Parmiters Appeal/Continuing Interest List

Eleven Plus (11+) in South West Hertfordshire

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Wellwellwell
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:50 pm
Location: Herts/North London

Parmiters Appeal/Continuing Interest List

Post by Wellwellwell »

We luckily got our 3rd choice school, but am devastated that my son didn't get a place at Parmiters and is currently 19th on the continuing interest list - for which I know there is virtually no hope at all especially as there are approximately 4 positions to each place on their list. I have now decided to appeal as I do not feel we have anything to lose, but just cannot find any good reasons to follow this up with except the amount of sibling places given in Sept 08 were siblings 89 and academic 46 (nearly half of the sibling amount). This is catastrophic numbers for first time children and think that siblings attending can potentially be taking up places at a school not suited to them. With the age of school buses, it is not really such a problem to have children at different schools these days. My middle child has a statement of special needs, do I send him to Parmiters (as would be his right) just so I could then, 2 years down the line, get my third child into Parmiters - basically prejudicing my special needs child's needs for a correct school for him just so my third child will gain entry to Parmiters (to which I know he would be a capable student)? The whole system is a total mockery for children taking the entrance exams and being quite capable and an asset to the school, but at no time are the siblings given any sort of entrance exam and it just stinks for your first in line child. I know a lot of people out there who got places for siblings will not agree, of course you wouldn't, but how many of you are sending siblings to a school that really is not suited to their needs? Anyhow, really I am looking for ideas on what I can base my appeal on - so any help guys would be really appreciated.
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Post by mitasol »

Parmiter's wrote:5. 25% of places shall be available in merit order by reference to academic ability. Candidates will be required to take a verbal reasoning test and a mathematics test, which will be used to assess their academic ability. No minimum score will be required to gain admission, places being offered strictly in descending order of each applicant's standardised test score.
I don't think the number of siblings has any bearing on the matter. Only 25% of places are offered on academic merit which equates to 46 places. I assume that they are not allowed to select (by ability) more than this number.

I wish you well with your appeal.
[edit - I just checked WP info post - looks like it used to be 35%.]
tense
Posts: 679
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:02 pm
Location: Herts

Post by tense »

Mitasol is right. It matters not one iota whether there is one sibling; ten siblings or even 100.

My DD (first born) is in Yr 7 at Parmiter's. She has many friends who entered on the sibling rule. Believe me, they are extremely clever children and I am sure they could have passed the entrance exam. I do have a younger child so, as you say, of course I support the sibling rule. But he is even brighter than his sister & I am confident Parmiter's is the right school for him too.

Appealing is stressful & your chances of success are minimal - especially as you say you have no "good reasons" on which to base an appeal.
watfordmum66
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:45 pm

Post by watfordmum66 »

wellwellwell

I am in the same position as you. We were allocated our 3rd choice school and although I was upset this week as Ds did not get 1 or 2 We were offered a school of our choice whereas many have not been.

When I applied to Parmiters at the point of my application I knew they gave places to siblings / distance. I knew the only way my Ds would get in was on the academic list and that was the premis I applied. I knew there was no guarentee of a place but it was a risk I felt was worth taking.

I do not feel you have grounds for appeal for the reasons you have stated.

Sorry this sounds quite harsh and it is not meant too. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.
watmum
Posts: 192
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:32 am
Location: Herts

Re: Parmiters Appeal/Continuing Interest List

Post by watmum »

Wellwellwell wrote:but how many of you are sending siblings to a school that really is not suited to their needs?
I suppose I fall in to that category in theory.

DC one entered on academic merit and DC two followed on as a sbibling. DC one is obviously a bright child and is thriving, whereas, realistically there is no way that DC two would have got in off his own back so to spoeak.
BUT, and herein lies the improtant bit! Is Parmiter's suited to DC two? Damn right it is! he has flourished and blossomed at that school beyond belief, and I count my lucky stars that he has been given the opportunity as a sibling to attend such a super school.

Good luck with your son's appeal/allocation. I wish you well.

