Admission Rules for WGSB and WGSG

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watford87
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:37 pm
Location: Watford

Admission Rules for WGSB and WGSG

Post by watford87 »

The proposed admission rules for WGSB and WGSG for intake in September 2009 have just been posted on the WGSB web site - see link.

http://www.watfordboys.herts.sch.uk/doc ... n_2008.doc

In effect, both schools are looking to continue with the existing arrangements.

There is an opportunity to comment; the deadline is 1st March.[/url]
WP
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Re: Admission Rules for WGSB and WGSG

Post by WP »

watford87 wrote:The proposed admission rules for WGSB and WGSG for intake in September 2009 have just been posted on the WGSB web site - see link.

http://www.watfordboys.herts.sch.uk/doc ... n_2008.doc

In effect, both schools are looking to continue with the existing arrangements.
You don't miss much, w87. Looks like it's a notice for Friday's Watford Observer.

I'd expect them all to stick with their existing arrangements. The new element this year is the possibility of objections to the adjudicator regarding sibling rules, forcing them to decide what those vague words in the Admissions Code mean. Could get interesting around July.

The Wandsworth partial selectives, e.g. Graveney have pursued a different strategy, restricting priority to siblings of children in the school before 2008.
watford87
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:37 pm
Location: Watford

WGSB and WGSG 2009 intake proposed admission rules

Post by watford87 »

Dear WP

The WGSB website is one of my favourites as you have noticed.

Thanks for the Graveney link. They seem to be on safer ground with the proposed restriction to siblings where brother/sister has been at the school since 2008 - see paras 2.22 and 2.23 of Code below. This was a clever concession that Jim Knight offered to parents objecting to the draft Code. However, this means that over time i.e. in 7 years or so there will be in effect no sibling rule at these schools.

As you suggest the issue for WGSB/WGSG is whether in staying with the current sibling rules their admission arrangements "as a whole do not exlcude families living nearer the school" (Para 2.21 - see below).

What might assist their case is the reduction of the selective intake from 35% to 25% as this is likely to increase those children that get in on proximity (rule 5) in addition to the 10% allowed in under Rule 2. However, it might be helpful for these schools to make this more explicit by increasing the Rule 2 from 10% to say 15%. However, as a first stab it is not surprising that these schools are staying with the status quo.

Para 2.21 "The higher the proportion of children admitted by selection at partially selective schools the more likely it is that this will be the case, and the greater the potential for unfairness. Accordingly, the admission authorities for those schools that admit more than 10% of their intake by selection by ability and/or aptitude, if they intend to give priority to siblings, should ensure that their admission arrangements as a whole do not exclude families living nearer the school. This might be achieved by using other oversubscription criteria, for example inner and outer catchment areas, where a number of non-selective places are allocated to families living nearer the school while in the outer catchment area priority is given to siblings.

Para 2.22 "Where an admission authority for a school that selects more than 10% of its intake by ability and/or aptitude gives priority in its admission arrangements to the siblings of children still at the school they may continue to give priority on the same basis to the younger siblings of pupils who will be on roll at the school before the beginning of the 2008 school year."

Para 2.23 "The Adjudicator must not uphold an objection that would have the effect of preventing an admission authority from giving priority to children who will have a sibling on roll at the school before the beginning of the 2008 school year in accordance with paragraph 2.22.
WP
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Re: WGSB and WGSG 2009 intake proposed admission rules

Post by WP »

watford87 wrote:As you suggest the issue for WGSB/WGSG is whether in staying with the current sibling rules their admission arrangements "as a whole do not exclude families living nearer the school"
Here's another bit of data the adjudicator might consider relevant: stats for the 2007 admissions, presented to the county admissions forum last June. According to the table on page 2, over 70% of the children in the county not allocated to any of their preferences are in three parishes. Guess which?
WP
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Re: WGSB and WGSG 2009 intake proposed admission rules

Post by WP »

watford87 wrote:As you suggest the issue for WGSB/WGSG is whether in staying with the current sibling rules their admission arrangements "as a whole do not exclude families living nearer the school" (Para 2.21 - see below).

What might assist their case is the reduction of the selective intake from 35% to 25% as this is likely to increase those children that get in on proximity (rule 5) in addition to the 10% allowed in under Rule 2. However, it might be helpful for these schools to make this more explicit by increasing the Rule 2 from 10% to say 15%. However, as a first stab it is not surprising that these schools are staying with the status quo.
The full arrangements are now on the Girls school website (under Information) - same as last year. I think they would have been wise to alter the balance of selective places between inner and outer catchment areas to compensate for the reduced selection. A ratio of 75:25 would keep the number of selective places for the inner area about the same, which could be important in maintaining local support.
watford87
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:37 pm
Location: Watford

Post by watford87 »

Interesting suggestion albeit one which others may object to depending upon location, location and location.

However, it would assist in addressing the need not to "exclude families living nearer the school".

The proposed admission rules as expected were advertised in the Watford Observer today.
watford87
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:37 pm
Location: Watford

Post by watford87 »

I have just come across this link on wikipedia which gives useful information on the admission rules of all partially-selective schools.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partially_ ... _(England)

Interesting comparison on how siblings are dealt with.
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