11 Plus Exams Forum

I was wondering if anyone knows how many extra children will live in the Altrincham area over the next few years as the additional places created at the AGSB are going to out of catch pupils.

Exam year 2013 and pre in catchment between 118-135 boys , out of catchment 51-57 boys
Exam Year 2014, in catchment 135 boys, out of catchment 83 boys. Intake 218
Exam year 2015 in catchment 122 boys, out of catchment 86 boys. Intake 208

As can been seen all the new places go to out of catchment boys not local in catchment boys.

The consultation paper has the following quote,
“There will be no change to the selective admissions policy but it is expected that the Pupil Admission Number will increase from 173 to 210. This will mean we can offer additional places to pupils of, firstly, the Altrincham area and secondly”.
This seems go against the spirt of their consultation paper for the increase of PAN where places are going to out of catchment boys.

I had also heard about this. It must be down to getting more funding for the school maybe? I don't think it is fair that it is not benefitting local kids though.

Any boy in catchment who passes will be offered a place before any OCC boys are offered a place. I guess the school want to keep the same academic ability so boys who dont reach the 334 will not be offered a place regardless of where theu live , therefore i can only see that the boys who benefit from an increased pan would be OOC boys with lower pass marks but above 334. My Ds is in yr 7 and i have to say you wouldnt want to be struggling in this school, it is quite challenging my ds got quite a high score in his exam and he has found the curriculum to be quite demanding of him. I guess this is why they dont lower the pass mark to allow more local boys in who scored below 334 sad as it seems.

altydad wrote:“There will be no change to the selective admissions policy but it is expected that the Pupil Admission Number will increase from 173 to 210. This will mean we can offer additional places to pupils of, firstly, the Altrincham area and secondly”.

They are not contravening their statement , places are still offered to in-catchment first in the sense that all in catchment pupils obtaining min pass mark of 334 are guaranteed a place if one should accept the offer.

The problem is, the number of eligible in catchment candidates is more or less fixed year on year but the number of OCC applicants has increased significantly in recent years(and potentially could increase in a limitless fashion) -since the school in common with AGGS standardise from within their own cohort who sit the exam and do not select from the top 1/3 of the national cohort it follows that to reach 334 gets harder and harder as more OCC apply and thus in-catchment students equate to a smaller proportion of the total PAN.

altydad wrote:This seems go against the spirt of their consultation paper for the increase of PAN where places are going to out of catchment boys.

You may feel it goes against the spirit of their consultation but it does not go against the letter of their statement.

Have I missed something ? the intent to increase the Pan was subject to Government approval of the new building work, which was recently consulted on. Has this happened and is it now official that the school will expand...

They increased the PAN to 210 for Y7 entrants last year and this year, however they have said that without the expansion of the school they will not be able to offer this again in the future.

deltamum wrote:They increased the PAN to 210 for Y7 entrants last year and this year, however they have said that without the expansion of the school they will not be able to offer this again in the future.

Cha-ching.....money in the bank.... just sweating a resource as much as possible without any inward investment.

The state sector is hanging in by the skin of their teeth.

The disgraceful cuts at sixth form for state schools is the real disgrace-soon FM will not be funded alongside 3 other full A levels.

I am seriously considering private sixth form for my year 9 DD-I will be watching carefully developments in the next few years.

Has the expansion been approved.?

workerbee wrote:Has the expansion been approved.?

There is no physical expansion of the school they are accommodating an extra class within the confines of the existing building -no annex , no extra building of classrooms.

That's why 208 is the max PAN for yr7 unless the Sec of Education allows an expansion that would mean new builds.

And quite frankly such money would be better invested in the 70% of children who do not attend Grammar Schools in Trafford-who need it most

The bid for funding for the new building has been unsuccessful.e
See the latest edition of the school magazine on the website for more info