Results soon!

leah · Post by **leah** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:51 pm

I think confusion arises when CCHS can be read to mean the Colchester and/or Chelmsford girls' grammars. I was refering to Colchester girls with 112 places and sra referred to both Colchester grammars too. However I take your point about places on lists.

KM · Post by KM » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:00 pm

Oops! Sorry - I read it as Chelmsford County High School

leah · Post by **leah** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:45 pm

Anyway, what is a 'cut-off' exactly? - it sounds a bit painful!
Seriously though, in the dark ages when I took the 11+ exam, I thought the girls out-did the boys so significantly that the boys had a lower pass mark to make sure their numbers balanced the girls'. Have things changed so much, as boys' higher cut off (see sra's 1st posting) suggests?

Chelmsford mum · Post by **Chelmsford mum** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:58 pm

Don't think there is any organised attempt to balance boys and girls.It is judged on the criteria of each school.Pass mark varies from year to year , school to school, dependant on the results of the children who sat it that year. ie/ top 120 to chelmsford county high, top 112 to KEGS and futher places available acc to acceptance of places.
Basically hold tight if your child figures in top 145 ish and good luck.

leah · Post by **leah** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:57 pm

I genuinely wonder if anyone can explain the term 'cut-off'. I appreciate it is the point in the rankings where a possible waiting-list place can be offered but is it worked out from the scores of the candidates for a given year or is it set in stone year-on-year? I know the schools only have a set number of places to fill and the cut-off may never come 'into play' but there is so much sra said that I didn't know about. Is sra's info reliable? (I'm not meaning any offence, sra, I just feel ignorant of 11+ matters - I hope you understand).

KM · Post by KM » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:20 am

Leah - for Chelmsford and Colchester the cut-off is not set in stone but changes every year depending on the marks of the children taking the exam. It is then purely a case of say the top 120 who have put Chelmsford County High as their first choice being offered a place. The Southend schools are different as they have a pass mark for children who live in their catchment area but I am not familiar with their systems. I'm sure someone else could advise.

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:59 pm

There isn't a pass mark as such. Eg for Kegs there are 112 places, so the top 112 boys get in. However that doesn't mean that if you come 113th you don't get in. Some kids drop out to go to private school, but also some kids apply to both Colchester and Chelmsford grammars. If you put Colchester first, Kegs second, you would still get a ranking for Kegs, but might accept a place at Colchester, so your place at Kegs goes to the next person on the list. In other words the last few places allocated at Kegs could be ranked much lower than 112. Those on the waiting list are not solely dependent on waiting for those who want to go to private school to drop off the list. A few years ago, my son ranked 151st for Kegs and I was told by his teacher that he stood a really good chance of getting a place. I really couldn't believe it, but according to the LEA he was second on the waiting list immediately the results came out. Within a week of the results he was first on the list and a few days later was offered a place, before March was over. Usually about 10 kids make it to Kegs from the waiting list, although I expect this year it will be lower becuase of the credit crunch. People may not opt for expensive private education if they work for a bank and their job is at risk and their child has a place at a state grammar.

leah · Post by **leah** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:43 pm

I read somewhere that applications for grammar schools are up on previous years but so they are for private schools too. Perhaps this year is a baby-bulge year and there are just more 11 year-olds around. I think some parents who are feeling the pinch or even the crunch would cut-back everywhere else but not where their children are concerned eg school fees. Education lasts for life but a recession doesn't (let's hope!!).
Back to the thread.............

moved · Post by **moved** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:44 pm

Southend grammars have a cut-off of 301, then children are taken from outside the borough. Last year Westcliff Boys took children with 301, I don't think they always go as low as the cutoff though. I think Southend boys took down to 310?
Last year all seemed so much easier, I thought it was supposed to get better with the second child!

leah · Post by **leah** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:01 pm

I think I get it now!!!! The cut-off is really there to put anxious parents and children out of their misery at a pressured time. It's a definite 'no' for some who need to then concentrate on their alternatives and a definite 'maybe' (if you see what I mean) for the waiting list members. The best position to be in, of course, is the definite 'yes' but the whole system does seem to attempt to make the best of an ever-changing (at least to the end of March) situation and tries to give 'definites' where it can. Does it really get no easier 'moving'? - that's not cheering to hear.