Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

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tiffinboys
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by tiffinboys »

http://www.suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk/ ... 015-16.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The following criteria will apply, in the order set out below, to determine the rank order of boys
eligible for offers of places at the School:

1. Boys who are looked after by a local authority. Supporting evidence of the status will be
required.
2. 75 places by rank order of the scores in the selection tests where the home address of the
boy is in one of the postcodes (SM1-7, KT4, KT17, CR0 4--, CR4).
3. 60 places (plus any remaining places in criterion 2 if the number of qualified boys in
criterion 2 is less than the 75 on offer) by rank order of the scores in the selection tests
from any home address
4. Proximity of the boy's home address from the school (where scores are equal).

PAN increased to 135
2nd stage test continue to be after CAF date.


Increase in PAN and introduction of catchment area is great news for local children. And their catchment is so sensible - unlike Tiffins 14 km radius.
SunlampVexesEel
Posts: 1245
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:31 pm

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by SunlampVexesEel »

How many will be applying to Tiffin Boys next year then!

2000 may seem to like a small number come next year!

I imagine SGS has a large number of students who come from far away given Sutton has excellent travel links to London.

Regards
SVE
Animis opibusque parati
tiffinboys
Posts: 8022
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by tiffinboys »

http://www.suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk/ ... cy2015.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This document gives some interesting information.

1. 49% pupil have historically comes from the proposed catchment area.
2. Ratio is expected to increase to 56% (actually it would be much higher as some Sutton candidates will also come from open places).
mumzone
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2011 7:56 pm

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by mumzone »

Well done SGS! About time too. Just wish that this applied to September 2014 as this has come 1 year too late for us. Anxiously awaiting outcome for our DS on March 3rd.
loopylou
Posts: 403
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:08 am

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by loopylou »

Good news for future SGS candidates and good news for Sutton children in general.
When bright boys narrowly miss out on their local grammar school, it is a real shame for them but also adds to the pressure for places at all other desirable schools nearby. This affects everybody whether they were aiming for a grammar school or not.
Parents in some parts of Sutton have a hard time getting a local school let alone a choice of local schools in recent years. The birth rate for children applying after 2014 goes up each year so this is going to help ease the pressure for everyone at a time when it could have been very tricky indeed.


I wonder if there will be transitional arrangements for siblings as with TGS? That is the only sticking point I can see. In fairness though, most parents opting for superselectives could never really bank on all of their children getting into the same school anyway.
tiffinboys
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Location: Surrey

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by tiffinboys »

TGS only allows siblings to sit for the entrance test. Siblings have no priority.

In SGS case too, siblings can take the test and compete for the open places, if not living in the catchment.
panicattack
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Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by panicattack »

Probably time for another perspective? Under the current system, the vast majority of children came from Sutton, Epsom, Merton and Kingston boroughs as you'd expect, a sort of natural catchment if you like and with manageable journeys. I would reckon that perhaps as with Tiffin school maybe around 5-10% would be travelling longer distances (which the new proposed rules won't prevent).

The proposed catchment rules effectively introduces a lower pass mark based on postcode (which will inevitably mean that some will move within catchment to increase chances- fair?). So there will be many children for whom Sutton will be their closest grammar and live say within 5 or 6 miles on an easy route who will find they can't get in now. They may get even 10 marks more in the test and lose out to someone who has a postcode advantage.

So should those in Sutton have such a leg up? Well, grammar schools aren't funded out of council tax and the schools have mainly opted out of local council control by becoming academies. Should Sutton be a special case because of the lack of access to other grammars? Well, if you're in Sutton you have more chance of a grammar place than possibly anywhere else in London with Wallington, Wilson's and Sutton GS close by and Tiffin a possibility. Lucky old Sutton.

A larger catchment like Tiffin proposes might be fairer so everyone who is eligible is treated the same way in the exam.

Important that everyone, whatever they believe, should respond to the consultation - both for and against.
loopylou
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Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:08 am

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by loopylou »

The document says that 15 extra places are being funded "as part of the London Borough of Sutton plan to cope with demographic growth"
This implies Sutton council has a role in the extra provision, although whether they also fund it is not stated.

That aside however, it is true, a boy outside the area could miss out on a place despite a marginally higher mark in the exam. For that individual, this is the downside of the plan (there will of course still be open places available to all).
However, the flip side of that argument is that children from further away have realistic alternative schools to go to whereas children in Sutton increasingly don't. There is a school place crisis looming for Sutton. It has already hit some specific areas of the borough (for example where the Cheam High catchment has shrunk leaving some not quite close enough for that school or for others). If a boy from Sutton misses out on grammar school he may be sent to Croydon or Merton or New Malden or Chessington for a school place. Whereas, boys applying to Sutton Grammar from further afield do so safe in the knowledge that they often have a great local comp as back up or other selective options in their own area.

I suppose what I am saying is that the notion of being lucky to live in Sutton only applies to a very few children who are almost certain of a grammar school place and can take their pick. The new system keeps all their options open so it is very lucky for them.
However, depsite schools being centrally funded as many point out, openess is a totally one-way street. There isn't the option for Sutton residents to take places at desirable comprehensives in most of Surrey or Middlesex in the same way that children from those areas can take places in Sutton via the grammar school system. This causes increasing problems for the majority of Sutton children who are not of selective ability (or are borderline and have a bad day) and whose desirable non-grammar schools are soon to be overwhelmed.
tiffinboys
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Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:00 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by tiffinboys »

I will respond in favour, though I feel that the catchment proposal could fail Greenwich ruling as the proposed catcent is too narrow and borough based.
loopylou
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Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:08 am

Re: Sutton Grammar - introduces catchment

Post by loopylou »

There are still open places though - the school isn't limiting admission to only Sutton residents.
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