :lol:
Marylou
Hilda
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:17 am

Sibling link old consultation process

Post by Hilda »

I remember this consultation well, because it resulted in new admission arrangements. It affected my own sons, and as a parent governor I went on a course rund by Bucks admission to explain all the new admission arrangements (following consultation) in order that I would be able to help explain them to other parents at the school.

In the original consultation document (for which the Amissions Team were seeking parental and school comment) the RECOMMENDATION was that the sibling link in admission criteria should be completely scrapped. The rationale behind this was that for many people their children were necessarily in different schools because of different gender (single sex grammar schools) or some of their children qualifying and others not at 11+ stage. Therefore if parents of these children coped Ok Admissions felt there was no need to retain the sibling link, and to do so was unfair to those who would otherwise obtain places at a school on lower criteria (e.g. distance to school gate)

However in the results of the consultation the overwhelming opinion of parents was that they wanted the sibling link to be retained. As a result of this feedback the Admissions team did a complete U-turn on their recommendation and retained the sibling link.

I admit following this meeting I have always been more motivated to fill in responsed to consultation documents. They clearly do make a big difference!.

Hope that helps.

There were also some catchment area changes and the rationale behind some of these was also explained at the course I attended. I may be able to remember some of the details.

Hope this helps
Hilda
P.S I don't check into this site very regularly these days, so if you do want any further feedback probably best to send a PM
Marylou
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Post by Marylou »

Hi Hilda,

Thanks for your informative reply. I've sent you a PM.

:)

ML
Marylou
Post Reply