National Grammar Facts and Figures

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mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by mystery »

Why do you think the o o c candidates push up the raw score needed to pass in a county which admits by distance once a basic pass has been achieved? And why for a public asset such as a grammar school should county borders matter? I see the problem you outline in a way, but if a bucks resident lived close to an oxon comp they should be able to go to it. Doesn't Oxfordshire have any good comps close to the bucks border? If not, it's time to get your borders moved or persuade your selective academies each to go comprehensive! ( tongue in cheek ). It is very hard to work around all these various schooling issues. There is no one answer which suits everyone. It is a mess I agree but I don't think you can blame your o o c's. how many bucks children do go ooc? Quite a few go out of kent ( not to sea!).
Marylou
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:21 am

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by Marylou »

mystery wrote:How many bucks children do go ooc? Quite a few go out of kent ( not to sea!).
Up north end of county, quite a few make the trip across county boundaries to comps in Oxon and Northants. Not so many in MK direction, AFAIK... :?
Marylou
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by Guest55 »

I know a few people that have postal adresses outside Bucks but are living geographically in the county. Parts of some of the catchments extend beyond the county borders ...
Last edited by Guest55 on Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2Girlsmum
Posts: 1034
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 11:41 pm

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by 2Girlsmum »

http://www.london.gov.uk/webmaps/lsa/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; gives the origin of London children at a particular school, including those in Bucks......
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by southbucks3 »

It is not really in county v out of county, it is more whether you children are restricted by the bucks county council two tier system, this does not include Milton Keynes, nor the borders really, just us poor struggling yokels in the middle, and particularly those around aylesbury town seem to have poor options, which is such a shame.

Mystery, the border comprehensives are really hard to get into, you have to be within 5-6 miles tops.

Guest 55. The gs with catchments outside the bcc lA borders just add to the confusion, but presumably there are comprehensives with catchments running into the bcc la area too, for those people savvy enough to buy houses in the right areas. I blame the great grandparents...we live in their house, so short sighted of them :lol:

Blimey it's all a right mess isn't it....where is Amber when we need her...bring on the bucks county council comprehensive schools ra ra ra. As we all know round here that will not happen for as long as chequers is down the road. The landed families on the hills, and the blue blood driving through the veins of our locals would light the torches and storm the place just at the mention of the comp word!
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by Guest55 »

Highcrest have banded entry .... not an Upper any more.

There's a free school in Winslow - but I'd avoid that at the moment!
Kiwimum
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:46 pm

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by Kiwimum »

At the risk of being run out of town I am standing up for OoC applicants.

For the record we live smack bang in the middle of a Bucks town now however a couple of years ago when DD2 was sitting the 11+ we were OoC and I often felt the icy chill from this forum coming through the computer cables from Bucks residents who saw us as 'the enemy'. My DD passed the 11+ and was lucky enough to gain a place at her chosen school... I make no apologies for that. We did what we thought was right for our DD and we did it within the rules of school admissions.

It is possible that some OoC are taking the test as practice for other entrance exams, I think in the big scheme of things this number is negligible and it is more the case they are entered in a variety of exams because the chance of gaining a place at any of them is slim. Is this any more wrong than the Bucks residents who take the 11+ but intend on taking up independent places?

In a couple of years I will be going through it all again with DS, this time as residents. If it comes to it that he goes to an upper school that's fine, (DD1 in sixth form at local upper, transferred from an Ofsted outstanding comprehensive, personally I can't tell the difference) plenty of pupils are coming out of upper schools with good grades and as well rounded individuals every year.
Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by Yamin151 »

Kiwimum wrote:At the risk of being run out of town I am standing up for OoC applicants.

For the record we live smack bang in the middle of a Bucks town now however a couple of years ago when DD2 was sitting the 11+ we were OoC and I often felt the icy chill from this forum coming through the computer cables from Bucks residents who saw us as 'the enemy'. My DD passed the 11+ and was lucky enough to gain a place at her chosen school... I make no apologies for that. We did what we thought was right for our DD and we did it within the rules of school admissions.

It is possible that some OoC are taking the test as practice for other entrance exams, I think in the big scheme of things this number is negligible and it is more the case they are entered in a variety of exams because the chance of gaining a place at any of them is slim. Is this any more wrong than the Bucks residents who take the 11+ but intend on taking up independent places?

In a couple of years I will be going through it all again with DS, this time as residents. If it comes to it that he goes to an upper school that's fine, (DD1 in sixth form at local upper, transferred from an Ofsted outstanding comprehensive, personally I can't tell the difference) plenty of pupils are coming out of upper schools with good grades and as well rounded individuals every year.
You entered as an OOC individual??!? Oh my word, how very dare you! If you're not careful we'll drive you all the way back to New Zealand (ami wrong? Kiwi mum was a clue??) :lol:
I cannot see why anyone should have a problem with an OOC application? Certainly in our area they only get consideration in the second round of offers anyway. I d feel sorry for children being put onto several exams, but I guess that's between them and the parents if they are ok with it.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by mystery »

Kiwimum wrote:At the risk of being run out of town I am standing up for OoC applicants.

For the record we live smack bang in the middle of a Bucks town now however a couple of years ago when DD2 was sitting the 11+ we were OoC and I often felt the icy chill from this forum coming through the computer cables from Bucks residents who saw us as 'the enemy'. My DD passed the 11+ and was lucky enough to gain a place at her chosen school... I make no apologies for that. We did what we thought was right for our DD and we did it within the rules of school admissions.

It is possible that some OoC are taking the test as practice for other entrance exams, I think in the big scheme of things this number is negligible and it is more the case they are entered in a variety of exams because the chance of gaining a place at any of them is slim. Is this any more wrong than the Bucks residents who take the 11+ but intend on taking up independent places?

In a couple of years I will be going through it all again with DS, this time as residents. If it comes to it that he goes to an upper school that's fine, (DD1 in sixth form at local upper, transferred from an Ofsted outstanding comprehensive, personally I can't tell the difference) plenty of pupils are coming out of upper schools with good grades and as well rounded individuals every year.
I am standing up with you. Schools are not there just for people who live in a particular county.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: National Grammar Facts and Figures

Post by southbucks3 »

It is not the county, it is the local authority, namely bucks county council, this does not cover all the county.
None of us poor hard done by, moany, bucks parents have anything against sitters from outside the restrictions of the two tier system, we just think the system of allocation no longer serves the purpose for which it was designed.
Most local people do want the pass mark to reflect the ability of the top 30% of the local cohort, as that reflects very roughly the distribution of grammar places to upper schools.
Any spare places after that, fine, they could be allocated to Martians for all we care, and there will be spaces as there is a big independant factor and extra gs places have been added to some schools over the years.
I will re explore my arguments, along with just about everyone else who lives here, when the allocation profiles come out in March, most parents and teachers are expecting empty seats in the gs, above the 100+ empty seats last year.
Kiwi mum, I am glad your ds is happy in his sixth form, the uppers and their brilliant teaching staff are trying their very best to accomodate an increasingly intelligent cohort, and there is very positive feedback coming from many schools. I only hope it is not at the expense of the lower end of the ability scale, funding wise?
Whilst I am on here, it sounds like there may be brilliant news for the Birmingham gs kids, here's hoping that it's not all hot air.
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