South Warwickshire CAF choices

[aslongastheirhappy]

Can I just ask a quickie question.....? It seems, from my conversations with people, that there are quite a few children this year who got significantly above the AQS for KES and shottery who have chosen to go to AGS.

Out of interest, my ds scored 241, and there were 25 other children with this score. How does THAT work?!!! That's quite a few children all qualifying for KES and AGS.

Does this mean that the AQS for AGS is going to go up this year? But then, proportionately, it seems that the number with high scores this year is higher, so still the same demographic trying to get in.

I've got a wonderful friend, with a lovely polite boy, who would really like to get into AGS. He is just at the AQS for last year. I'm thinking they will have to go on the waiting list for this year?

[kenyancowgirl]

Possibly the AQS will go up. We won't know until allocations as it does depend on applications - it's a good few years since the AQS for AGS was above KES but it could happen.

It's difficult to see any patterns with the scores as not too many have come forward. Yes there does seem to be some bunched high scores but there are also bunched mid 220s. I would advise you advise your friend to list AGS first and keep fingers crossed.

[aslongastheirhappy]

Don't think there's any chance AQS for AGS will be higher than KES purely because of the demographic, but AGS score might be higher this year. Thanks for all your help.

[Wonky]

Surely bunched high scores are of little consequence? It's the rankings around the eventual cut off for the AQS that matter. If you have 99 kids scoring 250 and the next one scored 200. If there are 100 places the AQS is still 200.

[kenyancowgirl]

Yes, Wonky, you are right...sadly, for those of us who watch the forum year in, year out, looking at the spread of scores is quite interesting... it sometimes gives clues, in a slightly different way to ranks, that is slightly fascinating!

[Chuggabug]

It seems, from my conversations with people, that there are quite a few children this year who got significantly above the AQS for KES and shottery who have chosen to go to AGS.

Without wanting to imply anyone you've spoken to is telling little white lies, but it wouldn't be the first time that parents have told others (including the child themselves!) that their DC scored higher than they actually did, and are going to their local comp or a lower AQS grammar through choice. Not suggesting this is the case here, but it's something to be aware of...

AGS seems like a great school and I've heard little negative in all the forum threads which is saying something! And of course, if someone has an older sibling at AGS then it would make sense for them to want the younger child to join them, and if there are siblings of both genders then many might opt to go to AGS so they can be together.

Also, many simply prefer the co-ed environment, or live closer to Alcester... or simply prefer the 'feel' of the school, as it's less 'formal' and traditional then KES or SGGS.

There are also considerations around the different policies at the school - I found out yesterday that at AGS pupils study two modern language choices in year 7 (from French, Spanish and German), whereas at KES they now study Latin and Mandarin as core languages in year 7, with one additional modern language option from year 8 onwards. This isn't for everyone, and could potentially be an influencer this year as it was only introduced for 2016 cohort?

All in all, it could be any number of things but it's likely the same happens every year so may not mean anything significant that would change AQS dramatically at either school (much as I'd love the AQS at KES to come down! Have to say we visited AGS yesterday before putting in our CAF, and I thought it was lovely - the kids all seemed so well behaved and the place was lovely and clean and calm and didn't have that 'crowded', chaotic feel of our local comp - but it was lesson time! Very temping but that bit too far for DS2 to travel, so KES it is, and Kenilworth 2nd choice for us. ).

[Wonky]

It seems, from my conversations with people, that there are quite a few children this year who got significantly above the AQS for KES and shottery who have chosen to go to AGS.

Without wanting to imply anyone you've spoken to is telling little white lies, but it wouldn't be the first time that parents have told others (including the child themselves!) that their DC scored higher than they actually did, and are going to their local comp or a lower AQS grammar through choice. Not suggesting this is the case here, but it's something to be aware of...

AGS seems like a great school and I've heard little negative in all the forum threads which is saying something! And of course, if someone has an older sibling at AGS then it would make sense for them to want the younger child to join them, and if there are siblings of both genders then many might opt to go to AGS so they can be together.

Also, many simply prefer the co-ed environment, or live closer to Alcester... or simply prefer the 'feel' of the school, as it's less 'formal' and traditional then KES or SGGS.

There are also considerations around the different policies at the school - I found out yesterday that at AGS pupils study two modern language choices in year 7 (from French, Spanish and German), whereas at KES they now study Latin and Mandarin as core languages in year 7, with one additional modern language option from year 8 onwards. This isn't for everyone, and could potentially be an influencer this year as it was only introduced for 2016 cohort?

