Wait list for KEFW

[Queensimster]

To question why people thought PP children would not do well and then express amazement at a PP child scoring 253 seems rather odd

My point was not that it was an amazing score just for a PP but that it was an amazing score anyway whether PP or not! I just think that the general feel is that people did not expect PP to do well and my question is why??? Why are they any less capable than a non PP child??

[hermanmunster]

If PP children normally did as well as non PP children in the exam then why did they feel the need to set up a different allocation system?

[Queensimster]

I read somewhere that it was linked to funding, but not sure how true that is

[moseleymum]

If PP children normally did as well as non PP children in the exam then why did they feel the need to set up a different allocation system?

I think there were always a fair number of PP children who did as well/better than non PP children but this number wasn't sufficient to meet the 20% quota under normal circumstances I.e so that only one cut off score was needed.

In order to get the numbers of PP children they needed they had to implement the new system. I thought there had been rumblings for some time that the very children Grammar schools were set up to help weren't getting in, and with the increased pressure of funding the new policy was inevitable.

[Staffsdad]

If PP children normally did as well as non PP children in the exam then why did they feel the need to set up a different allocation system?

Is this really mostly a finance issue?

There seems to be a 'political' advantage for grammar schools expanding their numbers to justify this by taking PP children. Certainly in some areas other schools seeing this growth are feeling threatened. Grammar schools are often criticised for having a middle class bias.

From the school's point of view, the growth in numbers on role helps increase income at a time when many school budgets are under severe pressure. PP children also attract higher funding per head. All in all it seems that PP students of the right academic ability provide several advantages to grammar schools and are likely to be encouraged to apply.

Just a theory of course.

[KenR]

If PP children normally did as well as non PP children in the exam then why did they feel the need to set up a different allocation system?

For the simple reason that historically many PP parents didn't bother applying to the KE Grammars because they didn't think their child would have a chance of getting a place - same reason that many students from working class families wouldn't consider applying to Oxbridge

[muminbrum]

My kids are at a state primary where the Gs and 11 plus were never mentioned as an option so I only knew about how to apply from other mums who were more savvy (middle class ) than me. At parents evenings there are usually information stands from our two local special measures comps but this year for the first time there was a KEFW stand too.

[nervousmom]

The PP has come in to play for the first time this year.

FW took 150 intake sept 14, but increased to 180 for sept 15, however 36 of those new places are for PP.

This year was a bit of an unknown quantity. I for one did not think all the PP places would be taken. If this was the case, then any unused PP places would have been offered to children on the normal waiting list.

However, from what I have heard there is actually a PP waiting list at FW.

All the PP places in FW were taken and the highest PP score was 253 which is amazing! Not sure why people didn't expect the PP's to do well

It's not that I didn't think they would do well, its more a case of awareness and would they be aware that this was now available.

My children attend a faith school, so the automatic secondary is also a faith school (RC).

However, there has never ever been a mention of 11+ and GS not even a single leaflet, so for the large majority of children their families are not even aware of the process. My DS was a clever lad, but not one single teacher ever mentioned GS to us.

I think the whole reason for PP is to make a fairer system, for less well off families who have clever children, but due to circumstances, are unable to afford the tuition, that a lot of 11+ children have.

Also a lot of 11+ children attend private schools who do work towards the 11+ goal, again unaffordable to a lot of families.

These children now have a chance to attend a GS which previously may have been unobtainable.

[Happy dad]

The PP has come in to play for the first time this year.

FW took 150 intake sept 14, but increased to 180 for sept 15, however 36 of those new places are for PP.

This year was a bit of an unknown quantity. I for one did not think all the PP places would be taken. If this was the case, then any unused PP places would have been offered to children on the normal waiting list.

However, from what I have heard there is actually a PP waiting list at FW.

All the PP places in FW were taken and the highest PP score was 253 which is amazing! Not sure why people didn't expect the PP's to do well

It's not that I didn't think they would do well, its more a case of awareness and would they be aware that this was now available.

My children attend a faith school, so the automatic secondary is also a faith school (RC).

However, there has never ever been a mention of 11+ and GS not even a single leaflet, so for the large majority of children their families are not even aware of the process. My DS was a clever lad, but not one single teacher ever mentioned GS to us.

I think the whole reason for PP is to make a fairer system, for less well off families who have clever children, but due to circumstances, are unable to afford the tuition, that a lot of 11+ children have.

Also a lot of 11+ children attend private schools who do work towards the 11+ goal, again unaffordable to a lot of families.

These children now have a chance to attend a GS which previously may have been unobtainable.

We were in exactly the same boat Nervousmom - it was almost seen as disloyal to even think about not attending the faith secondary for which our primary was a feeder. In DS1 class he was the only one who sat GS and indie exams and ds2 was one of only two.

Your point regarding preparatory schools is also well made although this does seem to vary quite a lot by school. My impression is very few KEFW pupils came that root but Adams' seem to have a fair few who came from the indie sector to a free GS.

[muminbrum]

Funnily enough I was talking about this to ds1, who is at kefw, this morning. He reckons that Bluecoat is the most common feeder school for kefw.