Choices

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medwaymix
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:59 pm

Choices

Post by medwaymix »

Thought I'd report back on the open morning at FP today. First of all we were overwhelmed by the number of visitors there seemed to be and secondly the school and the houses nearby were without power! It was very reassuring that all though there was this problem the school seemed to be quietly getting on with business and there was no distraction to the work that was obviously being done. And we had coffee afterwards with the head! Btw it wasn't just us, (just read that back and it sounded like we were special or something) she joined all the parents to ensure that they didn't have any more questions to ask. That really impressed me and dd.
Still more visits next week before FFDay (Form Filling Day)
:) mm
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Choices

Post by tiredmum »

Yes she has really turned the school round - i always loved the fact she is so visable and really approachable. When dd1 was in yr7 the fortpitt girls from our village were having trouble gettin to school with the public transport options on offer - she spoke to all the parents about it and then went personally into investigating other methods of transport for the girls. Luckly the bus system finally pulled its finger out and provided a reliable service but was very impressed with her hands on approach :)
zink
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:22 pm
Location: Medway

Re: Choices

Post by zink »

Very impressed at the RGS Open Day this morning.
Chatham Grammar was at the top but I think RGS
is now our number one choice.

Ofsted marked the school Outstanding in every category. You can't beat that for a recommendation.

Incidentally, one of the deputy headteachers said they do select on scores. They look at all the children that selected RGS as first choice then rank all the applicants, the cut off point will be the score of the 165th applicant (165 is the number of new Year 7 students for 2011). Ms Shepherd did point out they took someone scoring 514 last year when the pass mark was 521. I guess that would have been via review or appeal.
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Choices

Post by tiredmum »

zink wrote:Incidentally, one of the deputy headteachers said they do select on scores. .

RGS has always gone on scores. As posted elsewhere last year on first allocation the lowest score was 534 (pass mark 521), The year before the cutoff was only 8 points above the pass mark.

They take 165 at first allocation, but are known as trying to then take another 10 to 15 girls on appeal, particularly if the child has passed and put RGS as their first choice. They dont know when you apply if you have put it as first choice but if you appeal they do seem to find out.

If they took a score of 514 last year - 7 marks below the pass mark it was probably a review pass.

two of the 165 are picked on music and the score could be anything as long as a pass :)
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Choices

Post by tiredmum »

zink - just realised that you probably know all the above anyhow :oops: - remember you mentioning you have had one at RGS and one at the maths :shock:
dadofkent
Posts: 515
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:05 pm

Re: Choices

Post by dadofkent »

zink wrote:They look at all the children that selected RGS as first choice then rank all the applicants, the cut off point will be the score of the 165th applicant (165 is the number of new Year 7 students for 2011).
That's not strictly correct. RGS will not know whether the applicant has placed RGS as first choice or sixth choice. RGS will rank by score all those who have passed the test and put RGS on their CAF form. Therefore someone who has placed RGS as third choice and has not been accepted by their first two choices, due perhaps to distance, will be accepted ahead of an applicant with a lower score who has put RGS as their first choice.
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Choices

Post by tiredmum »

dadofkent wrote:That's not strictly correct. RGS will not know whether the applicant has placed RGS as first choice or sixth choice. RGS will rank by score all those who have passed the test and put RGS on their CAF form. Therefore someone who has placed RGS as third choice and has not been accepted by their first two choices, due perhaps to distance, will be accepted ahead of an applicant with a lower score who has put RGS as their first choice.

Yes and it seems that cgsg were also trying to guide the parents into thinking they only take first choice applicants.

One of my dd's friends last year put RGS in second place but ended up there this year - turned away from FP on distance.
zink
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:22 pm
Location: Medway

Re: Choices

Post by zink »

According to one of the deputy headteachers, the computer selects applicants that place RGS as first choice on the CAF and ranks this list first. If this doesn't fill up the 165 places it then moves on to applicants placing RGS as their second choice.

But last year they were oversubscribed by around 20 applicants. I didn't ask if this was due to first choice applicants or first and second choice applicants.

It would be interesting to see the actual process as a flowchart on how places are allocated, for all the Medway Grammars, as an appendix to the Medway Secondary Schools admission guide.
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Re: Choices

Post by mitasol »

Dear zink,
According to one of the deputy headteachers, the computer selects applicants that place RGS as first choice on the CAF and ranks this list first. If this doesn't fill up the 165 places it then moves on to applicants placing RGS as their second choice.
The above process described by the deputy is not permitted under the school admissions code and would be unlawful. - All schools must follow the equal preference system and this process is described in the Medway admissions booklet.

http://www.medway.gov.uk/es/secondary_b ... sion-2.pdf
Page 6
Equal preference scheme and making your preferences
For all schools listed your child will be ranked according to the oversubscription criteria - these are detailed on each individual school information page - and this ranking will not be affected by the preference position it is on your preference form. However, when allocating a place we will offer the school listed highest on your form where a place can be offered. You should therefore list the schools in your preferred order. When making your preferences you will need to look carefully at whether the school has been oversubscribed in the past and what oversubscription criteria you meet, page 8 has details of this. Do not make assumptions about the criteria and refer to the school pages for the details.


Page 8
For each appropriate school listed on your secondary transfer form your child will be ranked (this means put in priority order). If a school is undersubscribed (less applications than places) then all those listing it will be eligible for a place. If a school is oversubscribed (more applications than places) then the oversubscription criteria will be used and places offered to children highest on the list until the admission number is reached.
You should list the schools in your true order of preference. If anyone is in any doubt you can contact the LEA for guidance - ask to speak to a Choice Advisor.
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Choices

Post by tiredmum »

zink wrote:According to one of the deputy headteachers, the computer selects applicants that place RGS as first choice on the CAF and ranks this list first. If this doesn't fill up the 165 places it then moves on to applicants placing RGS as their second choice.

But last year they were oversubscribed by around 20 applicants. I didn't ask if this was due to first choice applicants or first and second choice applicants.
.
This makes me so cross that they are telling applicants this again! If this was so many girls who passed and put RGS first would not have had to appeal at all last year to gain a place. Instead they had to appeal because RGS DO NOT know who put their school first so if an applicaion was turned away from fort pitt because of distance and RGS was the second choice then this child could get a place above another who had put it first place, if their score was higher - this is what did happen last year.

I know on appeal they like to make sure they take those children who ranked RGS first and seem at this point to get the info but certainly not at first allocation.
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