So CONFUSED
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So CONFUSED
Hi, sorry for the essay but I really need some advice.
My DD is currently in year 5, year 6 in sept. Her parents evening was last week and grammar school was mentioned. I knew she was very bright, she loves to read and write, but her teacher said she is far ahead of her peers with no one else in the class coming close. This does lead to her being very quiet and not making friends easily
The nearest grammar to us is Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, but we are not in the catchment area (even though we are only 10 miles away) it stops on the other side of Pendle hill. No-one else at her school is going for grammar, and no-one I know has children at grammar. The entrance exams are only 6 months away and there is no way I could afford a tutor.
With all that said I obviously want what is best for her and the local secondary all her friends will be going to is not great.
I am disabled and my OH is my carer so we are a very low income family, my DD is on free school meals etc, and I fear this will make it difficult for her to be accepted by "regular" grammar school kids.
Also with only 28 out of 205 out of catchment applicants being successful, is it even remotely possible that my DD can be one of the 28 in only 6 months with no tutor?
I just so confused and don't know what to do for the best. Thank you for reading my through all that, any and all opinions and thoughts gratefully received.
Many Thanks
Nathiar
My DD is currently in year 5, year 6 in sept. Her parents evening was last week and grammar school was mentioned. I knew she was very bright, she loves to read and write, but her teacher said she is far ahead of her peers with no one else in the class coming close. This does lead to her being very quiet and not making friends easily
The nearest grammar to us is Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, but we are not in the catchment area (even though we are only 10 miles away) it stops on the other side of Pendle hill. No-one else at her school is going for grammar, and no-one I know has children at grammar. The entrance exams are only 6 months away and there is no way I could afford a tutor.
With all that said I obviously want what is best for her and the local secondary all her friends will be going to is not great.
I am disabled and my OH is my carer so we are a very low income family, my DD is on free school meals etc, and I fear this will make it difficult for her to be accepted by "regular" grammar school kids.
Also with only 28 out of 205 out of catchment applicants being successful, is it even remotely possible that my DD can be one of the 28 in only 6 months with no tutor?
I just so confused and don't know what to do for the best. Thank you for reading my through all that, any and all opinions and thoughts gratefully received.
Many Thanks
Nathiar
Welcome to the forum!
There is plenty of material for you to support your child on here - try the free demos etc.
Don't worry about being on a low income - there is a very wide social mix at some Grammars - scroll down and see the 'area' sections as there will probably be someone with local knowledge.
There is plenty of material for you to support your child on here - try the free demos etc.
Don't worry about being on a low income - there is a very wide social mix at some Grammars - scroll down and see the 'area' sections as there will probably be someone with local knowledge.
Thanks for the welcome Guest55. I think at the moment I'm edging towards the "nothing venture, nothing gained" mentality. I've been looking at Clitheroe Grammar's website and it says
Test 1 will be a Verbal Reasoning Test.
This test has a practice session; the test itself lasts 45 minutes.
The content of the test is intended to be as independent as possible of any particular school curriculum. The tests indicate a candidate’s ability to reason with words and numbers presented through the written medium.
Test 2 will be an English test of 35 minutes duration consisting of multiple choice questions.
Test 3 will be a Mathematics paper of 35 minutes duration consisting of multiple-choice questions.
The standard is up to that of KS2 level 5.
Any idea what sort of material we should be looking at? I really don't understand all the 15/21 Type X, Y or Z means yet
Thanks again
Nathair
Test 1 will be a Verbal Reasoning Test.
This test has a practice session; the test itself lasts 45 minutes.
The content of the test is intended to be as independent as possible of any particular school curriculum. The tests indicate a candidate’s ability to reason with words and numbers presented through the written medium.
Test 2 will be an English test of 35 minutes duration consisting of multiple choice questions.
Test 3 will be a Mathematics paper of 35 minutes duration consisting of multiple-choice questions.
The standard is up to that of KS2 level 5.
Any idea what sort of material we should be looking at? I really don't understand all the 15/21 Type X, Y or Z means yet
Thanks again
Nathair
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hermanmunster
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- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
- Location: The Seaside
Hi
agree with guest55 - don't worry about feeling your income is too low - there really is a wide social mix, worth having a go for CRGS - if you don't try you won;t know.
Was it 205 out of catchment pupils taking the test? was it just 28 who were offered places or did more pass and then were not able to get places ?
One thing you MUST bear in mind if you can;t get a place is that CRGS has a VERY big sixth form taking in children from many other senior schools (Ribblesdale / Bowland etc etc) who do not have sixth forms. If DD gets on OK at another school then she would have a good chance getting into the sixth form.... but hopefully she you won't have to think about that as she will already be at the school
Good luck - there will be plenty of people able to direct you to free online resources and books etc to use at home which do not cost too much
agree with guest55 - don't worry about feeling your income is too low - there really is a wide social mix, worth having a go for CRGS - if you don't try you won;t know.
Was it 205 out of catchment pupils taking the test? was it just 28 who were offered places or did more pass and then were not able to get places ?
One thing you MUST bear in mind if you can;t get a place is that CRGS has a VERY big sixth form taking in children from many other senior schools (Ribblesdale / Bowland etc etc) who do not have sixth forms. If DD gets on OK at another school then she would have a good chance getting into the sixth form.... but hopefully she you won't have to think about that as she will already be at the school
Good luck - there will be plenty of people able to direct you to free online resources and books etc to use at home which do not cost too much
Thanks hermanmunster, their web site says
Admissions limit (September 2008) 120 pupils
b) Total number of applications received for admission in September 2008
411 pupils
c) Total number of applications received for admission in September 2008 from pupils resident in the school’s catchment area
205 pupils
d) Total number of applications received for admission in September 2008 from pupils not resident in the school’s catchment area
206 pupils
e) 120 pupils were offered places
92 from the school’s catchment area
28 resident outside the school’s catchment area
f) Number of appeals against non-admission was 13 – none of these were
successful.
