AGGS consultation 2017

[enema]

The AGGS entrance criteria for 2017 are being consulted upon. Proposing 10 places go to Pupil Premium recipients within catchment. Think this already happens in Birmingham.

http://www.aggs.trafford.sch.uk/2017-dr ... sultation/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ToadMum]

The AGGS entrance criteria for 2017 are being consulted upon. Proposing 10 places go to Pupil Premium recipients within catchment. Think this already happens in Birmingham.

I think the PP places in Birmingham are just PP, no 'catchment area' stipulation as the Birmingham grammars are open to all applicants. It is significantly more than ten places per school there, as well - 20% at some and 25% at KE Aston, I think?

[Catseye]

But AGGS has a catchment of 8 mile radius i.e 16miles end to end or approx 200miles^2

Well done to them (if it goes ahead) but 10 is a derisible number why not 10-20% of PP students and limit 10-20% of admissions to be allowed from the prep schools(can you imagine the uproar if someone suggested something as outlandish as that, it would empty the prep schools in South Trafford for a start)!

Now, come on AGSB time to "step up to the plate" though I doubt there any PP students in their tiny catchment -it's time to extend your boundary to capture more disadvantaged areas -stop trying to compete with MGS , that should not be your be your objective(mission) and in de-facto a free private school for already relatively privileged children-that's not what state selective schools should be about imo.

Congratulations to AGGS for trying to change the status quo, now be braver and more ambitious and show how one of the top UK schools need not be afraid of the infamous league tables .

[Mandy21]

Don't agree - there is already a mixture of areas in the catchment for AGSB. I think the aim is to make it a local school - hence the almost guarantee of a place if you pass and live within catchment.

[wilmslowmum]

I too doubt that AGSB could fill ten or so PP places from within catchment, offering these places wouldn't even effect boys in catchment, it gives 10 boys out of catchment the chance to be on a level playing field as the boys within catchment ( not having to get a higher score than 334) so in effect it would affect the out of catchment more. Having said that any child that has qualified for PP wouldnt have had the best start in life and would certainly have earned that small advantage in my opinion.

[Mandy21]

I think you need to have a drive around Altrincham

Don't get me wrong, there are some lovely parts, but to say there are no children qualifying for PP in the catchment is just ludicrous

Sounds a bit like the Mum stood behind me & my DS in the queue on the day of the entrance exam who said to her friend "I've never been to Altrincham before, I had to do a reccy last night just so I knew where the school was"??

I'm just teasing, but honestly, whilst I know the perception is that the catchment is only the "nice" parts of South Manchester, its not the case.

[Catseye]

AGSB has a catchment of two modest sized postcodes WA14 AND WA15 , both areas include some of the wealthiest areas outside the S.E, here in Bowdon the average house price is> £500,000 for a semi.

The only deprived area I can think of is Broadheath , most of Timperley and South Sale is quite effluent.

The next significant area near to Timperley of any real deprivation is Wythenshawe which has a manchester postcode.

AGSB stats for pupils eligible for FSM is 1.3% at present-pathetic imho

Grammar Schools increase social mobility for the poorest-I think not!

All of the private schools I know have a greater % eligible for FSM than AGSB or AGGS-a shocking indictment

[Mandy21]

It's not just WA14 and WA15, it's WA13 (the Trafford side) and parts of M33. I wasn't disagreeing with the proposal, I was just disagreeing with the description of the geography and people suggesting that there wouldn't be pupils eligible for PP in catchment. Yes Bowdon is incredibly expensive as are other areas too, but parts of Altrincham / Timperley / M33 are pretty average and Broadheath is at the lower end of property prices.

The other point is that there are grammars in Sale, Urmston and Stretford so although Altrincham might not be representative of social mobility, you need to look at Trafford as a whole.

[Catseye]

AGSB-catchment

The catchment area is defined as follows:
a) postal addresses of WA13, WA14 and WA15 which lie within the Trafford Local Authority.
b) postal addresses in the roads of M33 detailed below which lie within the Traffordal Authority:
Ainsdale Drive Little Brook Road
Alma Road Mayfair Drive
Avonlea Road Newgate Road
Birkdale Drive Old Well Walk
Blair Close Overton Crescent
Briggs Close Riley Close
Central Avenue Shenton Park Avenue
Chester Avenue StAndrews Close
Chestnut Drive The Drive
Chestnut Drive Link Road Woodhouse Lane
Clough Avenue Westbury Avenue
Crowton Avenue Woodheys Drive
Hartford Road Washway Road even numbers 360-398
Kenmore Roa

so it's WA15 and WA14

The only bit of WA13 that falls into Trafford is Warburton a tiny village with a handful of households and Dunham mostly populated by sheep and cows, Lymm(another very affluent and desirable area) which is the proper WA13 is out of catchment with a population of 14,000(and falls into Warrington).

And I did say areas of Sale fall into the catchment-take a drive down The Avenue in Sale where some of friends live some of them earn more than I do!

I think we are on the side but maybe my geography is better

[Mandy21]

That's what I said -