New testing arrangements and Balcarras catchment

[cheltenhammum]

For some reason the Balcarras website does not have the updated results but an outline is in the September 5th Newsletter:

"Our A-level candidates achieved the best results ever, with 68% A*- B grades and 38% A*/A. At GCSE we
almost achieved our best ever results too with 89% of candidates achieving 5A*- C including English
and Maths."

In the current Y8, my understanding is that all siblings (in and out of priority admissions area) got in, all non-siblings in the priority admissions area, and some non-siblings just outside the area. I think, but have no diect evidence, that it was similar for this year's Y7. However, these are relatively low birth years, so things may get tighter in future.

Son - high ability - is at Balcarras and thriving. Daughter - similarly high ability - is taking GS tests this year, but she would HATE single sex education so it is on a 'Balcarras or Pates' basis in which she is very unlikely to go anywhere other than Balcarras!

[cheltenhammum]

Balcarras admissions for Sept 2013 (from the county admissions booklet):

1.Children with a statement of Special Educational Needs. (4)
2. LAC (0)
3. Siblings in catchment (58)
4. Children of staff (0)
5. Non-siblings in catchment (110)
6. Siblings out of catchment (6)
7. Non siblings out of catchment (16)

If you think of the density of some of the areas immediately outside the catchment (e.g. between Naunton Park and the Bath Road) it is unlikely that those 16 non-siblings extend very far outside the boundary of the catchment.

[DebsB]

Thanks everyone - lots of food for thought there. As I say, if we do decide to try for HSFG it would be for the all girls aspect of it rather than the league tables.

Interesting figures, cheltenhammum. I didn't know they gave those in the information booklet. I tracked down the ones for 2012 entry (this year's Y8) say only three non-catchment non-siblings. However, I know several families who got in from quite a long way away by going on the waiting list, and I'm sure there must have been more than three of them by the end. One child I know of heard in July that he'd got a place, only about a day or two before the meeting for new parents. I think he was about 1.5 miles from the school. So I think the figures in the booklet must be for people who got offered places on offers day, and the waiting list people must not have been counted for that. But of course the birth rate has been rising in recent years and things are only going to get tighter.

I'll take her to HSFG tomorrow night and see what we think of it. The Balcarras open evening is on Thursday - quite nice to have them so close together so we'll still have HSFG fresh in our minds when we go to Balcarras.

[DebsB]

Well, we went to the HSFG open evening and DD absolutely loved it. I was impressed too. Will be v interesting to see what she makes of Balcarras on Thursday.

[cheltenhammum]

How did you find it? DD absolutely loved it, having been thoroughly underwhelmed by HSFG when she saw it in the summer. We went for half an hour and stayed nearly 2, even without listening to the Head's talk.

[DebsB]

Glad you liked it. Did you see the admissions map? Would you stand a decent chance of getting in?

We had a great evening and she liked it, but she still thinks she'd prefer HSFG. We won't need to make the actual decision until next year, but I think I'm going to need to prepare her for the test so that our options stay open for now. Don't think I'll do anything until they've made the announcement about what next year's test is actually going to involve, though.

[cheltenhammum]

DD is a sibling in catchment = virtual certainty of a place.

She'd hate girls-only education, so HSFG / Ribston aren't options for her. As I have said above, she is doing the GS test with Pates as a long shot (our unwavering ethical opposition to professional coaching isn't helping her there!) and Balcarras as a certainty, so we're very lucky.

[PaterGloucester]

I don't think many people would opt for a GS, especially a Gloucester one, if they were in catchment for Balcarras. Look at the A level results if you're in doubt.

I think that's a bit tendentious, Amber (Tendentious ? Toi ?).

I did have a look at the 2013 results on the STRS web page:

GCSE: 79% of entries grained grades A and A*. 64 students each gained ten or more passes all at a grades A and A*.

A2 Students achieved a pass rate of 99.8%. The average number of ‘A’ Levels gained per candidate was 3.6. 43% of entries passed at grades A and A*; 76% of entries were passed at grades A*, A and B; 91% were grades A* to C.

So that's 76% between A*-B at A level at STRS compared to 60% at Balcarras. I know league tables aren't the whole story and Balcarras is a great Comp, but I don't think you can dismiss the Gloucester Grammars so lightly.

On a different topic, have you ever met anyone called Summer ? At any time of the year ?

[Amber]

This is a young lady we are talking about. I didn't want to be too contentious, tendentious or indeed controversial -ous.

And actually statistically - given one of your examples is 'comprehensive' and the other (which is the best perfoming Glos grammar) is 'superselective' - that isn't a massive difference, is it? And I didn't dismiss them, lightly or otherwise; just pointed out that it wasn't necessarily a given that one would prefer, say. ******* to Balcarras, if league tables are one's thing. (They aren't mine). For example if one's offspring could walk to Balcarras vs getting a bus at some daft time to the middle of Gloucester...


I have taught two Summers. And an Autumn. Funnily enough no Winters, nor Springs.

PS PG - Have I said you can call me 'tu'?

[scary mum]

I know a Winter.

As you were