All in all, it could be any number of things but it's likely the same happens every year so may not mean anything significant that would change AQS dramatically at either school (much as I'd love the AQS at KES to come down! Have to say we visited AGS yesterday before putting in our CAF, and I thought it was lovely - the kids all seemed so well behaved and the place was lovely and clean and calm and didn't have that 'crowded', chaotic feel of our local comp - but it was lesson time! Very temping but that bit too far for DS2 to travel, so KES it is, and Kenilworth 2nd choice for us. ).

Chuggabug - pretty much 100% same thoughts on AGS vs KES. I liked AGS, but it's a bit too far and DS is dead set on KES (not sure he fully apprciates what he's letting himself in for with regards to work load etc ) We're in North Leamington so similar commute to yourselves. Have you figured out transport yet? Various bus/coach options between 7:30 and 8:00am from what I can see.

Also does anyone know the start and end times for the KES school day?

Thanks

[kenyancowgirl]

It's also not unheard of for some parents to say they are putting x school first because it is better etc in an attempt to influence others to also put x first...but then the first parent actually lists y school, having knocked out a few of the competition!! And I do know someone who has told everyone her son got into GS, but they decided on private, when he didn't...it is a very emotional/emotive time for some parents.

There are big differences between KES and AGS which have been discussed before - some are concrete like coed and language choice, others are more a "feel", but people usually prefer one or the other. We have several friends whose sons didn't qualify for KES but did for AGS who, after a couple of years there have loved it so much they actively chose AGS for their daughters, and didn't consider SGGS, because they were happy and having two in one school worked as a bonus!

School starts at 8.45am but most are there before then, and finishes at 3.55pm (except for games day when it is 3.30pm) After school things usually go on till about 5.30

[Chuggabug]

Chuggabug - pretty much 100% same thoughts on AGS vs KES. I liked AGS, but it's a bit too far and DS is dead set on KES (not sure he fully apprciates what he's letting himself in for with regards to work load etc ) We're in North Leamington so similar commute to yourselves. Have you figured out transport yet? Various bus/coach options between 7:30 and 8:00am from what I can see.

Hi Wonky, Our DS1 is at KES in year 8, and he catches the Johnsons bus from Kenilworth. It's a privately organised service (one parent handles all the admin and the cost is shared between all the parents). It doesn't cover Leamington though I'm afraid - the three buses pick up various spots from Balsall Common/Knowle/Kenilworth area and then straight to KES. It's a 7.50am pick up and he gets back around 4.45pm latest, so not too bad - and not much worse than the bus to the local school (he waits at the same stop with his friends who go to the local school). Equally he likes the bus journey as it's a chance to mingle with the Shottery girls! In terms of the workload, I'm not sure that it would be any less at AGS, and to be honest all kids seem to get quite a shock at the amount of homework when they go to secondary! The difference I've found mainly compared to friends whose boys are at our local school is the difficulty/level of the work rather than the volume. (He came home in year 7 with a worksheet which was taken from an A level geography textbook.) I'm completely out my depth with it now - have to keep suggesting he 'google it' if he gets stuck! But yes, they have to enjoy a challenge if they're going to like KES - and it helps if they're ok with being beaten at things!! DS1 is pretty non-competitive so he's been OK with it, but a fair few boys struggle to cope with not being the brightest/best at everything once they arrive at KES. A lot of dented egos abound! For some, going to a school where they'll be top dog works better for them and their confidence and they might be unhappy being merely 'average' at KES, but for others (my son included) he's thrived because it's suddenly OK to be bright and not have to hide it to 'fit in'. (He was told in year 2 to stop putting his hand up all the time as "noone likes a know-it-all" by his own teacher!!! He spent the next 4 years quiet as a mouse in class and is only just beginning to speak up again now. Thank goodness!)

[Bect1969]

would be good to know how many shared that score last year(232 that is) interestingly though there are 11 sharing 235 I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.

Tell me about it BlueKnows! My DS is one of those 11 and his best friend is another! We also live in Kenilworth so if it came down to distance we'd be struggling... got everything crossed as DS1 is at KES.

I feel for you - we had the same thing last year DS1 already at KES, then wanting to get DS2 there as well. DS2 ranking was 73rd in Southern Boys so not too worried but when WCC said the ranking could go up or down we were on tenterhooks until the School allocation date in March!