Daily Telegraph Letter What effect Pate's re Sept 2010 exam

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Tessiebear
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:24 pm

Daily Telegraph Letter What effect Pate's re Sept 2010 exam

Post by Tessiebear »

With reference to the letter published in the Daily Telegraph on 27 April 2010 (have a look on their website to see and the article the previous day headed "top state teachers back Conservative education plans") which was sent in and signed by 31 heads, many of them of the leading country's grammar schools including Shane Fenton of Pates, does anyone have any idea what this would mean in terms of the entrance exam to be taken this October for entry in September 2011?
It appears that the schools will be freed from LEA control if the Conservatives get in as soon as September THIS YEAR if they choose to do so. Whilst this may be marvellous in many respects does anyone know what impact this will have on the ethos and makeup of the pupils and the selection process for choosing who goes there?
Will our children who are working very hard for the grammar exam in October and are keen to try to get into Pates still sit the one grammar exam for there as well as the other grammar schools or will Pates be free to set its own exam which they will have to sit as well and will they still want to take pupils who are academically brighter or will they be looking to include more locally based children not based on academic ability? Especially as it looks like they may get increased funding for offering underpriviledged children places. Will this mean a certain number of the 120 places will be held back and earmarked for them?
Also will any of the other grammar's be eligible to opt in to this and are they keen to do so?
What exactly does this mean for us and our children and it might all happen so fast?
Does anyone have any idea?
Help!
:shock:
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Daily Telegraph Letter What effect Pate's re Sept 2010 e

Post by capers123 »

Tessiebear wrote:With reference to the letter published in the Daily Telegraph on 27 April 2010 (have a look on their website to see and the article the previous day headed "top state teachers back Conservative education plans") which was sent in and signed by 31 heads, many of them of the leading country's grammar schools including Shane Fenton of Pates, does anyone have any idea what this would mean in terms of the entrance exam to be taken this October for entry in September 2011?
It appears that the schools will be freed from LEA control if the Conservatives get in as soon as September THIS YEAR if they choose to do so. Whilst this may be marvellous in many respects does anyone know what impact this will have on the ethos and makeup of the pupils and the selection process for choosing who goes there?
Will our children who are working very hard for the grammar exam in October and are keen to try to get into Pates still sit the one grammar exam for there as well as the other grammar schools or will Pates be free to set its own exam which they will have to sit as well and will they still want to take pupils who are academically brighter or will they be looking to include more locally based children not based on academic ability? Especially as it looks like they may get increased funding for offering underpriviledged children places. Will this mean a certain number of the 120 places will be held back and earmarked for them?
Also will any of the other grammar's be eligible to opt in to this and are they keen to do so?
What exactly does this mean for us and our children and it might all happen so fast?
Does anyone have any idea?
Help!
:shock:
I doubt if there would be any change to admissions- at least that soon, if at all. It is quite convenient for all the local grammars to work together, and at the moment only two are directly controlled by the LEA (the others being GM, and effectively running their own admission policies).

Or in other words, even if there was a change, a child bright enough to pass for Pates would still get a place at Pates.

I'm being non-partisan here. I have a friend standing for the Tories, and will be at the count wearing a very different coloured rosette to him. We agree to disagree on many political ideas, but both share some views that go contrary to our parties manifesto!
Capers
Tessiebear
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:24 pm

Post by Tessiebear »

Thanks Capers for replying so quickly. I have been into panic mode since a friend told me about it yesterday and wondering what this might mean for all the grammars and October's exam.
By the way do you know if there is any progress on a definate date for October or is it still out for debate as if the Open Days have to be moved to the Summer Term the schools will surely have to know?
Thanks :)
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Post by mitasol »

Pates will have put out a consultation document for entry in Sept 11. Once this has been agreed and settled then the admissions are set in stone.

These should have been consulted on by March and made available from 15th April.

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index ... leid=96068
School Admissions Criteria for September 2011 entry
Under the School Admissions Code, all admission authorities have to consult by 1 March 2010 on their admission arrangements for entry to their school(s) from September 2011.

All Proposed admission arrangements be available from this website, or from individual schools by 4th January 2010. The final admission arrangements will be available after 15th April 2010 once they have been determined following the end of the consultation period.
You could chase Pates/LEA up to provide either finalised admissions for 2011 or the proposed admissions for 2011.

Found them http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index ... leid=96070
Tessiebear
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:24 pm

Post by Tessiebear »

Hi Mitasol,

Thank you so much for guiding me to that link. I went on and found the Pates's Year 7 Entry for 2011 and printed it off. It is as normal using the Gloucestershire grammar test and the 120 places. It said that these became definate from 15 April but I rang Glos County Council to make sure and to ask if Pates elects for the freedom promised by the Conservatives if they get in power if they are then released from these admissions arrangements but Glos County Council said that they are bound by them for this year.

Phew! :)

I also asked if they had made the October 9 exam date definate and they said that they had done so. Has anyone else had this confirmed by them?

I asked about Open Days and if there were to be any at the end of the Summer Term and after first saying she didn't know the lady went and asked some colleagues and they replied that the schools were going to do them in September and that the timetable would be sent out to parents later in the year so looks like it will be a mad scramble in the Autumn Term as soon as they go back!!!! :shock:

I wish Pates would update their website about next year's exam as it still only shows the details for the 2010 exam entry which has finished ages ago. It might save all these questions.

Back to the practise tests! :D
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Post by capers123 »

Also burrowing through the CC web site, I note that Thomas Rich's School is increasing it's IAN from 108 to 116 for Sept 2011. Useful to know if there's an appeal there this year!

See http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index ... leid=96068 at the bottom of the page - spreadsheet link.[/url]
Capers
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Post by mike1880 »

:shock: :shock: :shock: I though selective schools weren't allowed to expand? Not that I'm complaining, of course - wish ours would...
Milla
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:25 pm

Post by Milla »

Tommy's has operated with four classes per intake, each of 27 pupils, making 108 cf the other grammars, like DRd and Pate's, which have 30 pupils per class. More kids equals more dosh for the school.
muminTewkes
Posts: 266
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:57 am

Post by muminTewkes »

Interesting reading thanks!!!
Id actually popped on to see if this subject had come up!!!
When we looked around Pates and STR a mth or so ago-they seemed fairly sure that it would be an early Oct test and that,indeed Tommies would(hopefully)be upping their intake a little.
They were also saying that hopefully the open days would be end of summer term.......hmmm...!!!
EmeraldE
Posts: 431
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:56 pm

Post by EmeraldE »

If they change the criteria now for entrance I shall be furious. This process is hard enough on my nerves without the goal posts moving. Gimme a break! :shock: :lol:
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