12+ and transfer to grammar school.

Consult our experts on 11 Plus appeals or any other type of school appeal

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
UnsureMum
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 11:54 pm

12+ and transfer to grammar school.

Post by UnsureMum »

My DD didn't pass this year's 11+, we also appealed due to extenuating circumstances but lost.

Recently the headteacher at our preferred school wrote to invite DD to sit the 12+ in September (4 days before the children return to school). She said we'd get the results that day & if successful we'd then fill in a transfer form and the local authority would deal with the transfer from there.

Today I contacted my local authority to ask how long a transfer would usually take. They've said that they won't consider any transfers until after the October half term. This would mean that DD would have to attend her current allocated school until at least November despite potentially knowing that she'd be moving school before even starting! The preferred school has places available and the headteacher has planned the 12+ test deliberately early in the term to get the ball rolling asap for the children.

I get the impression that there is some animosity between the head and the local authority about the timing of the test.

The authority have said that their reason for the delay is to allow children to settle in to their new school before deciding to transfer however in this case we've already expressed interest, appealed for this school and DD will have already sat the entrance test! They also said that delay is due to the workload that they'd have in the September with those wanting to move schools.

Does anyone have any advice or experience in anything similar?

Thanks in advance.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: 12+ and transfer to grammar school.

Post by Guest55 »

It must be one of the schools that does not use the LA system which is here:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/education/sch ... dure-2016/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As you say 'she' I'm guessing that this is WHS - How do they know they have a place for her?
UnsureMum
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 11:54 pm

Re: 12+ and transfer to grammar school.

Post by UnsureMum »

Guest55 wrote:It must be one of the schools that does not use the LA system which is here:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/education/sch ... dure-2016/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As you say 'she' I'm guessing that this is WHS - How do they know they have a place for her?
Thanks for the reply.

It's Wirral Grammar for Girls.

This year they had 28 places available after allocation. There were 60 appeals, I don't know how many appeals were successful but the letter from the head says that there are still places available.

I don't know that she would definitely be succesful and gain a place however her primary school are confident in her ability, she would receive tutoring between now and then (she didn't have any before) and there were extenuating circumstances around the time of the 11+ (the panel may not have accepted these despite their relevance).
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: 12+ and transfer to grammar school.

Post by Guest55 »

Sorry I thought this was Bucks ... ignore my post.
wonderwoman
Posts: 511
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:07 pm

Re: 12+ and transfer to grammar school.

Post by wonderwoman »

I don't know much about in-year transfers, so may be completely wrong, but I thought if there was a place and you applied for a transfer it could be almost immediate. I know of 2 friends whose children started at one school and transfered to the grammar within 2 weeks.
ToadMum
Posts: 11945
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: 12+ and transfer to grammar school.

Post by ToadMum »

wonderwoman wrote:I don't know much about in-year transfers, so may be completely wrong, but I thought if there was a place and you applied for a transfer it could be almost immediate. I know of 2 friends whose children started at one school and transfered to the grammar within 2 weeks.
Three years ago, DD sat a test for in-year transfer (year 7) at the end of June, we were offered a place on Tuesday July 9th and she started at her new school on Monday 15th.

The school normally fills its places and at the time didn't invite girls (anyone on the CI list, including those who had failed the 11+, like DD) to test until late in the first term at the earliest if a girl left. However, the year before DD's started with places vacant and girls were tested quite early in the year as there was no waiting list (or possibly no girls whose names had been left on the waiting list who actually wanted to move schools by then). No school wants to have holes in its funding, of course, which is probably why Wirral is doing what it is doing. I guess it depends how much a girl wants to go there - UnsureMum, if your DD had passed originally and was currently on the waiting list, would you take a place if it came up at that point in the summer holidays? If, on reflection, you probably wouldn't, then the added stress and uncertainty of sitting another exam may not be worth it. But if you would, then this is the only way of potentially putting yourselves in that position.

One thing that I did, when accepting the invitation for our DD to sit the in-year test, was to ask how many places were on offer (3) and how many girls had been invited to test (25), which gave us an idea of the level of competition. Fortunately we had just had parents' evening, so we knew that she was working at a level which showed that she had a reasonable chance of at least meeting the required standard.

Good luck with your decision-making :) .
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now