will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School ?

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brendan
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:38 pm

will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School ?

Post by brendan »

My daughter has been ranked 294 on the QMHS rankings. I'm not sure whether she would stand a chance in obtaining a place.QMHS have stated the last candidate offered a place in 2011 was 268.

Other people on the forum have spoken about increased PAN's and does anybody know the total number of increased places at each school? This will no doubt have a rippling effect and whould increase the rankings of the last person obtaining an offer.
MSD
Posts: 1731
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:08 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by MSD »

Below are the stats from DIY mum on QMH :

QMH: 112 places are available. Over the last 3 years where 96 places were available:

2010: final allocated position 253
2011: final allocated position 241
2012: final allocated position 268

So basically there are an extra 16 place available this year. In 2012 the last allocated position was 268 for 96 places, that is every 2.8th candidate accepted a place. Therefore, for 112 places this year the last rank would approximately be 112 * 2.8 = 313.

I think you have an excellent chance of gaining a place and I would put it as your 1st choice on the LEA form.

MSD
eileen
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:43 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by eileen »

Hi MSD, Do you have to put down qmh first to be on the waiting list. So my daughter has a ranking of 320 she will most likely go on waiting list :cry: .
MSD
Posts: 1731
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:08 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by MSD »

You should put down the school you want the most first, followed by the rest in preference order, irrespective of whether you are on the waiting list or not.

MSD
brendan
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:38 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by brendan »

MSD wrote:Below are the stats from DIY mum on QMH :

QMH: 112 places are available. Over the last 3 years where 96 places were available:

2010: final allocated position 253
2011: final allocated position 241
2012: final allocated position 268

So basically there are an extra 16 place available this year. In 2012 the last allocated position was 268 for 96 places, that is every 2.8th candidate accepted a place. Therefore, for 112 places this year the last rank would approximately be 112 * 2.8 = 313.

I think you have an excellent chance of gaining a place and I would put it as your 1st choice on the LEA form.

MSD
Thankyou for the encourgagement as I had been quite disheartened. She worked really hard towards the exam and was confident she would pass.
eileen
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:43 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by eileen »

Thanks, could you please tell me how the waiting list works. Especially in our case, really would appreciate your advice.
MSD
Posts: 1731
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:08 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by MSD »

Brendan - Please bear in mind that in 2011 the last allocated position was 241 which is 27 positions below 2012. Even keeping that in mind I think a rank of 294 is pretty promising. All the best and good luck!

Eileen - Unfortunately I don't know much about how the waiting lists work. But experienced posters like Mike, KenR, UmSusu, Um and DIY mum should be able to help.

MSD
eileen
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:43 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by eileen »

Okay thanks!
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by um »

I hate to put a dampner on anyone's hopes but would also hate to give false ones.

In assuming that a certain percentage of children who have attained a higher score will in fact be given a school that is a higher choice, I am afraid it is not quite as simple as the formula that has been suggested.

A very significant percentage of children in the top 100 or top 150 may have also attained the mark for another Grammar - perhaps a KE Grammar closer to their home - but this is less likely to be the case for children lower down in scoring. They are more likely to need and take the QM place in all honesty.

However, your daughter was ranked 294. Last year, the final candidate to be offered a place was 268 (although this was higher in previous years and could possibly be higher again this year). There is a difference of 16 pupils between this score and your daughter's score. However, an extra 16 places have been added this year. You can therefore assume that if everything stays exactly the same, your daughter will manage to obtain a place. However, it doesn't always stay the same, I am afraid, particularly as, due to the recession, more parents seem to be choosing Grammar over Independent and this will increase the number of the 'last rank in', not decrease it.

Your daughter's score is borderline - certainly enough to be worth putting the school as first choice if it is your first choice, but not enough, sadly for you, to know for sure that a place will be forthcoming.

If, on 1 March, your daughter does not have a place at QMH, she will automatically be placed on the waiting list based on her score - unless she received a place at a school which you ranked higher on your form, in which case she obviously won't receive a waiting list place.

For example in ds1's year, I was aware of a girl who had Alderbrook (comprehensive) as first choice and CHG as second choice. Despite (from what I was told) gaining a high enough score for CHG she was offered her first choice, Alderbrook, as this was her catchment school and she had a certain chance of entry. She had no 'right of appeal' as she was offered her first choice school on her form.

This is why it is important to put schools in your genuine order of preference. They do not know which order you have placed them in and it will not effect her chances of places in other schools, such as comprehensives, if QMH was placed first.

You can actually join waiting lists later, but processing this could take around 3 weeks in Birmingham anyway (Walsall may be faster) so you could miss out on precious opportunities to be offered a place in that time. Better to have it as a first or high preference on your form so she automatically joins the waiting list on 1 March - if not offered a place then.

The waiting list usually moves quite a lot around 16 March (not that exact date but around that time) when the final day for accepting school places arrives.
This is when, in the past, I know that parents have received calls offering their children places from the waiting list. However the lists continue to move a little all the way to September, as perhaps children move away, change their mind, receive a higher preference, etc.

If you want a child to remain on the waiting list once the Autumn terms begins, you need to inform your LA and/or school.

One year, on the first day at CHB, a boy didn't arrive, and so when the Head found out that he had relocated without informing the school, he called the first boy on the waiting list. His parents took the call, went to collect the boy from his new school, stopped at the shop to kit him with new uniform, and had him at CHB before the afternoon. While I do hope you don't have to 'sail so close to the wire' - it shows that children do attain places from the waiting list!
MSD
Posts: 1731
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:08 pm

Re: will my daughter get a place at Queen Marys High School

Post by MSD »

Totally agree um. Couldn't have put it better.

MSD
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