Altrincham grammar school for boys/girls applications

[Mandy21]

Enigma - certainly there is a perception (and it may only be a perception) that you don't need to be as academic to get into MGS as you do to get pass AGSB - 2 or 3 families in my DC's year have moved their boys at Yr 3 to MGS Juniors precisely to get the "automatic" entry into MGS at Year 7 on the basis that it was felt that they wouldn't pass either AGSB or MGS at the start of Year 6.

I also have one friend whose son sat the test for MGS in Year 3, didn't pass, took it again in Year 4, didn't get in, but got in when he took it in Year 5. I know she was massively relieved because she didn't think he'd pass the MGS or AGSB tests in Year 6.

[enigma]

Enigma - certainly there is a perception (and it may only be a perception) that you don't need to be as academic to get into MGS as you do to get pass AGSB - 2 or 3 families in my DC's year have moved their boys at Yr 3 to MGS Juniors precisely to get the "automatic" entry into MGS at Year 7 on the basis that it was felt that they wouldn't pass either AGSB or MGS at the start of Year 6.

You really have no idea how MGS admission team pick the right boys for MGS' fast and advanced learning environment - they are spot on! A year 3 assessment is never a walk in the park. At age 7 you'll get into essay writing, higher level reading involving deep vocabularies, 3 level arithmetic, group works, unique math logic such as sequences and series, magic box, etc. - these are too much for a 7 year old and is definitely not for the average year 2's. My DS attended the year 3 assessment and met his "one-time new friend" whom he played with prior to the assessment. After the test, I've asked how he and his 'friend' did in the assessment and he said his 'friend' was only able to write around 2/3 of the page and was unable to finish the magic box. Sure enough, we've not seen his 'friend' again in the first meeting for incoming year 3's. Getting into year 3 isn't a sensible excuse to get automatic entry to year 7 as all boys who got into year 3 can definitely able to pass both AGSB and MGS anyway.

I also have one friend whose son sat the test for MGS in Year 3, didn't pass, took it again in Year 4, didn't get in, but got in when he took it in Year 5...

I'm afraid you've got the wrong information there... boys who didn't pass for year 3 aren't allowed to take again at year 4. You've got to wait 2 years before you can take the assessment again i.e. year 5 because the admission team believe that some boys may still develop at later stage but there isn't no special cases, you still got to pass a very challenging assessment at year 5/6.

...I know she was massively relieved because she didn't think he'd pass the MGS or AGSB tests in Year 6.

Now this is a ridiculous prejudice of a parent to his own son who at such a young age managed to pass the MGS year 5 assessment.

[Mandy21]

I didn't mean to cause offence Enigma (so apologies if I have) and you're right, I have no direct experience. I was just commenting on the perception (locally) which I appreciate may be skewed because we have AGSB on the doorstep and what friends have done.

[wilmslowmum]

In defence os mandy21. I dont think it is a ridiculous predjudice to have an honest opinion of your own childs ability, much better than expecting them to pass ,then being dissappointed if they failed. In yr 5 of my ds old prep school there is normally a lot of boys jumping ship to MGS because their parents would prefer not to have the worry of the entrance exam. In my ds yr at least 7 boys entered into Yr 6 at MGS some were high fliers but some were not ,all of them were offered a place much to the relief of some parents. At my ds prep the children were not coached for the Altrincham schools as it wasnt in Trafford, but i have to say they were coached from Sep to January with past papers from MGS , Withington, and MHSG. There were boys whom passed Altrincham but opted for MGS but there were also boys who didnt pass for Altrincham but did go to MGS. All boys that passed for Altrincham passed for MGS.

[enigma]

In defence os mandy21. I dont think it is a ridiculous predjudice to have an honest opinion of your own childs ability, much better than expecting them to pass ,then being dissappointed if they failed.

Then they have to be more positive towards their children when they pass MGS as these kids deserve recognitions to the highest level.

