Ags aqs and ranking

[Sillygoose]

I am still trying to get to grips with the 'Birmingham effect' There does seem to be a significant increase in kids.

All Children Southern Circle:
2013 1097
2014 1127 So +30
2015 1229 +102!

A jump in the rise of over 3 times as many, was the birth rate higher? did a higher proportion decide to sit it this year? or is it to do with the shared results thing capturing more children's results in the category?

Who knows! either way I feel sorry for DD she has 130 more kids to battle against than when DS got through.

[pegtastic]

Just thought I would mention that I saw this on the B'ham forum - posted by nervousmum I think:

"I was speaking to FO this morning.

Lady I spoke to said scores are very similar across the board to last year and they don't really see a huge difference in cut off scores.

Will probably be offering over PAN again on offers day."

I'm surprised they disclosed this, but if this is true (and I know this is B'ham not WCC) - this would be encouraging in terms of AQS. It doesn't correlate with the rankings we are seeing though.

What does everyone think?

[kenyancowgirl]

I would be very wary of a) someone on the phone chattering away, as, with all due respect, I don't think it is the administrators who set the AQS and b) the word "probably" is as useful as a chocolate teapot until it become "definitely"....

[nervousmom]

Peg, remember that was Bham FO giving those details. I guess they don't have any input/knowledge of the Warks scores and rankings.

Personally I think Bham will offer slightly over PAN again, but this, as pointed out, is only a probably not a definitely.

Just going to eat my chocolate teapot...... Mmmmmm Cadburys

[pegtastic]

Hi everyone,

I bit the bullet and emailed Warks regarding the rankings that correlated with the AQS for last year - I've just had this response:

The lowest score offered Alcester Grammar School for 2015 entry on national offer day was 210.

The ranking for all children residing in the South Priority Circle with this score was 711 out of 1127 (with 26 others on this same ranking).

The ranking for boys residing in the South Priority Circle with this score was 234 out of 556 (with 6 others on this same ranking).

Please note that, due to the shared test with the Grammar Schools in Birmingham, many of the children contained within the overall ranking numbers either may not ultimately preference a Warwickshire grammar school and/or will reside outside the priority areas.

Therefore for those residing within the priority circles, the 'in area' rankings alongside your child's score will be a more reliable indicator when making an application.

[Sillygoose]

Hi everyone,

I bit the bullet and emailed Warks regarding the rankings that correlated with the AQS for last year - I've just had this response:

The lowest score offered Alcester Grammar School for 2015 entry on national offer day was 210.

The ranking for all children residing in the South Priority Circle with this score was 711 out of 1127 (with 26 others on this same ranking).

The ranking for boys residing in the South Priority Circle with this score was 234 out of 556 (with 6 others on this same ranking).

Please note that, due to the shared test with the Grammar Schools in Birmingham, many of the children contained within the overall ranking numbers either may not ultimately preference a Warwickshire grammar school and/or will reside outside the priority areas.

Therefore for those residing within the priority circles, the 'in area' rankings alongside your child's score will be a more reliable indicator when making an application.

Thank you, that information is really, really, REALLY interesting to me.

[pegtastic]

Thought it might cheer a few people up.... obviously nothing is certain until March, but I saw it as great news and very encouraging!

[Sillygoose]

Thought it might cheer a few people up.... obviously nothing is certain until March, but I saw it as great news and very encouraging!

Its this bit I find especially interesting..

"Please note that, due to the shared test with the Grammar Schools in Birmingham, many of the children contained within the overall ranking numbers either may not ultimately preference a Warwickshire grammar school and/or will reside outside the priority areas. "

Which is something I have been saying, unlike other years, the ranking is not such a good indicator because the ranks are filled with kids that wont be after the places we want. Once they are filtered out by the school application process the 'real' ranking for many of us could move up quite a bit and the AQS may not shift as much as it looks like it needs to.

If we had your score Pegtastic I would have probably started uniform shopping!

[Jason Orange]

Agree entirely. The overall ranking this year is now of very limited use. Score and previous cut off points are probably a much more useful indicator.

[kenyancowgirl]

I must be reading it differently to everyone else - boys in Southern Priority Circle is a fairly stagnant group of people, year on year and is what I think WCC mean by:

"Therefore for those residing within the priority circles, the 'in area' rankings alongside your child's score will be a more reliable indicator when making an application."