Grammar School within year admissions

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punkyfish
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:26 am

Grammar School within year admissions

Post by punkyfish »

Hello there
Any advice appreciated. Can anyone explain to me the admissions process to Grammar School (Urmston, Stretford and Sale) for a child moving into the area to start in his new school in Y9? I've had a look at the websites but there isn't a great deal of information. Do you know for instance, would he need to take a CATS test for Y9, and if so where would I be able to get practice papers from?

He is a bright boy who wants to be a scientist (and to be able to take three sciences at GCSE), but his current school (a comprehensive in special measures) is much more secondary modern in character and serves a high proportion of low and middle range children, and I know that his current levels are lower than expected at any of the grammars.

I know its possible for a child to stay down a year. Would you know how the schools may view this, if we can provide enough evidence that he is high ability/potential and can make the case well enough that his current levels are reflective of his school culture.

The move is for family reasons, and as his step mum, I want to do what I can to help.

With many thanks
Punkyfish
TIDDLYMUM
Posts: 881
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:19 pm

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by TIDDLYMUM »

Hi Punky

From a previous situation I was aware of, none of the grammars with the exception of Loreto ( girls so no good to you) will let you attend as an older entrant out of year. You can check with Trafford - but I think the reasoning is that it pulls down their GCSE results because of the age thing.

But if they have spaces you could apply for the correct year and see how it goes. My son is in Y9 and they have had a couple of leavers and newbies.
punkyfish
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:26 am

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by punkyfish »

Hi Tiddlymum
Thanks. I think i'll give Trafford authority a call and see what I can find out.
Thanks again
Punkyfish
TraffordMum
Posts: 593
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 pm
Location: Trafford

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by TraffordMum »

As far as I am aware, all the schools run their own in year admissions, so you will have to contact the schools you are interested in directly. Trafford only coordinate the Y7 admissions.

As today is the day when Y6 parents find out what schools their children have allotted you will find it very hard to get through to Trafford Admissions, and I suspect the schools themselves will also be very busy. Leaving it a day or two might be worthwhile!

I do not know what the policies are for the schools you have mentioned, but usually the schools set papers in English, Maths and an MFL. They are usually the same papers that a child at the school would take as their yearly exams and they often have a passmark which correlates to the top 2/3 of the cohort. This is an example - I am not saying that UGS etc will be exactly the same.

Tiddlymum is right that schools generally are not keen to accept kids in a year below their actual cohort. This is because the government calculates league tables based on the results a child has in the year they turn 16. A child in the year below their age group won't have any GCSE results by then (or only the odd one) and that would impact the school's results and would not be able to be explained anywhere. For schools that rely on their academic results to sell themselves, this is not something they are keen on.
punkyfish
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:26 am

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by punkyfish »

Thanks Trafford Mum. I'll follow that advice and give them a call next week. I know i'm being quite specific in asking this, but wondered whether you might know? If the child was on school action for Autism/Asperger's (special needs but not statemented) would that be likely to make any difference to how he might be considered? I may be wrong (but poking about online), I think Stretford Grammar may have an inclusion unit for children with special needs, and it seems they have quite a few children with Asperger's who may or may not be statemented?
Many thanks again
Punkyfish
TraffordMum
Posts: 593
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 pm
Location: Trafford

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by TraffordMum »

I don't know the answer to that specific question but you may well be able to get some extra time for any assessments and maybe some modifications to how the tests are managed. However, that would be a specific question for the school. Sorry I am no help here.
TIDDLYMUM
Posts: 881
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:19 pm

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by TIDDLYMUM »

Hi

Child would need to pass exam but I think the special need would bump them up priority or carry weight at an appeal.

I think the statementing goes a long way though. But with the issues mentioned, I don't think that statementing woudl always follow would it, as many Asp/autistic kids don't have educational issues in fact the complete opposite as they can be mega intelligent and therefore many of them wouldn't be statemented? I'm no expert though...

Certainly worth looking into - and bless you for being such a caring stepmum- he's a lucky boy.
punkyfish
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:26 am

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by punkyfish »

Thanks to Tiddlymum and Traffordmum,
I managed to speak to someone in two of the schools yesterday and the procedure would be to take the CATS tests, and then to go on the waiting list if successfully, and with the chance to appeal, if not. So much like the eleven plus.
we have him taking his first ever non-verbal reasoning test, as I write this reply, using the Bond series assessment papers 11+/12+......I've had a good look around online, and it seems that there is no 13+ equivalent of the 11+ GL assessment papers and that only schools can assess these. Would you know if that is correct?
I'm aware about the bond series, but non-verbal and verbal only go up to 11+/12+, so I am guessing these questions would be a little bit too easy? I'm wondering where I can get hold of the right kind of practice papers for a nearly thirteen year old?
Many thanks again
Punkyfish
agsbmad
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:56 am

Re: Grammar School within year admissions

Post by agsbmad »

Try googling private schools that hold 13+ exarms. I think City of London school got several practice papers available to download. They are not the same but will give you a rough idea about his strengths and weaknesses . Good luck !
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