So it doesn't say how may actually passed, Oh well.
Admissions limit (September 2008) 120 pupils
b) Total number of applications received for admission in September 2008
411 pupils
c) Total number of applications received for admission in September 2008 from pupils resident in the school’s catchment area
205 pupils
d) Total number of applications received for admission in September 2008 from pupils not resident in the school’s catchment area
206 pupils
e) 120 pupils were offered places
92 from the school’s catchment area
28 resident outside the school’s catchment area
f) Number of appeals against non-admission was 13 – none of these were
successful.
So it doesn't say how may actually passed, Oh well.
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hermanmunster
- Posts: 12892
- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
- Location: The Seaside
Hi I expect that the pass rate for the local kids was about 44% ie 92/206. This is quite high as the 11 plus exam is by no means universal in the area with lots iof kids opting not to take the test and go to popular school like Bowland instead. I suspect the pass rate for the out of catchment pupils was probably fairly high too as they will have been self selected as having a good chance of getting in.
I can't get into all the documents this evening - do they say if the out of catchement pupils are offered by distance or academic attainment? If distance do they give any hint of how far away the succesful candidates lived?
I can't get into all the documents this evening - do they say if the out of catchement pupils are offered by distance or academic attainment? If distance do they give any hint of how far away the succesful candidates lived?
From Clitheroe Grammar School's own website:
Admissions Policy:
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School has a planned admission number for each year of 120. If the number of applicants reaching the required standard is less than 120, then all of these applicants will be deemed 'eligible'. If the number reaching the required standard is greater than 120 and the school is therefore over-subscribed, then the school will rank these applicants according to the following admissions priority criteria:
1) Children in public care (looked after children) who reach the required standard
2) Candidates who live in the catchment area who reach the required standard
3) Candidates who live outside the catchment area who reach the required standard
Candidates within over-subscription categories 2 and 3 will be ranked according to ability as demonstrated in the testing process. In the event of equal scores within over-subscription categories 2 and 3, the final determining factor will be the proximity of the child to the school (see Note 4). In the case of over-subscription, a confidential waiting list will be drawn up. Position on the waiting list will be on the basis of ability. Where more than one candidate is at the same position on the list, priority will be given in the same order as over-subscription categories 2 and 3 and then to the individual nearest to the school (see Note 4). Until the end of the autumn term in year 7, if a candidate withdraws, his/her place will be offered to the highest placed applicant on the waiting list. iv) Borderline Candidates Those who may have some inconsistency in scores and are close to, but have not reached, the required standard will be considered to be borderline candidates. For these candidates the test results will be carefully reviewed by the Admissions Committee and, subject to parental consent, a report from the applicant’s primary school Headteacher will be requested and this, together with brief representations from parents/guardians on any circumstances that may have affected performance in the testing process, will be considered before a final decision on eligibility for admission is made. v) Co-
Admissions Policy:
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School has a planned admission number for each year of 120. If the number of applicants reaching the required standard is less than 120, then all of these applicants will be deemed 'eligible'. If the number reaching the required standard is greater than 120 and the school is therefore over-subscribed, then the school will rank these applicants according to the following admissions priority criteria:
1) Children in public care (looked after children) who reach the required standard
2) Candidates who live in the catchment area who reach the required standard
3) Candidates who live outside the catchment area who reach the required standard
Candidates within over-subscription categories 2 and 3 will be ranked according to ability as demonstrated in the testing process. In the event of equal scores within over-subscription categories 2 and 3, the final determining factor will be the proximity of the child to the school (see Note 4). In the case of over-subscription, a confidential waiting list will be drawn up. Position on the waiting list will be on the basis of ability. Where more than one candidate is at the same position on the list, priority will be given in the same order as over-subscription categories 2 and 3 and then to the individual nearest to the school (see Note 4). Until the end of the autumn term in year 7, if a candidate withdraws, his/her place will be offered to the highest placed applicant on the waiting list. iv) Borderline Candidates Those who may have some inconsistency in scores and are close to, but have not reached, the required standard will be considered to be borderline candidates. For these candidates the test results will be carefully reviewed by the Admissions Committee and, subject to parental consent, a report from the applicant’s primary school Headteacher will be requested and this, together with brief representations from parents/guardians on any circumstances that may have affected performance in the testing process, will be considered before a final decision on eligibility for admission is made. v) Co-
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hermanmunster
- Posts: 12892
- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
- Location: The Seaside
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SunlampVexesEel
- Posts: 1245
- Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:31 pm
Re: So CONFUSED
My 2p...
Good luck.
If you don't try then you definitely won't get in. As far as possibilities are concerned you really need to take advice from the teachers that know your childs ability relative to the wider population not just her class.
One tip... Make sure you cover ALL of the maths in KS2 with some extra work at home using online (BBC? materials) or ask for advice from teachers. When we did exams we were a bit surprised to find topics come up that were not covered in class until the week after the exam! e.g. improper fractions.
The fact that there are some places for bright candidates beyond the catchment gives you a chance; give it a go.
Good luck
Regards
SVE
Good luck.
If you don't try then you definitely won't get in. As far as possibilities are concerned you really need to take advice from the teachers that know your childs ability relative to the wider population not just her class.
One tip... Make sure you cover ALL of the maths in KS2 with some extra work at home using online (BBC? materials) or ask for advice from teachers. When we did exams we were a bit surprised to find topics come up that were not covered in class until the week after the exam! e.g. improper fractions.
The fact that there are some places for bright candidates beyond the catchment gives you a chance; give it a go.
Good luck
Regards
SVE
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