In yr 5 of my ds old prep school there is normally a lot of boys jumping ship to MGS because their parents would prefer not to have the worry of the entrance exam. In my ds yr at least 7 boys entered into Yr 6 at MGS some were high fliers but some were not ,all of them were offered a place much to the relief of some parents. At my ds prep the children were not coached for the Altrincham schools as it wasnt in Trafford, but i have to say they were coached from Sep to January with past papers from MGS , Withington, and MHSG. There were boys whom passed Altrincham but opted for MGS but there were also boys who didnt pass for Altrincham but did go to MGS. All boys that passed for Altrincham passed for MGS.

Those stories may be true but this is my take. I strongly believe that most if not all MGS pupils are clever enough to pass AGSB with proper revision. MGS Admission team is usually spot on in picking pupil who they think can flourish and be happy at MGS. Life at MGS is not at all glamorous to pupil who aren't very academic. The grading system at MGS are A**, A*, A, B & C; A being the minimum standard of MGS. If the pupil consistently gets B or C, he will likely struggle and find MGS life miserable and other boys will make fun of him to the extent of saying "how on earth you managed to get into MGS, did you bribe the teachers?". Hence all pupils are striving to get at least A grade to fit in and avoid the dreaded B or C at all cost. This is probably the reason why MGS has very few C's in both GCSE and A-level and they are consistently on the top 50 of the league that even the mighty AGGS can hardly get pass through them let alone AGSB which is nowhere in the top 100 and never in history that AGSB got near MGS in the league table, sorry but this is the reality. In my opinion, pupil who can't "really" pass AGSB's GL papers won't survive in MGS.... I honestly don't intent to offend anyone, I still believe that career success isn't always accounted to the name of school but usually down to the person himself.

[Catseye]

If the pupil consistently gets B or C, he will likely struggle and find MGS life miserable and other boys will make fun of him to the extent of saying "how on earth you managed to get into MGS, did you bribe the teachers?". Hence all pupils are striving to get at least A grade to fit in and avoid the dreaded B or C at all cost.

Oh dear, oh dear! ( am allowed to use !)

It doesn't say much about the emotional maturity of MGS students-does it?

It's human nature to big up one's own school but I think you have just shot yourself in your own foot.

[wilmslowmum]

My daughters friend who goes to MGS was allowed to drop a language at GCSE , he was invited into the office where the teacher told him that he had something he would like to hear, that he was going to be allowed to drop Spanish, perhaps that is another reason MGS get such good results, allowing boys to drop subjects to keep up the ratings?

[enigma]

Oh dear, oh dear! ( am allowed to use !)
It doesn't say much about the emotional maturity of MGS students-does it?
It's human nature to big up one's own school but I think you have just shot yourself in your own foot.

Sorry Catseye but not for me, when I talk it has to be realistic. I can tell the beauty and best side of a thing and also its dull and worse side according to my own perception and opinion. What's the point of this forum when we're only allowed to tell what we want people to hear? After all kids are kids, we all know that no schools are perfect, even the best schools in Britain have some records of bullying or extreme culture.... in fairness to MGS, the above setting was in the lower school, as life go high up to the middle school all the way to the sixth form, things could get better and better as kids are getting more matured and have already got used to the MGS culture.

[Rahmanmum]

I think there are many more kids that do the AGSB exam (maybe around 1500- 2000 boys for 200 places) than Manchester G so that makes me think AGSB must be harder to get place.
I think they are all very hard exams and my sons tutor says that more kids are doing the exams each year.

[enigma]

These two great boy schools have different admission criteria. MGS has no quota as long as you've shown your potential through their own test and assessment and the admission officers are convinced that you can flourish and be happy at school then you're in. At AGSB you're competing with nearly a thousand boys for less than 200 places but it isn't necessarily for the top 200 boys, there's a big difference in probability between in-catchment and out-of-catchment boys. You'll only need at least a "pass" score for in-catchment to guarantee a place whilst a "more-than-a-pass" score for out-of-catchment boys gives no guarantee as this depends on how many in-catchment boys secured a place.