catchment areas

[schoolgra]

Dear Parents

I am new this forum but been reading a few threads, I have a question around catchment areas and places available for out of catchment area which I am sure some of you might think, oh god not again.

We currently live in Walsall which has no boys grammar schools and Birmingham has 5. My son is preparing for 2022, so we have a decision to make as to move to Birmingham before his year5 starts and get within a catchment area or stay in Walsall until results and then move based on the score but then we will out of catchment area.

-how many places are available for out of catchment area for Bham schools. Is it really hard to get a place if someone is out of catchment area.
-If we decide to move then what is the latest date we should move by?
-I'll take anything over qualifying score then school look at the distance from home?

Thank you

[Redshoes]

Queen Marys Grammar School is a boys grammar school in Walsall. They have a co Ed sixth form.

[nervousmom]

There are no places set aside for out of catchment. These will only be offered if all places within catchment with relevant score have been offered and any remain. I believe for 2020 there may have been a small amount, but this would be based on score and distance from school, meaning a very good high score would also be required. You do have an option in Walsall so that would be your best bet, unless you decided to move. Bishop veseys in Sutton Coldfield is a boys grammar which doesn’t fall under the Birmingham catchment, but I’m not sure of the geography of this! The 11+ test registration for 2022 entry should open in May sometime for a short time, at this point it doesn’t matter where you live. However by the end of October you will need to submit your secondary school application and this is where the address becomes important. So if you were to move, ideally before this date would be advisable.

[ToadMum]

There are no places set aside for out of catchment. These will only be offered if all places within catchment with relevant score have been offered and any remain. I believe for 2020 there may have been a small amount, but this would be based on score and distance from school, meaning a very good high score would also be required. You do have an option in Walsall so that would be your best bet, unless you decided to move. Bishop veseys in Sutton Coldfield is a boys grammar which doesn’t fall under the Birmingham catchment, but I’m not sure of the geography of this! The 11+ test registration for 2022 entry should open in May sometime for a short time, at this point it doesn’t matter where you live. However by the end of October you will need to submit your secondary school application and this is where the address becomes important. So if you were to move, ideally before this date would be advisable.

But there is still a boys' state grammar school in the town in which the OP lives and the school may give some priority to DC attending Walsall state primary schools, but it doesn't have a (residential) catchment, even if the OP didn't live in the same town as the school? He would still have to do well enough in the KE exam for his catchment Birmingham grammar school if he moved to Birmingham, as he would for QMGS if he stayed put.

https://qmgs.walsall.sch.uk/year-7-admissions-2021/

Or have I completely missed something?

[nervousmom]

I don't actually know anything about how the Walsall/Wolverhampton schools work, we've never sat any of their exams or even considered the schools.

All I do know is the Birmingham grammar schools are very difficult to get into now if you're out of catchment.

For 2020 entry there was a sibling criteria on the OOC, not sure if that will still apply for 2022.

My DS1 went to FW and DD1 is still there. We are not in catchment and therefore have not even applied for DS2 as we felt there would have been too much pressure with having to gain an extremely high score.

We have instead this time, gone for a warwickshire school.

[schoolgra]

Queen Marys Grammar School is a boys grammar school in Walsall. They have a co Ed sixth form.

Thanks, I feel disappointed with myself that I did not check this.

[schoolgra]

There are no places set aside for out of catchment. These will only be offered if all places within catchment with relevant score have been offered and any remain. I believe for 2020 there may have been a small amount, but this would be based on score and distance from school, meaning a very good high score would also be required. You do have an option in Walsall so that would be your best bet, unless you decided to move. Bishop veseys in Sutton Coldfield is a boys grammar which doesn’t fall under the Birmingham catchment, but I’m not sure of the geography of this! The 11+ test registration for 2022 entry should open in May sometime for a short time, at this point it doesn’t matter where you live. However by the end of October you will need to submit your secondary school application and this is where the address becomes important. So if you were to move, ideally before this date would be advisable.

Very useful info for me. Thank you.

[nervousmom]

Also, the exam for the wolverhampton/Walsall exam is different from the Birmingham exam. I believe therefore you will have e to register separately for both exams and your DS will sit 2 different exams.

I believe this is still,nthe case, there was talk that the Walsall exam would,d be amalgamated with the ham one, but I co t think this has been done yet,

However, I would you suggest you look at the admissions criteria for the schools you are interested in and these should give all the information you require regarding registration etc

[ToadMum]

I linked to the current QMGS admissions policy above. The policy for 2022 entry should be available next month.

[quasimodo]

There are no places set aside for out of catchment. These will only be offered if all places within catchment with relevant score have been offered and any remain. I believe for 2020 there may have been a small amount, but this would be based on score and distance from school, meaning a very good high score would also be required. You do have an option in Walsall so that would be your best bet, unless you decided to move. Bishop veseys in Sutton Coldfield is a boys grammar which doesn’t fall under the Birmingham catchment, but I’m not sure of the geography of this! The 11+ test registration for 2022 entry should open in May sometime for a short time, at this point it doesn’t matter where you live. However by the end of October you will need to submit your secondary school application and this is where the address becomes important. So if you were to move, ideally before this date would be advisable.

Very useful info for me. Thank you.

In addition to what’s been said I don’t know where you live in Walsall or your financial circumstances .A number of children travel by school bus to the private KIng Edwards
school in Edgbaston Birmingham.Some children at the school do not have to pay any fees or pay partial fees. Admission will depend on your sons academic ability and your financial circumstances.These financial circumstances could change each year.

This is something you may not want to consider due to the finances involved but I raise it as a possibility.

Boys and girls do travel from Walsall to the two grammar schools in Sutton Coldfield.In your position I would allow your son to sit for both exams.The two exams place emphasis on different parts of verbal reasoning non verbal reasoning maths and English so your son could perform differently in each exam which may be the difference between gaining a place and not gaining a place.

Both Queen Mary Boys and Bishops Vesey have a number of places for boys from pupil premium families.