11 Plus Exams Forum

Sorry for making so many posts. Typical parent pre-exam nerves! Just found this site.
Having read the admissions policies from the last two year, I noticed that they have changed. We live about 20 miles from Salisbury and are a little worried that applicants living the closest get first dibs on places if they pass. Is this correct?

according to the policy on line the order is:

1) boys in care
2) boys in designated area
3) boys with siblings at the school
4) boys who are church goers
5) other boys eligible for GS.

certainly looks as though it will be difficult for those outside the designated area (map on the website )- I suspect many parents out side the area will have had their sons going to church for the last year or so to get them further up the list..

I bet you are right.

I am told that the due to the huge jump in applicants this year, the school expect to have more than enough pupils from inside the designated area. Luckily we are just inside.

I am not aware that the designated area for the school has changed in the last 3 years, when my eldest DS was applying. They made some changes to the content of the exam and the border zone this year at both BWS and SW, but think the catchment area has remained the same.

As it is fairly rural (part from Salisbury itself) the actual numbers available to take the exam will depend on the birthrate - when area are rural it can vary quite a bit year on year. Havng said that the overall numbers are relatively low (compared with large urban areas with many centres of population) and I doubt if there will be really huge changes in any one year. The designated catchment doesn't even include Amesbury - so really not very large area.

just had a look at the numbers in each category over the last few years:

Year
.....SEN 1.. 2..3 ...4 .. 5 ... Total
2008 0 0 84 2 17 17 120
2009 0 0 77 5 13 26 121
2010 0 0 78 11 10 22 121

so about 80/120 get in from being in the des area - rest are out of area / siblings / church

A good friend of ours works at the school and tells us that the total number taking the exam was up 30% on last year. Taking this into account, applicants from outside the DA may struggle.