School Preference

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ReplayMum
Posts: 117
Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 2:12 pm

School Preference

Post by ReplayMum »

Hi there,
I am a first timer on this. My DD is due to sit her 11+ exams this year.
Could someone help me on how the school prefernce work in Barnet, if we were to include Grammar Schools and State Schools. I am totally confused on this as we want to ensure that our DD doesn't miss out on her chances at grammar school and just in case if she doesn't succeed then we still have a good state school which we live less than 1/2 mile away.

All help appreciated.
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: School Preference

Post by Daogroupie »

You have six choices so you have plenty of room for all the schools you are interested in unlike us poor folk in Herts who only have three choices. Put the school you want first, if you dont get a place there Barnet will look to see what school you put second and offer you that if you have qualified. Please dont think you have to put your local school first and then end up missing out on the grammar school. I thought this year would be the year that I finally would not have to hear a story about someone local to me doing this but no, this time it was a top twenty ranking for DAO who is not going there now because they put the local school first because the Head said they had to in his speech and they believed him and did not listen to the parents who had been there before. The schools will never know where you ranked them only Barnet Council. DG
ReplayMum
Posts: 117
Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 2:12 pm

Re: School Preference

Post by ReplayMum »

Thanks Daogroupie,
So if I put my first 3 choices as follows:
1. Grammar A
2. Grammar B
3. Grammar C
4. State A
5. State B
6. State C

And then for unfortunate reasons DD doesn't pass the grammar schools, would she get her 4th choice?
I thought the council will give priority to those who have put the school as their 1st choice or even 2nd choice.
I am just trying to be sure, as the 5th and 6th choice are not our choice at all. We wouldn't like our DD to go there.
BarnetDad
Posts: 395
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: School Preference

Post by BarnetDad »

That's right. The schools never find out where they were on the list.
WP
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Re: School Preference

Post by WP »

ReplayMum wrote:And then for unfortunate reasons DD doesn't pass the grammar schools, would she get her 4th choice?
If you live close enough, absolutely, irrespective of how you ranked it. On the other hand if you put a neighbouring school before the grammar schools, you would be assigned a place there no matter how well you did in the grammar tests. It really is essential to list the schools in your true order of preference.
ReplayMum wrote:I thought the council will give priority to those who have put the school as their 1st choice or even 2nd choice.
No, that is forbidden by the Admissions Code.
worrier
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 8:53 am

Re: School Preference

Post by worrier »

Hi there,
The same thing happened to us a couple of yrs ago. We put grammar schools for the first three choices and then a very over-subscribed local state secondary as our 4th choice. Our DS just missed the grammar schools and the Borough then treated our 4th choice as our first, so he was offered that. Like you, our 5th and 6th choices were not really choices.

In the end we went to Habs, as he did get that and we preferred it, but we did get a very over-subscribed state secondary that nearly eveyone we know puts first or second, so the system does work.

If you put your local state above your grammar schools you may as well not bother sitting your DD thru those exams as it will hve been wasted.
ReplayMum
Posts: 117
Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 2:12 pm

Re: School Preference

Post by ReplayMum »

Thank you all for your advise. Its a valuable advise from you all.

I can't imagine how stressful this period can be for parents and teh children as well.
We have been tutoring our DD for the past one and half year. So really hoping she can make it. She loves HBS.
I think she is good with her VR & NVR. Gets 88% - 90%. I am not sure if these are good enough for grammar schools.
She is struggling with her story writing a little. Manages to get a B in her tuitions.
Currently she is a level 4A in her local primary school. They keep on saying she is well ahead, but I feel she should be a 5B or something to be able to confidently sit the exams.
Am I correct?
caitlin
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 3:53 pm

Re: School Preference

Post by caitlin »

In a similar vein to this question - how does it work if you want to mix Barnet and Herts schools preferences?

So, a possible combination like this:

1st - Barnet Grammar
2nd - Herts comp
3rd - Barnet Grammar
4th - Barnet Comp
5th- Barnet Comp
6th - some other school in Barnet

For those of us lucky enough to live on the border this is a practical possibility - but not sure how it works.

Hope someone is able to help
thanks
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: School Preference

Post by hermanmunster »

caitlin wrote:In a similar vein to this question - how does it work if you want to mix Barnet and Herts schools preferences?

So, a possible combination like this:

1st - Barnet Grammar
2nd - Herts comp
3rd - Barnet Grammar
4th - Barnet Comp
5th- Barnet Comp
6th - some other school in Barnet

For those of us lucky enough to live on the border this is a practical possibility - but not sure how it works.

Hope someone is able to help
thanks
Works in the same way - your application to your home LEA (? barnet) then if your child does not get their first choice, they will be considered to have put Herts LEA comp as first choice so the LEA there will look to see if they can offer a place, if they can't then it will be back to Barnet GS. A word of warning though, if you are worried re not getting a place at school (1), but likely to get school (2) - maybe distance or whatever then you will not hear from school 3 even if your child is eligible through passing the exam.
caitlin
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 3:53 pm

Re: School Preference

Post by caitlin »

thanks for v prompt reply!

Will think very carefully x
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