11 Plus Exams Forum

This is my first post here and I was reading what may/may not lie ahead for our family. Back in September when I was looking for 11+ tutor I came across a parent with 2 boys already at WGB and she was about to prepare her third son(even though he will get in as sibling). She informed me that her second son who started WGB in September had playground conversations with other boys who got in on sibling rule too. But... the difference is these boys got in a cousins living in the same household as extended families. Surely this is unfair. I am aware the girls school was visited by a head of a local place of worship to argue that cousins living together in extended families are 'like' brother and sister and must be admitted as siblings. The school was threatened with a legal challenge by that community and eventually both schools relented. Has anyone else come across this and what can be done?

That isn't reflected in their admissions rules, which they are legally bound to follow:

For the purposes of criterion 4, '€˜a brother'€™ means either
a) a boy having at least one natural parent (or parent by legal adoption) in common with the applicant, or
b) a boy related to the applicant as a step-brother by the inter-marriage of one of each of their parents prior to the date of application
In all cases, the relevant parent must have parental responsibility (sole or shared) for the applicant.

The schools are using these arrangements unchanged for 2015 entry.

I wonder if this is 'private fostering' ie. within family? As long as this is 'official' (Herts has been told) and the parent has transferred parental responsibility to another adult then this adult could legitimately apply either from their address for a distance place and possibly a sibling place.

Of course, this is speculation, I have NO actual experience of this.

Surely this would only apply to a very small number of children? One would have to have very credible reasons eg. working overseas or be exceedingly cynical to pull it off.

If Herts 'relented' in the case cited by the OP, they would not have wanted to have created a legal precedent if it went to court and the risk is they may have lost.

HenryVIII wrote:I wonder if this is 'private fostering' ie. within family? As long as this is 'official' (Herts has been told) and the parent has transferred parental responsibility to another adult then this adult could legitimately apply either from their address for a distance place and possibly a sibling place.

That's not compatible with their arrangements quoted above, which include only legal adoption.

Hi. I feel I have to reply to this as one of the hated cross sibling applicants, but one who did not get offered a place as there are too many applicants this year. It would be awful if cousins were being admitted as a manipulation of the sibling rule, for both actual siblings and local residents (none of whom were offered a place except for the 19 nearest who get in under rule 2). How would you find out if it was a cousin not sibling for this year?!!

Fluffybudgie did you apply as a cross sibling for the boys or the girls?

Fluffybudgie - sorry to hear this. How far are you from the schools? What did they say the maximum distance was?

I stand corrected. What about distance though?

From the sticky at the top of the thread it looks like 6123 was the furthest place for a cross sibling to WGSB, no data though in WGSG.

HenryVIII wrote:From the sticky at the top of the thread it looks like 6123 was the furthest place for a cross sibling to WGSB, no data though in WGSG.

No, they haven't replied to me yet.

Does anyone know if/when this cross-sibling rule might be reviewed in the future?
I might need to rely on it in a few years time.