Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

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lordloss
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:18 pm

Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by lordloss »

My son did better than expected - not top range, but ranked 113 out of 379 boys in east warks. We didn't really think LSS would be an option and he seems adamant he doesn't want to go there, and is happy with Ashlawn selective if he gets it. He bases this on a quick tour of the school by prefects which he didn't seem impressed with (but he's only 10 and was more impressed with dissections he saw at ashlawn open day!!) Basically a couple of people ie 11 plus savvy have said we must be mad not giving him the opportunity to at least go for LSS. We feel however it would be devious to put it top of the list without him wanting it.

Please help...he's an only child, quite quiet, bookish with an interest in science, not sporty and lacking in confidence in his abilities. Have been told by 11 plus tutor that LSS would suit him - and he would flourish....I'm not sure. :?
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by kenyancowgirl »

He's your son - go with your gut where you think he will be most happy! Most kids take a few weeks to settle in High School; for my son it took till half term but he is not very confident socially. He was offered a full scholarship to a prestigious private school here (South Warks) and everyone said we were mad to turn that down but we knew the size and the aggressive competitive nature of the sport there wouldn't suit him. He's flying now at the GS.
ginx
Posts: 2151
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:47 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by ginx »

I had the same dilemma a year ago - my dd wanted to go to RHS though - but I didn't really want her to.

I have two dc at Ashlawn, one went into the grammar stream (but not through the 11+, through his SATS results). This year there are four grammar classes (in practice), one from 11+ results, one from SATS, and two, I think from MFL results. This is of course good, as there are are about eight classes and four are grammar classes. It is a good school with some excellent teachers and good results, but it is obviously not a gs.

Is Ashlawn your catchment school? If it is, I think (but am not sure, might be worth checking or asking Okanagan), that your ds could start at LSS and if he didn't like it, go to Ashlawn (although of course he could not do that the opposite way and go from Ashlawn to LSS).

I think until your ds starts, you can't really tell. 113 was a good ranking (not top but with a dd who's just started at RHS, ranked 73rd, but not especially "clever"), I was worried she'd cope with the work. She is coping well with the work, but she will never be top of the class, because there are some very clever girls in her class. I told her this before she started as I would rather be top of the class than bottom. If she was at Ashlawn, she would be nearer the top.

Of course, there are girls as well at Ashlawn and some ds prefer to be in a mixed school (especially if they're quieter boys, I believe).

So I tried to put her off going to RHS but she convinced me she wanted to go there and I went with it; she is happy, has new friends (her old friends mostly went to Ashlawn), and is coping well with the work.

Talk to him. If you really think he'd be happier at Ashlawn, I'm sure he'll do well there. He may enjoy a mixed school, and less pressure (I bet there is pressure at LSS, there is at RHS). It is a good school and he would be in the top stream. I let my dd2 follow her choice (although it wasn't Ashlawn) and she is happy.

Find out if you can change from LSS to Ashlawn. I don't know but would follow his gut instincts. Remember also, Ashlawn is a Science College and they always put on very good science displays at open evenings; many ds at LSS are doing science A level so I assume their science facilities and teachers are just as good!

Good luck.
Okanagan
Posts: 1706
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by Okanagan »

One big difference between the two of course is that one is single gender and the other co-ed. Do you/he think that one or other would suit him better?

And there's the big fish/small pond argument too. At LSS he'd not be bottom of their intake, but realistically probably not anywhere near the top whereas at Ashlawn he'd be likely to be up at the top (certainly in terms of the school as a whole).

What do you think of the curriculum/extra curricular options? Would one suit him better? Is maximum number of exams important to you (LSS do a lot) or would you rather slightly less but more time to study each?

Does travel to/from one rather than the other make a difference?

