Saint Olave Waiting List status

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ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by ToadMum »

grgygirl wrote:Completely anecdotally, several children pass from our ds school each year (5-6) but only 1-2 take up their places. St Olaves is used primarily as practise for the Independent schools. So I can believe Sonu's experience that they probably delve quite a way into the waiting list (that is the hope I'm clinging to!!).
Do you mean:

1. they take the exam
2. see that they have done well
3. put the school on their CAF in a position where they are offered the place
4. accept the place (or delay turning it down) and at the same time accept an indie place and
5.eventually get round to telling St Olave's that their child is not taking the place after all?

Or...
1 - 3 as above, but reject the St O place straightaway on National Offer Day, having decided on an indie place they have been offered in the meantime?

Or...

either just take the exam with no intention of putting the school on their CAF anyway, or take exam, see that they have done well, but decide not to put the school on their CAF after all?

The first scenario is pretty reprehensible, but 'justified' by a number of parents all over the country on the grounds that their child is 'entitled' to the state place anyway even if they don't want it.

In the second scenario, you have to apply for state places before indies hold their exams and the outcome of those is not a given, so no problem there.

If they don't intend for the child to go to the school even if they pass well enough to do so and therefore don't name the school on their CAF, as far as the effort on the part of the school goes, they are just like all the kids (presumably the majority) who take the exam but don't pass, so cannot apply anyway without intending to appeal. In that sense, the 'mockers' have no effect on the waiting list.

However, if enough of those who don't subsequently apply get high raw scores, potentially their effect on the standardised scores could 'squeeze out' boys whose raw scores would otherwise have earned then a 'pass' standardised score, as the mean average score would be raised. This seems to happen in Buckinghamshire, apparently.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
hornetgirl
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 11:34 am

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by hornetgirl »

I don't think we know what will happen this year. Unlike previous years where you had a likely, possibly and unlikely before the 31st October (CAF closing date), this year we will only find out the date of the SET1.

My thinking is that if you pass the SET1, you must take a chance and put Olave's as 1st choice on the CAF. We have no idea how many boys are going through to the SET2 in November - could be 200 could be 600!

I think we are is a worse position than previous years, as last year I would only have used up a space on the CAF if my son had a likely. Now if (if!!) he passes SET 1 we have to put it down even though he still may have a less than 1 in 4 chance of a place.

So many people apply for Olave's it is ridiculous, when we sat the chorister test in February, a mother openly admitted to me she wasn't going for the choir scholarship, just giving her son a mock for the real Olave's test in the Autumn.
mumsdarling2
Posts: 270
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:25 pm

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by mumsdarling2 »

Olaves should introduce a catchment. There are many many able children within travelling distance to the school who might lose out their chance to children coming from far and wide to sit the test.
sonu17
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2014 4:03 pm

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by sonu17 »

Introducing a catchment area forces the school to accept the catchment children, thus denying the more capable children from other areas...which gradually reduces the overall competitiveness of the school. One of the main reasons why QE is top school is just this...no rocket science.
mumsdarling2
Posts: 270
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:25 pm

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by mumsdarling2 »

sonu17 wrote:Introducing a catchment area forces the school to accept the catchment children, thus denying the more capable children from other areas...which gradually reduces the overall competitiveness of the school. One of the main reasons why QE is top school is just this...no rocket science.
Is there a suggestion that the ability of the children, who are within travelling distance of the school, is somehow inferior (not good enough)?
hornetgirl
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 11:34 am

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by hornetgirl »

All the bright but not super selective Bromley children are taking the 11+ in Bexley, Kent, Sutton and Croydon! How is this helpful to those areas?
memphis
Posts: 66
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:35 am

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by memphis »

Good luck to those with dc taking the St Olave's exams and to those taking the St. Olave's practice test tomorrow.
salsa
Posts: 2686
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:59 am

Re: Saint Olave Waiting List status

Post by salsa »

memphis wrote:Good luck to those with dc taking the St Olave's exams and to those taking the St. Olave's practice test tomorrow.
Nicely put! :D
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