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Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:07 am
by Pushy Dad
Our DD failed to get one of the 9 places reserved for out-of-catchment kids. According to the feedback, her academic score wasn't great but her music score has her first in the waiting list.

The school refuse to say how many of the 9 places were offerred to academic entrants and how many to music entrants. Has anybody got any idea?

What I am trying to do is to gauge the chances of DD getting an offer. If there were an number of out-of-catchment music places offered then there is still a chance, albeit remote, that one child will pull out before September.

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:02 pm
by WP
According to their admissions arrangements, they allocate 95% of places available under criteria 4 (medical), 5 (academic) and 6 (music) to the catchment, so that would leave 5% of 35% of 186, i.e. 3 or 4 places, for applicants out of catchment. The arrangements don't say how those few places are allocated, so I guess it varies each year.

Added: I see that in their explanations of the criteria they just say "5% of places", which is different. (But it's their published arrangements that are legally binding.)

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:48 pm
by Pushy Dad
Hi WP

We spoke to the admissions people back in Oct 2010 and we were told that it was definitely 9 places, as opposed to x% of y, for out-of-catchment kids. We were also told that 15 places, regardless of in or out of catchment, was reserved for entry via the music route.

However, they refused to say how the 9 out-of-catchment- places would be split between academic and music. I'm guessing Parmiters wanted some flexibility in deciding on a case by case basis and didn't want for past statements of intent to be held against them.

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:23 pm
by Daogroupie
We investigated the Music places for all the Watford Consortium schools and were told that Clement Danes would be the only music place we would be able to apply for as there was no catchment area. We would def have applied for Parimeter music place instead of Clement Danes as we live much much closer. It was not my understanding that any of the music places at Parimeter were available for out of catchment, but maybe we read it wrong. DG

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:48 pm
by Pushy Dad
Hi DG

out-of-cactchment places for music were definitely available. The admissions office said so on at least two different occassions. However, they did refuse to answer any questions about the split between academic places and music places whick irked me quite a bit.

As it is, I've no idea how many places out of 9 was/are available.

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 4:20 pm
by AlisonR
So if the 5% of places is actually 5% of the total places (as opposed to 5% of medical, music and academic places), what happens if there are 10 siblings from out of catchment? This would mean that they can't allocate 95% of places from the catchment area AND all the siblings.

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:28 pm
by Pushy Dad
Hi AlisonR

Unless you know different, the siblings rule does not apply to out-of-catchment kids so if you are out-of-catchment and you have a kid at Parmeters then the sibling will be competing for the 9 places/5% along with everyone else.

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:38 pm
by KS10
Pushy Dad wrote:Hi AlisonR

Unless you know different, the siblings rule does not apply to out-of-catchment kids so if you are out-of-catchment and you have a kid at Parmeters then the sibling will be competing for the 9 places/5% along with everyone else.
:shock: - a mild version of what's going through my mind right now!

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:55 pm
by WP
Well if they're not following their published arrangements we're in uncharted territory; I hope that's not the case. But there's no suggestion in those arrangements of any location qualification for siblings. According to the Herts outturn report Alison linked to a few weeks ago, they took 9 applicants from out-of-county this year and 13 last year. Part of their catchment is out of county, but that's not counting any in-county but out-of-catchment applicants.

Re: Continued Interest at Parmiters for out-of-catchment

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:54 am
by Pushy Dad
Hi WP

I think that by out-of-county they mean out-of-catchment as opposed to outside of Hertfordshire. I don't know for sure but, unlike some other schools like DAO, I don't think that Parmiters' catchment crosses county borders but I stand ready to be corrected :D