And incidentally Mitasol, I think the academic intake used to be 50% in days gone by
greenteadrinker
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:19 pm

Post by greenteadrinker »

I am in the same position as you wellwellwell waiting for places at Parmiters and other schools on the CI list and gutted that my child has missed out - also as a first born.

I have my fingers croseed and hoping and praying that we may move up the lists after the cut off date and just hope that some goodness comes from this madness...though i am not totally convinced of it

Cautiously optomistic is probably the best way i can describe my mood
Always look on the bright side of life
AlisonR
Posts: 213
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:34 pm
Location: Watford, Herts

Post by AlisonR »

Are any of you on the waiting list for Queens?

I was wondering what the lowest score for an offer into Queens was this year. When I phoned them they wouldn't tell me over the phone and I was hoping someone might have already received an audit report from them.

Alison
watfordmum66
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:45 pm

Post by watfordmum66 »

I have an audit report but it does not state lowest score
watdaddy
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2008 4:34 pm

Post by watdaddy »

Dear Wellwellwell
Its is a great shame that parents of first time applicants search this site after the event when things have not panned out. It was the same with my first and how I wished I'd had all the information beforehand. There is such a lot of useful information here and WP will normally put you straight on facts and figures and recent developments.

The time to get involved in the admissions process is when the schools publish their criteria in march each year and unfortunately complaining about it a year later when things have gone wrong will not help with the appeals process.

You should certainly swot up on the "schools admission code" which you can find on the government website. Just type it into your search engine.
The sibling rule in partially selective schools is protected for the younger brothers and sisters of pupils first on the school roll in sept 2008 (but not later) so eventually - in about 5 years - it will be gone unless supporters of it succeed in getting it overturned. There was a recent consultation on extending the rule to pupils first on the roll in sept 2010 (see earlier posts on this website) but the govt did not take this up. Note that adjudictors are not able to uphold complaints about the sibling rule during this transitional period but once it has expired then there is much greater prospect for challenge.

It is a very controversial subject and divides parents and politicians alike.
The most recent adjudication by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator considered (along with enlarged cathchment areas) the cross-sibling rule ( See ADA 1295 - 1397 on the OSA website ) and the impact on first time applications. In it the adjudicator noted at para 50:-

"A family living within comfortable walking distance of the school, but not in its immediate vicinity, and for the first time applying for a place for their eldest child, their son, would probably be dismayed to find that in 2008, 84 of the 99 places were allocated to siblings and cross-siblings leaving just 12 for all other applicants after taking into account the places for looked after boys and those with a statement of special educational need that names the school. They would also be able to work out that if there had been 96 siblings and cross-siblings there would have been no non-selective places for other applicants[/size]"

It is clear that in upholding the objection the adjudicator considered the effects of siblings on the prospects of first time applications and using the wording available to her in the 2008 code (and given this was not the normal sibling rule) was able to make changes. During late 2008 Claire Ward raised this in parliament on behalf of families who were upset by the change to see if it could be reversed. A limited consultation was then carried out which resulted in the watering down of some of the wording critising the use of the sibling rule alongside partial selection. I would take the recent reports in the Observer that Claire Ward will take up the latest problem with the county with a big pinch of salt as she strongly supports the status quo.

It remains to be seen where this will go in future. If you are fortunate to have your brighter child first then the system works for you and you will support the idea that schools should be about families. If it is the other way around then the system stinks and the notion that it is important all members of the family go to the same school is a luxury that no one deserves.

Until we remove the very significant difference in performance between the bottom rung and even the middle rung schools then we will continue to have a divisive and overly competitive system.

WD
AlisonR
Posts: 213
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:34 pm
Location: Watford, Herts

Post by AlisonR »

Watdaddy ...

excuse my ignorance but are you saying that with the current rules those of us who have just got allocations for eldest siblings will have to go through the same stress with all of their younger siblings, ie no younger siblings are guaranteed a place at any of Parmiters, the Grammars, Rickmansworth, Clement Danes, Queens or Bushey Meads?

If so, do we know if the extra places freed up will be allocated by distance from school or will there be more selective places?

Alison
Post Reply