Info on Caistor Grammar

[Angie76]

Hi
Im fairly new to this forum. My son is hoping to sit 11+ tests for QEHS and Caistor Grammar.
I have found lots of useful info with regard to the pass marks of children who sat the Lincolnshire tests over the last fews yrs and distance etc. However i am struggling to find this info out about those that sit the tests for Caistor.
I have been informed that as we live out of catchment for Caistor my son will need to obtain a very high score. However i have also been informed that we will not be told this score and will only be told if he has passed or not.
This will affect which school we put as first choice on the application form. I would hate to put Caistor as first choice to later find out that it was not higher enough and then lose a place at QEHS because we have placed them second on the form. Hope this makes sense and any info about Caistor would be appreciated.

Angela

[ourmaminhavana]

Hi Angie,
Welcome to the journey! Try not to worry, Caistor will let you know in a carefully worded letter whether you are likely to be offered a place or not, so don't worry about that. Further, if you put Caistor, but weren't eligible, you would be allocated your next choice ie QEGS as long as you'd qualified for them.
I don't know if you went to the recent Caistor open evening, but if so and you have a prospectus it will, I think, have an enclosure detailing how many children took the exam and how many passed for the last several years. If you can't find it, just phone the school and ask them!
Very good luck.
OMIH

[Angie76]

Thanks OMIH
I did attend the open evening and i thought the head did indicate that they would give us an idea whether or not to put them as first choice. I just wanted to see what other people have experienced from Caistor as i hear they are quite difficult to get info from. That will be helpful because if they indicate he doesnt not have a high enough score (as im told for out of catchments kids they expect around 95% pass mark) then we can put QEHS down as first choice and then hope for the best with regard to the distance issue. We are 13.502 miles away according to info i have obtained from Lincolnshire County Council from the map point system they use. What will be will be i guess.

Thanks again
Angela

[MumLincs]

Interested to know how you got the distance info. Would appreciate it if you could let me know as we are roughly the same distance away & I understand it could be different from using Google maps! Thank you.

[Angie76]

Hi,

Lincolnshire County Council use Map Point. I phone Lincolnshire LEA admissions and a lovely lady there kindly took my address and went on the system they use (map point) and gave me my exact distance. Hope that helps. Apparently sept 2012 entry stretched as far as 13.6 and all the parents will now know if their child has got a place.

Its a stressful time and we still have a long time to go as my son takes tests at both schools this sept.

Are you applying for Caistor and QEHS ? Also is it for 2013 entry?

Regards
Angela

[Angie76]

Hi again,

Does anyone else know what mark is required usually for children who live out of the 6.5 mile catchment for Caistor? Advice i have been given is 95% and above so just wondered if other knew if this is correct?

Thanks
Angie76

[Alex]

The school seem to keep this information a little close to their chest - but you could try asking them direct...

I seem to recollect that a few years ago the Standardised score required for an out of area place was somewhere in the upper 240s but I have no idea what this equated to as a raw score. Perhaps someone a bit more in the know will be able to answer your question.

[Angie76]

Thank you Alex

They do seem a little cautious about offering info with regard to results. I have noticed that someone on here obtained under "Freedom of Information Act" results for all the tests taken in Lincolnshire but obviously Caistor do their own tests. Do you think we will be able to obtain our own childs result under this act? Surely as a parent and for my son it is our right to know this. Afterall it is something our kids work hard on.

My son scored extremely well in practice papers which was our deciding factor in allowing him to sit these tests.

He is also "Gifted and Talented" and working at level 6 and he is just finishing yr 5.

Thanks
Angie76

[Alex]

Personal information comes under the Data Protection Act rather than FOI - but I think examination results are possibly exempted. The standardised score needed to get an out of area place in previous years would possibly be information which could be requested under the FOI Act from the school. I am not sure if you would be able to get the raw score information as a raw score could equate to different Standardised scores according to the age of a child and the particular cohort and year.

Good luck to your son for the tests - he sounds as though he should do fine.

[Angie76]

Thanks Alex

One last question! I have been looking at the application process and it states that it makes no difference which order you place schools on the CAF. However Caistor said at their open night that if we did not put them as 1st choice our children would not get in.
My reason for asking is that my preferred school due to it being closer is QEHS however we live 13.502 miles away so could lose out on the distance. But if i put Caistor 2nd this could jeopordise a place their should my son not get into QEHS assuming he passes with a good score.

Hope that makes some sense.
Angie76