Waiting list for BV
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I'm inclined to agree with fm that the Council DO try to explain the process.
Not only is the booklet clear, the council do attempt to get engage with parents in other ways too. We attended open days at our local comp where the council had sent along Choice Advisors, especially to talk parents through the CAF - in fact to explain ANYTHING that parents were unsure of. There was a big map of the locality, on which were marked the concentric rings indicating distances of last applicants over recent years. They handed out leaflets with contact numbers on too so that if a Q occurred to parents later on, then they had a direct line through to these helpful people.
What surprised me was a parent of my DC's friend, who is a secondary school deputy head (albeit at a school outside of Birmingham), still left that open day convinced that unless he put a certain school at least second on the CAF form, his DC would be penalised in some way for not favouring it highly enough, and would not be offered a place in the event of not getting his first option GS. The Choice Advisors spent an age explaining over & over that the schools simply don't know where they are listed on the form &, anyway, it's the LEA that allocates the places not the school. He left unconvinced & is now, post allocation day, disappointed with the process & the school his Dc has been allocated, as he didn't score highly enough to get his first choice GS but would have got in to Aston (which had been listed as fifth choice).
Not only is the booklet clear, the council do attempt to get engage with parents in other ways too. We attended open days at our local comp where the council had sent along Choice Advisors, especially to talk parents through the CAF - in fact to explain ANYTHING that parents were unsure of. There was a big map of the locality, on which were marked the concentric rings indicating distances of last applicants over recent years. They handed out leaflets with contact numbers on too so that if a Q occurred to parents later on, then they had a direct line through to these helpful people.
What surprised me was a parent of my DC's friend, who is a secondary school deputy head (albeit at a school outside of Birmingham), still left that open day convinced that unless he put a certain school at least second on the CAF form, his DC would be penalised in some way for not favouring it highly enough, and would not be offered a place in the event of not getting his first option GS. The Choice Advisors spent an age explaining over & over that the schools simply don't know where they are listed on the form &, anyway, it's the LEA that allocates the places not the school. He left unconvinced & is now, post allocation day, disappointed with the process & the school his Dc has been allocated, as he didn't score highly enough to get his first choice GS but would have got in to Aston (which had been listed as fifth choice).
ok, i do accept that the info is given to parents, who don't read it. but i do feel really sorry for the children - it isn't their fault.
i don't think it would cost much for schools to assist parents if needed - perhaps at the same time as a parents' evening? and perhaps the choice advisors should be reaching out more - not just being at a few select open days? to be honest, of the numerous open events around the city i attended i did not ever see one.
i don't think it would cost much for schools to assist parents if needed - perhaps at the same time as a parents' evening? and perhaps the choice advisors should be reaching out more - not just being at a few select open days? to be honest, of the numerous open events around the city i attended i did not ever see one.
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stressedaddy
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:49 pm
I think that you are wrong, unless you are speaking from experience, and quoting people you know does not count.For example parents still thinking they need to put their comprehensive first is a common mistake, they then get offered their comprehensive of course but then realise their child could have got into BV so try to get him on the waiting list. I also now know of 2 cases of parents living in central/south Birmingham who placed BV/SCGS as their final choice after their comprehensive, saying it was very far away. Then, once they've been offered their comprehensive, suddenly decide to look at the travelling arrangements, come to the conclusion its not too bad and try to get their son/daughter on the waiting list.
I know of another family who put Camp Hill first, their comprehensive second and Five Ways third, their son got the score for Five Ways but was allocated the comprehensive. Parents thought Five Ways was too far and didn't realise that the green bus passes only a few streets from them. son is now very unhappy and being bullied for being bright at school and can't forgive them - I sympathise with him.
I know another who put only 1 choice down, leaving the other 5 blank, thinking that would ensure they got their only choice - it didn't and her daughter is now at very poorly performing comp that is 2 bus rides away.
Sadly these types of parents don't really research and wouldn't come on this website anyway.
I think the LA needs to encourage parents to research well, incl travel options, and think properly before filling in the form.
If you don't put your catchment school on the list as part of the preferences, than the child can be offered ANY resonable school by the LEA. This is fair as parents have banked on getting into GS or Indie schools, and use up all choices on the list. It is not for the LEA to offer a catchment school if does not appear on the form.
Life is unfair, my second son didn;t get intio KEFW like his older brother, but than we had our catchment school on the form as number 5, and he got in. Unfortunately, that's the way it is and parents shouldn't over expect anything as there are many bright children out there and life isn't going to be fair.I know of another family who put Camp Hill first, their comprehensive second and Five Ways third, their son got the score for Five Ways but was allocated the comprehensive. Parents thought Five Ways was too far and didn't realise that the green bus passes only a few streets from them. son is now very unhappy and being bullied for being bright at school and can't forgive them - I sympathise with him
Making a choice using the 5 options requires CAREFUL planning and thinking. Youu must have a back-up plan, and when things don't accordingly use the backup plan, don't winge, not unless you have been done hard by or there are genuine grounds for an appeal.
Thankyou.
Part of the issue may be late admisions that come in from other neighbouring authorities which B/Ham LEA are obliged to process and where appropriate insert children on the respective waiting lists.
This is a big problem in Worcs and Dudley which only allow 3 choices, one of which needs to be the local catchment school.
So if you want to apply to 3 KE Grammars plus 2 B/Ham Grammars and you only have 2 choices, then you have a problem.
The KE Foundation wrote to Worcs LEA a few years ago and recommended increasing the number of preferences to 6 - but Worcs Admissions forum (who all live in Worcester city) refused.
This is a big problem in Worcs and Dudley which only allow 3 choices, one of which needs to be the local catchment school.
So if you want to apply to 3 KE Grammars plus 2 B/Ham Grammars and you only have 2 choices, then you have a problem.
The KE Foundation wrote to Worcs LEA a few years ago and recommended increasing the number of preferences to 6 - but Worcs Admissions forum (who all live in Worcester city) refused.
Dudley do offer 6 choices now. We were actually told by one local school that we had to put them down as 1st choice if we wanted it even though we'd said our DS was doing the KE test. Their response was if he passed they wouldn't turn him down just because we'd put them higher. Even I could tell that wasn't right !!! The admissions booklet was very easy to understand, I found it all very straightforward and we knew where we wanted our DS to go if he didn't pass so simply put that as our highest non grammar choice. It all worked out well for us as he didn't pass but is highly delighted at the choice he did get !!!
Clearly Worcs refused to increase the choices , because by keeping 'bright' children in their 'own' schools they boost their LA results.
But I really think that 3 choices is far too few. I had really wanted to buy a house in Worcs (right on the edge but just in the boundary - it was a dream home for us) but sadly we decided we couldn't, simply because of the 3 choices only rule. As we ideally want our dcs in a grammar, it wouldn't have given them the chances they needed to get one.
But I really think that 3 choices is far too few. I had really wanted to buy a house in Worcs (right on the edge but just in the boundary - it was a dream home for us) but sadly we decided we couldn't, simply because of the 3 choices only rule. As we ideally want our dcs in a grammar, it wouldn't have given them the chances they needed to get one.
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sutton mom
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:04 am
