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Langley and Herschel

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:15 am
by ElevenplusParent
Hi all,

I think I should rename myself as WorriedDad!

My child put Langley and Herschel in the CAF form.

Someone scared me that if we put Langley above Herschel, then Herschel won't offer you a place.

I do not belive in this but this sounds very scary.
The fact that people are talking about separate results for Langley and Herschel results compounds to my fears.

Can someone pelase clarify?

Thanks in advance,

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:15 pm
by chad
Hi.

This should not be the case......as their shouldn't be any 'first preferences' but you can't tell with the consortium....

This is how it should work....

If you reach the qualifying mark for Langley (for the first round of offers then that is the offer you should get. Langley usually offers to 119/120 in the first round.
If you don't get an offer from Langley but have reached the qualifying mark for Herschel's first round (has been around 113.... not sure about last year) then I would expect you to receive an offer from Herschel (which you would accept) and you may have to ask to be kept on the waiting list for Langley.


How it might work......

Go down list of 1st preferences until all filled up....



This is the problem with a consortium.... as they know the order of preference!!!!!

You will be able to judge it more for yourself when you receive the results.

Good luck!


Edited.... sorry just seen that Bewildered had already answered this on the other thread.

langley and herschel

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:48 am
by ElevenplusParent
Chad,

You are giving me more hope!

In this forum somewhere I read that Heads of both of these schools saying, in open days, that they wont offer to pupil's whose first choice( in the consrtium) is not their school.

My problem is if this indeed is the case, all can have ONLY one option between these two schools and our option on CAF is wasted.

Is there an official link that can give us more clarity?

I will try to ring one of these schools today.

Epp.

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 9:46 am
by JaysDarlin
Dear EPP

You can try ringing the schools, but you may not get accurate information.

The deputy head at Herschel went so far as telling me that there is no point in putting more than one grammar school, because each school insists that you put them down as first choice!

This is grossly inaccurate!

I telephone my local council, who told me that this is untrue, and no school will find out your order of preference, or which other preferences you have put down.

The consortium, however, although cant see your
1. order preference,
2. other preferences of schools,

can find out if you put any of the consortium schools down, as the child will be sitting the exam in his 1st preference school, out of that consortium only.

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:33 pm
by chad
I have replied under the other thread...

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 4&start=10

I believe this is one reason why Slough Grammar is no longer in the consortium. Therefore you will receive an offer from Slough regardless of where you put them on the CAF if you reach the qualifying mark.

Re: langley and herschel

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:54 pm
by Bewildered
ElevenplusParent wrote:
My problem is if this indeed is the case, all can have ONLY one option between these two schools and our option on CAF is wasted.
You can call up your LA, and ask to change your CAF preferences. Changing perhaps the lowest Slough Grammar.

I contacted mine last year and they said if I went ahead with this option, I would have to send a letter explaining why, and that if they allowed it, the school I added would be placed as my last choice. LA's work in different ways, but it might be worth a try.

Good Luck

BW

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:34 pm
by Twins mum
Hi there

I was in a similar situation last year where I placed Langley as first choice and Herschel as second followed by Slough. My son was offered Slough in March by LEA even though he had achieved the pass mark for Herschel!!

Not sure if the process has changed but as already mentioned the consortium do know which other schools you have listed on their forms. There is a line of communication somewhere as we never received an offer from Herschel.

Good Luck
twins mum

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:50 pm
by JaysDarlin
Hi Twins Mum

There you go! A real life shocker! I cant believe that happened to you!

It's now quite clear, that each school in the consortium regards the exam taken in their school as "Their own school's 11+".. you pass that 11+, you get in, you don't pass that school's 11+, you don't get in. It is extremely unfair, and reading Chad's post on the other thread, obviously the council know that its unfair, but is not doing anything about it.

Eleven Plus Parent - which LEA do you fall under? In Hounslow, if you amend your preferences on your CAF form, you go in as a late entry, I think, and only get considered once the initial places have been offered - so beware of amending your application.

Your best bet would be to speak your local LEA department.

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:56 pm
by Bewildered
Twins mum wrote: Not sure if the process has changed but as already mentioned the consortium do know which other schools you have listed on their forms.
Hi Twins mum, good to hear from you again, how are the boys getting on??

Just to clarify the consortium school where you gave in the registration form and sat the 11+ would be aware of which other schools have been listed from the consortium only, but not the schools listed on the LA CAF.

Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:03 pm
by WP
Each school has published their own admissions arrangements, and none of them give any mention to preferences. And indeed the Admissions Code makes it illegal for them to do so. (Last year Herschel's did, which perhaps explains what they did to Twins mum.) But they all link to the consortium procedures, which tell a different story:
If the candidate has reached the standardised score of 111 or above, he/she is eligible to be considered for a place at the grammar school in the Consortium, which has been named as the highest preference of the Consortium Grammar Schools on their Common Application Form.
So they are saying that they are using procedures that do not implement their published arrangements. That's something that ought to be brought to the attention of the LEA, in writing. It sounds like an appeal loser too.