Slough Consortium - Herschel Selection process

Eleven Plus (11+) in Berkshire (Berks)

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Guest101

Slough Consortium - Herschel Selection process

Post by Guest101 »

Hi - I was wondering if anyone with kids at Herschel grammar school could give me some advice about how the preferences on the registration form/CAF are dealt with.
Someone mentioned that the pupils who entered Langley as first choice got offered Langley & those that entered Herschel as first choice got offered a place at Herschel but i'd be interested to know if anyone entered Herschel as second or even third choice & were still offered a place at Herschel.

Thanks
mum
Posts: 145
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:49 am

Post by mum »

Last night at the Herschel open evening the Head teacher as well as other staff clearly pointed out that since these (Langley as well) schools are highly oversubscribed, they only offer places to the ones who put Herschel or Langley or St. Bernard as their first preference. They seemed not to go for any 2nd preference, but dont know if somebody scores higher and put the school as second preference, then after that change their mind and want to go to that school, if they offer a place on merit ground even though its on second preference.....
mum
Guest

Post by Guest »

Our tutor told us that the schools make their offers and then they're checked against the CAF and you'll be offered the first in your preferences that offers you a place.
cordi

Post by cordi »

3. Where the number of pupils gaining 111 or more in the tests exceeds the number of places available, places will be allocated (subject to paragraph 4) according to the following criteria:

(i) school preference as indicated on the 11+ Registration Form and Common Application Form.

(ii) rank order of performance in the admission tests.


From Herschel website
Guest101

Thanks

Post by Guest101 »

Thanks for all the replies
WP

Post by WP »

cordi wrote:3. Where the number of pupils gaining 111 or more in the tests exceeds the number of places available, places will be allocated (subject to paragraph 4) according to the following criteria:

(i) school preference as indicated on the 11+ Registration Form and Common Application Form.

(ii) rank order of performance in the admission tests.

From Herschel website
That's surprising, as first preference rules are expressly forbidden by the new admissions code. The LEA should not be passing preference information to the schools - you may wish to verify that point with the LEA. However, the consortium will know parents' preferences between consortium schools from the supplementary form. (They shouldn't be asking that, since they're not supposed to use it.)

The criteria for Langley and St. Bernard's take no account of preferences. However all three schools refer to consortium admissions procedures, which do seem to be first preference first, though this is not very clear. I would think that any school not following their own published arrangements would be asking for trouble at appeal. It must be very confusing for parents. It's the sort of opacity that the LEA was under a statutory duty to refer to the adjudicators.
Catherine
Posts: 1348
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:47 pm
Location: Berks,Bucks

Post by Catherine »

WP wrote:That's surprising, as first preference rules are expressly forbidden by the new admissions code. The LEA should not be passing preference information to the schools - you may wish to verify that point with the LEA. However, the consortium will know parents' preferences between consortium schools from the supplementary form. (They shouldn't be asking that, since they're not supposed to use it.).
I thought that it should be the case as well, but I have now assumed that the rules didn't apply inside a consortium. I wouldn't mind some clarification about this issue though.
WP

Post by WP »

Catherine wrote:I thought that it should be the case as well, but I have now assumed that the rules didn't apply inside a consortium. I wouldn't mind some clarification about this issue though.
I don't see how section 2.13(b) of the code could be interpreted to allow this:
2.13 In setting oversubscription criteria the admission authorities for all maintained schools must not:
[...]
b) give priority to children according to the order of other schools named as preferences by their parents, including `first preference first' arrangements;
In this case each of the schools is its own admissions authority. The governing body can delegate the work to the consortium, but they remain responsible.

There are two issues here, I think:
  1. The use of preferences described by the arrangements of Herschel and (it seems) the consortium contravenes the code. The LEA have not fulfilled their statutory duty to refer Herschel's non-compliance to the adjudicator, but it may be too late now.
  2. The arrangements published by Langley and St. Bernard's (with no mention of preferences) appear to contradict the consortium arrangements. If those schools don't follow their own arrangements they will have trouble with appeals. The consortium arrangements have no official status.
bet hedger

Post by bet hedger »

We live in South Bucks and our son would like to attend Burnham. Currently his VR scores are borderline at best (we stupidly have not coached or tutored). His head-teacher says she definitely is suited for Grammar School and has suggested going for Herschel as well.

In what order do we put on our form?

Our real preference is Burnham, second is Herschel, third would be out catchment Upper.

However, if Herschel won't even consider my son unless we put it first then it seems we will have to put them first and Burnham second. Is that right? So then what if my son passes both?
bet hedger

Post by bet hedger »

Another question. I have just downloaded the 11+ registration form and it says:

"Please list the Consortium of grammar schools of Herschel Grammar School, Langley Grammar School and St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School in the order that you have put them on your Common Application Form. If you are not in a Slough primary school, you will sit the test at your highest named Consortium grammar school."

Below it is a box that says "List any of the Consortium Grammar Schools from above which you have listed on your Common Application Form in highest named order" and there are 3 unnumbered rows.

If I put my preferred order, ie 1)Burnham, 2)Herschel on my application to Bucks then Herschel will indeed be the highest of the Consortium Grammar Schools on my list. Is that right? Am I also right in thinking that Herschel won't be told my preferences by Bucks?
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