Grammar schools with no catchment areas

[Thingsbehindthesun]

Thank you again everyone.I certainly have been given a few more schools to take into consideration.

Sally Anne- How would I check if I could come under this catchment area.Would I need to contact the school directly for a map? I tried searching online but to no avail.

I was planing on visiting the Tiffin school on it's open day, but realistically I wouldn't want a school that would have a long journey time as there may be the optional after school activity,making the school day end rather late.So I think at this stage the Tiffin school would be ruled out. Realistically I think we will try for HBS but our backup school would have to be our local independent that my niece already attends.

With the Pariter's school the website says: "25% of places will be allocated in order of academic ability. This equates to 47 places (44 from within the catchment area and 3 from outside the catchment area)". So would she not have to gain very high marks to be included?

[KS10]

Well, we thought there were just 3 too, but there may be 9. If you post in the Herts section someone will clarify this. In fact, they have, a number of times, but I'm still none the wiser.

Yes, you would have to score higher than if you were in the catchment, but the scores are standardised. My son was born in February and did not complete the VR paper (92/100 completed) but still got in. We're assuming he did very well in maths and that most of the 92 answered were correct, but we don't really know. Plus, people who do get in then change their mind for whatever reason, so it's definitely worth a try.

[Sally-Anne]

Hi Tbts

Sally Anne- How would I check if I could come under this catchment area.Would I need to contact the school directly for a map? I tried searching online but to no avail.

Although CGS has a catchment area, which you can view here: http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/schools/a ... _maps.page" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;? places at Bucks schools are allocated on the following (summarised) criteria:

1. A qualifying standardised score of 121 (or a successful appeal).
2. Distance from home to school gates.

You can view the allocation profile for BCC grammars in recent years here: http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/school ... n-profiles" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As the school is so close to the county boundary and it competes with the two Dr Challoners Schools (which tend to be over-subscribed, although the boys' school offered as far as Northwood this year!) it has vacant places simply because of geography. Parents in SW Herts - particularly Berkhamsted - tend to know that their child will gain a place at CGS if they qualify, but for some reason parents in NW London don't realise that the school is accessible from where they live.

I have known children to be allocated a place at CGS from overseas in recent years, purely on the distance criterion!

It is not a sign of a poor school - quite the opposite in fact. It is just a geographic blip - if you look at most of the Allocation Profiles for the Bucks GS, those at the edge of county - Aylesbury and Burnham - also offer a lot of places to children living a long way from the school.

The only question you need to answer is how convenient the journey will be.

Hope that explains it for you!

Sally-Anne

[Thingsbehindthesun]

Thank you Sally Anne and KS10.