ADMISSION CRITERIA

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Rose petal
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 9:37 am

ADMISSION CRITERIA

Post by Rose petal »

How do the grammar school decide who is going to be admitted? I know that there is a priority circle.

For example, if a school has 90 places, are these allocated to the top 90 scoring children within the priority circle, regardless of their actual standardised scores? Or is there a minimum score that is needed for entry and if 90 within the circle don't reach that score then the children scoring higher but living outside the circle will be offered the places. Would it then be the child with the highest score outside the circle which is offered the place (regardless of where they live) or would it be the child that lived closest to the edge of the circle and also scored over the minimum.


Rose Petal
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

It varies from county to county - in Bucks you just need to reach the qualifying score (VR 121+) then live near enough the school you want.
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by Alex »

Hello,

Schools admit according to their own admission policy and these policies vary widely between schools, so it is essential to read the individual policies for each school you are interested in, which will tell you what the minimum standard for entry is (if there is one) and how places will be allocated in the event that there are more applications than there are places. Some schools admit on score order (with or without priority areas as well); others merely require a candidate to reach the qualifying standard and then allocate maybe to siblings first and then usually on distance from the school as a final criterion.
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

admission criteria

Post by magwich2 »

Which area are you in Rose Petal?
Rose petal
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 9:37 am

Post by Rose petal »

I am looking to apply to Warwickshire (Alcester Grammar) and King Edwards - Camp Hill in Birmingham. I have been told that we are in the "priority circle" for both of these.
KenR
Posts: 1506
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by KenR »

Hi Rose petal

There is no priority circle for King Edward Camp Hill Grammars - Admission criteria is purely based on performance in the KE Foundation 11+ exam. If you score high enough in the exam you get in.

Many children live a very long way away from the KE Grammars.


Worth checking that you really are in the priority circle for the southern area - look at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/Web/corp ... uthern.pdf
Is your child a boy or a girl. If it's a boy please remember that KE Camp Hill Boys is by far the hardest of the KE Foundation Grammars to get into. Take a look at the sticky on the Birmingham forum:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... php?t=7148

If might also want to look at KE 5-Ways.

Where do you live, Warwickshire or Worcs?

Regards
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Admission criteria

Post by magwich2 »

I put a post on the warwickshire section of the forum about the scores for the Stratford grammar schools which might help - sorry, I do not know how to replicate it here because I am so useless with the computer! If you can get your child to Stratford the boys grammar does not have a catchment area but the girls one does( boys school is funded differently and can tell the local authority where to go to some extent!). We alsoput DD2 in for the pates exam in glos. as that one has no catchment area either
Rose petal
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 9:37 am

Post by Rose petal »

Thanks for all your replies.

We live in Worcestershire but only a couple of miles from the Warwickshire border, so am very close to Alcester and Studley.

Now I know why we are in the priority for KE Camp Hill - there isn't one!!!

I have it on the authority of admissions that we are in the priority circle for Alcester Grammar School and Stratford Girls.
teacher
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:17 pm

Post by teacher »

There is no catchment area as such for South Warks. grammar schools but please see the following:
What factors are taken into account when allocating grammar school places?
When allocating places in the first round of offers several factors are taken into consideration:
There is no guarantee of a place being available, but places up to planned admission number will be allocated in the
following order:
1. All children will be given the highest priority for entry to the selective schools in each area provided that:
• the child is living (or evidence is provided by 6 February 2009 that the child will be living by the start of the
autumn term) within the priority circle for the area
and
• the child has been registered by the 18 July 2008, tested and scored within the automatic level set by the
Committee of Reference (a group of headteachers and teachers in the Area)
and
• the parent/carer has named the school on their application form, submitted it on time to the home authority
and an offer for a higher preference has not been made.
2. All children will be given next priority in the first round of offers provided that:
• the child is living (or evidence is provided by 6 February 2009 that the child will be living by the start of the
autumn term) within the priority circle for the area
and
• the child has been registered by the 18 July 2008, tested and their scores considered and listed in the order set
by the Committee of Reference
and
• the parent/carer has named the school on the application form, submitted it on time to the home authority and
an offer for a higher preference has not been made
and
• in the case of King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon and Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar Schools for Girls
no more than 22 boys or 22 girls scoring below the automatic standard have been offered places.
3. Only if there are insufficient children in 1 and 2 to fill the schools will applications from children living outside the
priority circle be considered. Children whose parents registered for tests after the closing date or applied for a
place to their home authority after the closing date will also be considered in this category. The same selective
standards and order will apply. Places will not normally be offered in this category in the first round of offers but
children will be retained on the waiting list.
Parents intending to move house should contact the Admissions Service for information. Evidence of the move will
be required by 6 February 2009 for your child to be treated as an ‘on time’ applicant.
KenR
Posts: 1506
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:12 pm
Location: Birmingham

Post by KenR »

Hi Rose petal

I'm sure you are correct about the Warkwickshire priority circle, I know that part of Worcs near to Study is in that area.

I also live in Worcs in Wythall. One of the issues that you have living in Worcs is the fact that you only have 3 preferences on the Worcs admissions form. In addition, if your local catchment school is any good and you want to guarantee a place in that school, then you have to put that as your 3rd choice. So that means that you only have 2 other choices.

You therefore need to be very careful about what schools to put as your 1st and 2nd choices. It sounds to me as though you should include Stratford Grammar or Alcester Grammar as one of your choices, but it might make sense to include 1 of the KE Grammars (maybe Camp Hill Girls) as the other 1st or 2nd choice.

The rationale being that your daughter (I'm assume it is a girl) will then be taking 2 separate exams but both set by the same exam compiler (Univ of Durham CEM) so there may be similarities. ie 2 chances are better than 1!

Whether you choose Camp Hill Girls or one of the Warwickshire Grammars as your 1st preference is probably a matter of choice.

One thing I would recommend is that you make it clear to Worcs LEA that you would have included other school on potentially disadvantaged (compared to B/Ham which has 6 choices)

Both Lottie and myself have had this problem and have complained to Worcs LEA - but they did nothing about it. The reason I suggest this is that if things go wrong you might still be able to get into other schools via a late application. (Lottie was able to do this last year)

Hope this helps.

Regards

Ken
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