Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham Gr.

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
ssym
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 1:55 pm

Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham Gr.

Post by ssym »

Hello,

I have a question / confusion regarding admission to Dr Challoner's high school and Chesham Grammar School for kids from Hatch End / Pinner area

If I check the data on Buckinghamshire Council website and on this forum, admission is given to pupil who stay at a farthest distance of 8.14 and 13.61 Miles respectively. But I have met few parents in Hatch end and Pinner area recently whose kids will be going to or already going to these schools from Hatch End / Pinner area.

So wondering how is this possible or is there any other criteria (Score) under which kids from these area can get admission which takes precedence over distance.
ToadMum
Posts: 11945
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by ToadMum »

ssym wrote:Hello,

I have a question / confusion regarding admission to Dr Challoner's high school and Chesham Grammar School for kids from Hatch End / Pinner area

If I check the data on Buckinghamshire Council website and on this forum, admission is given to pupil who stay at a farthest distance of 8.14 and 13.61 Miles respectively. But I have met few parents in Hatch end and Pinner area recently whose kids will be going to or already going to these schools from Hatch End / Pinner area.

So wondering how is this possible or is there any other criteria (Score) under which kids from these area can get admission which takes precedence over distance.

Two things spring to mind - one is that they rented closer to the school to get a place then moved back home, the other that different final distances happened in the year that they got in, but you are looking at the current year?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by Sally-Anne »

If you take a look here (third link in my post) http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 12&t=41421" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you will see that parts of Pinner could just have been within range this year for DCHS on 1st March, and here http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/3110612 ... l-2015.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you will see that the school allocated places up to 8 miles away in the second round.

Both Pinner and Hatch End have been within the allocation range for CGS forever.

Nothing sinister going on, but you shouldn't count on the DCHS situation being repeated in future.

ETA: There is also the possibility that a girl currently in Y7 or higher gained a place through an appeal. Highly unlikely, but possible.
gowest
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by gowest »

Tbh I don't understand either. Here's a map of the catchment area for girls' grammar schools in 2015.

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/2504388 ... t_2015.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The first round of the allocation was 3.748 miles for DCHS. Second round - 8 miles. Pinner isn't in the catchment area (like the map shows) and it's further than 8 miles.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by Sally-Anne »

gowest wrote:The first round of the allocation was 3.748 miles for DCHS. Second round - 8 miles. Pinner isn't in the catchment area (like the map shows) and it's further than 8 miles.
Note that the allocation was "OA", i.e. 8 miles or more out of catchment. All applications from within catchment had already been accommodated.

The second round was in April, and it's more than possible that the distance went further in the next round/rounds. Relatively few people would have bothered to apply to DCHS based on past allocation distances, as they would have had no chance at all of getting in, so it's entirely possible that the next application on the list was some distance further away. A quick Google shows the distance from (the randomly chosen point of) Pinner Wood School to DCHS as being 8.720 miles straight line measurement.
ssym
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 1:55 pm

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by ssym »

Many thanks for such a quick reply

CGS distance from Hatch End Station itself is 15.8 Miles and Dr. Challoners is 12.2 Miles if I check distance on Google Maps

Do you know how do they calculate straight line distance from school office. I could not get it working on Buckinghamshire Council website.
May be straight line distance is less for me compared to driving direction distance.

For current year 2015 1st Mar it was 12.29 and second list (24th Apr) it moved further to 13.612 Was there any further update after second list
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by Sally-Anne »

ssym wrote:Many thanks for such a quick reply

CGS distance from Hatch End Station itself is 15.8 Miles and Dr. Challoners is 12.2 Miles if I check distance on Google Maps

Do you know how do they calculate straight line distance from school office. I could not get it working on Buckinghamshire Council website.
May be straight line distance is less for me compared to driving direction distance.

For current year 2015 1st Mar it was 12.29 and second list (24th Apr) it moved further to 13.612 Was there any further update after second list
Allocations are based on straight line distance, and have been since 2013.

Using this website, which I find to be pretty accurate, the distance for DCHS is 9.514 miles and CGS is 12.079. http://www.freemaptools.com/distance-be ... tcodes.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CGS is therefore well within the second round distance of 13.612 and the DCHS distance is entirely possible as well, as I explained above.

If the admission for DCHS is for this September and a rental property was involved, the parents would be taking a ridiculous risk to move back to Hatch End or Pinner prior to the girl starting school.

Perhaps you can be slightly more specific without identifying anyone? (PM me if you wish.)
gowest
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2014 1:14 pm

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by gowest »

Sally-Anne, thank you for your explanation.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Confusion regarding adm. to Dr Challoner's HS & Chesham

Post by Sally-Anne »

I had completely forgotten this, but DCHS took an additional 30 girls into Y7 for this coming September because of a "demographic bulge".

(Thank you to the person who saved my blushes by sending me a PM! :lol: )
Post Reply