Depending upon where you are in the Eastern area (inner / outer) it might be that even being ranked as high as 113 (joint with others presumably) won't be enough. The first 60 places will go to the inner area (subject to meeting the qualifying score) - this could in theory mean some who are ranked below 120. Then the next 60 places go to those living in the 10 mile circle (including any in the inner area who haven't already got places). If you are in the outer circle, and some places go to inner area people ranked above 120 overall, then you might still not get a place even with a rank under 120. In this case if you don't get an offer from either criteria any late/out of area people will get added to the waiting list in descending score order. Some of these area likely to be high scorers, so they would slot in above you and be offered the next available places.

There is also the possibility that LSS won't set their automatic qualifying score low enough to take all 120 places from within the circle. This happened last year, post expansion, supposedly to maintain the standard on entry they'd had before (in practice the effect was to admit high scorers from out of the area). As a consequence places did go to out of area people even on March 1st, and some ranked below 120 didn't get offers. If they maintain this policy I'd see them perhaps setting the AQS at about 207 (only just below where you are) so your 113 rank may still be borderline.
Silvia
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:27 pm

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by Silvia »

Hi to all parents!!! I thought that with the exam 80 % of the stress is gone but I realize that the real stress starts now. Move or not to move to the inner circle. My son really wants to go to LS but he has a rank of 80 out of 379 and a score of 215. I try mathematically to make some sense out of it but i am not going very far . We live in the priority area 2. Do we have any chances if we decide to wait and see?...or better to make arrangements and move to the area 1 ???Any help will be appreciated ?
:(
Okanagan
Posts: 1706
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by Okanagan »

Places are allocated as 50% (i.e. 60) to the inner area. And then the remaining 50% (another 60) to the 10 mile outer circle (including anyone form the inner area who hasn't already been allocated a place. This is a change from last year when it used to be 50% to the circle (including the inner area), and then the other 50% to the inner area. The effect of the change is that more places will probably go to those in the outer area, and the scores required are likely to fall for the outer area, but rise for the inner area. The scores needed last year were approximately the equivalent using this year's revised scoring of 207 for the inner area, and 216 for the outer area.

So on that basis we'd probably expect 215 in the outer area to be enough.

Extreme scenarios:

60 of the 79 ranked above you live in the inner area. You'd still be 20th or thereabouts to be offered from the outer area

none of the 79 ranked above you live in the inner area. In theory 60 places get offered to these. And then 60 places to the top scorers from the outer area, leaving you beyond the cutoff point. But this isn't going to happen!

What you need is at least 19 of the top 60 in the inner area to be ranked at 80 or below. This is probably a fairly safe bet! And then factor in that not everyone who took the exam will actually end up applying (some may drop out in favour of independents for example). And there's a good chance that, as they did last year, they won't actually set the automatic qualifying score low enough to fill all 120 places, meaning that they probably won't use all 60 places from the inner area anyway. This would mean an automatic qualifying score of around 207, and suggest that anyone in the circle with a score higher than this would probably get a place.
Silvia
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:27 pm

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by Silvia »

That is an excellent probability problem solving. Thanks a lot for making it more simpler for me. I so much would like all this to end and all the stress to go away but at least now it looks better then I was thinking. Thanks a lot and hopefully the worse scenario will never happened. :)
Silvia
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:27 pm

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by Silvia »

Hi Okanagan , One more bit to be added to the table of scores and ranks. 8 children including my son ranked 80 out of 379 of Eastern Area. :D
lordloss
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:18 pm

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by lordloss »

RE Ashlawn Selective or LSS?
Thank you all so much for your honest and invaluable advice (It's taken me days to reply!!) Sorry :wink: We've made our decision now, taken a lot of advice - much soul searching and indecision! Ashlawn selective first choice :)
Janeymorris
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 8:15 pm

Re: Lawrence Sheriff or Ashlawn Selective??

Post by Janeymorris »

Good for you,just thought I would reassure you about your decision, my DS has gone from strength to strength at Ashlawn. Their ethos is very much achievement by positive praise and encorougement. He has moved up 3 levels in English and science really because of the excellent teachers...first time ever he has enjoyed these subjects. He has made loads of friends having known only 1 other, and even though he was one of the cleverest in his primary there are many there who are extremely high achievers. Nearly all put ashlawn first choice. I,m sure he'll be very happy.
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