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King Edward Grammar Louth Selection Policy

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 3:14 pm
by gogogirl
Has anyone else seen the BBC lunchtime news? Apparently King Edward is holding consultations regarding changing their selection process.
They are hoping to abolish the catchment area altogether and plan to select from the highest scoring candidates instead.
We are in the catchment area and dd passed for entry into the school in Sept 2010. I have spoken to the education dept today who have said it will affect 2011 admissions if it is approved.
I feel reassured regarding my daughters place but know this will impact on others taking the test for 2011 entry.
Apparently the level of appeals has risen due to high scorers ooc not getting a place.
.

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:14 pm
by mitasol
It's not particularly easy to find the Lincs. consultation docs.

http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/section. ... ocid=83224

More fuel for the catchment v's rank score debate.

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:29 pm
by hermanmunster
Interesting - some schools have dropped the selection on score only as it meant that kids were travelling massive distances to school (particularly relevant to Louth)

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:57 pm
by gogogirl
Spoke to mum at school just now who has children there apparently ooc are put off from putting them as first choice on the caf because of their allocation criteria and because children often sit the caistor exam too and also Queen Elizabeth Alford they are not getting the higher scorers.

King Edward, Louth

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:09 pm
by KITTY CAT
Hope the change of entry criteria goes ahead, it will stop the well off moving house or even owning a second house within the catchment area. Also the school will then be serious competition for Caistor as it will have the cream of the crop.

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:31 am
by gogogirl
I live in catchment and lived here 5 yrs before i ever became pregnant with dd now 10. Thankfully she will be going to King Edward :D and personally feel that the changes should they go ahead are for the benefit of the schools attainment tables and not in the interests of the children. Why not keep the catchment area and make the test more difficult or raise the qualifying standard?
In catchment children still have to pass what is the point of having a pass rate if it is not going to be good enough and the school just wants to cream off the high scorers.
My child has passed, we are in a designated free transport area and the school is no further in terms of travelling than the alternative comp why should my child not be entitled to go to a grammar school on our doorstep when she has reached the qualifying standard? I hope the school does not succeed in changing its admission criteria. Caistor Grammer has a catchment area too and i see no plans for that to change.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 3:11 pm
by wonderwoman
The school website has a lot of information about this and why they want to do it.

To me it seems that the problem is falling numbers, I should think because birth rates fell. The school will need to fill its places, otherwise staff are at risk and then opportunities for students.

Unfortuately all schools have to compete with each other and other nearby grammars are popular.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 4:28 pm
by gogogirl
The letter informing us of a pass stated that they were once again oversubscribed. 92 catchment children and 68 ooc had reached the qualifying standard.
I am aware that had my daughter been born a week earlier she would be sitting the test in 2011. As i have previously said on this forum we just wanted her to ,go to a good school where we live, yes we could sit Caistor but the distance and travelling time involved is not acceptable to us.
We looked around King Edward and we all felt it was the right school, however should the changes take place then it makes a mockery of a pass is a pass as i see so often written on this forum
The changes wont affect me my daughter has a place but the issues must be thoroughly explored

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:35 pm
by wonderwoman
The school may or may not be over subscribed. They can only know how many children achieved the qualifying score in area and ooc. At the time those letters went out the CAF deadline was some way off.

Some children sitting at Louth and achieving a 'pass', in catchment, will put an alternative grammar as first choice and travel out of area. Some in area for a different grammar will put Louth first and many will also have sat for Caistor, which runs its own test and will put them as first choice. Last year my DS was in a very small school and the Y6 now attend at least 7 different secondary schools, including 3 different grammars. That was an average of less than 2 going to each school.

It's a very complicated business - our local grammar makes no secret of the fact that they have to attract a significant number of out of catchment in order to fill the places, which is very beneficial to staff numbers and wide subject choice. It does of course also attract high achievers and hence good results for league tables.

I think schools will have to work much harder to fill places for the next few years.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:14 pm
by gogogirl
The school already has a large proportion of OOC pupils and the catchment area clearly was not a problem then and I cannot see how by having no catchment will increase the numbers applying to the school.
I would have thought that the 92 catchment places even if not all taken up would go some way in guaranteeing that some available places are filled.
The other proposal of a 20 mile catchment area is no different from getting rid of the existing catchment. Furthermore the option of a 1.5 radius of Louth is an option that will only appease objectors from Louth.
I just need clear evidence of why the school need to change the catchment area.
The remarks of the press and indeed the headmasters comment regarding obtaining a place by ability rather than postcode is insulting to those children who have passed the test. The qualifying standard still has to be achieved and in doing so they have proved they have the ability.
If the school wants transparency then they should openly say they only want the highest achievers and these are likely to be OOC children many of whom have been tutored in order to compete for a place. I think the crux of the matter is that parents are favouring Caistor Grammar who do have a catchment area so uptake of places not a problem there then :?