Birmingham 2021 Marks & Preference of school.

[Tamilmaaran]

It is now the count down for the results and every one will be nervously waiting for the marks to arrive.
Here is the thread to share the marks scored and your preference of schools and why. This will help others to analyse and make a plan to apply to the right schools without wasting the choice of preferences.

[hermanmunster]

Welcome to the forum!

When it comes to the Birmingham results there is a bit less choice than there used to be - much depends on catchment area and how far each school went down the admission criteria, it is worth checking these carefully (below) and also the allocation for each school as of last March which are on this link https://www.birminghamgrammarschools.or ... and-offers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Qualifying 205
Priority 224 (not applicable to Sutton / BV)

It is important to note that in some cases the ranking is by score and in other cases by distance.

The places are allocated in the following order::

1. Looked After Children / Previously Looked After Children who
achieve the qualifying score. Applicants in this category will be
ranked by test score and then by distance from the school.

these children must achieve 205 and will be offered on distance - there are very few children in this category

2. Children attracting the Pupil Premium who achieve the qualifying
score and live within the school catchment area*. Applicants in this
category will be ranked by distance from the school.

These children
>must achieve 205
>live within catchment
>be ranked by distance from the school


3. If fewer than 25% of the PAN places are filled by applicants in
category 2, offers will be made to children attracting the Pupil
Premium who achieve the qualifying score and live outside the
catchment area, until a total of 25% PAN children attracting the Pupil
Premium have been offered. If 25% or more places are filled by
applicants in category 2, there will be no offers made from this
category. Applicants in this category will be ranked by test score.
Where scores are equal, priority will be given to those with a sibling**
at the school; then by distance from the school.

these children must score 205 or more and will be offered places if the 25% has not been met - they will be ranked by score

4. Applicants who achieve the priority score and live within the school
catchment area*. Applicants in this category will be given priority if
they have an older sibling** at the school; then ranked by distance
from the school.
This is the main category for non PP pupils who must reach 224 and live in catchment. They will have priority if they have a sibling at the school and if not will be ranked by distance

5. Applicants achieving the qualifying score. Applicants in this category
will be ranked by test score. Where scores are equal, priority will be
given to those with a sibling** at the school; then ranked by distance
from the school.

If there are any places remaining after 1-4 then pupils who achieve above 205 will be ranked by score, if they have equal scores then having a sibling followed by distance will come into play.

This is a category where there could be out of catchment pupils with high scores and in catchment pupils with scores just under the priority score

[Karpuz]

Thank you, this will be a very useful thread.

We are waiting patiently for our sons results! I’m of the opinion that my son choosing to sit the exam was in its self a commendable achievement! You must be all so proud of your children’s accomplishments so far! I wish you all sincere good luck and hope your children receive the required marks x

[JustOutside]

Tamilmaaran, thank you for starting this thread. I’ve been lurking on this forum for about three years, and now it’s finally my DD’s turn, it’s a bit quiet...

I agree with Karpuz that the main achievement has already happened: our children have taken their 11 plus exams. Well done to them all!

Of course, Hermanmunster is absolutely right that the options are more complicated and restrictive than before, since the introduction of catchment areas for the KE grammars.

For DD, it’s reasonably simple: there are three grammars within reasonable commute (SC Girls, Handsworth Girls, and QMHS), as well as two decent comprehensives as backups. We can put up to six choices on the preference form, so if DD achieves the qualifying score in both tests (Birmingham and Walsall), the only decision is the order in which to put the three grammars. We are out of catchment for the Birmingham grammars (Sandwell) but have convenient travel options for all of our choices.

Of those three grammars, only Handsworth Girls has a catchment area, but as it has offered places to girls outside catchment at a lower score than the priority score in the past couple of years, it seems a viable option.

At present, DD’s preferred option is SC Girls, but it’s very difficult to choose schools without being able to visit!

[SVK]

It is very quiet indeed. Thanks to the new catchment rules, things are much simpler than before. No more score inflation year by year and parents/candidates having to aim for impossibly high score to get in.

Grammar school feel more local, children are happier not having to travel across town because the one grammar school near where they live is filled up with students from across the town.

School outside Birmingham catchment can now thrive as the better students stay in the local schools.

Only bad news is, business might be bad for the Green Bus operator. But look on the bright side, they can finally live up to their name and be green and carbon zero when they finally cease operating.

[SH031]

It is very quiet indeed. Thanks to the new catchment rules, things are much simpler than before. No more score inflation year by year and parents/candidates having to aim for impossibly high score to get in.

Grammar school feel more local, children are happier not having to travel across town because the one grammar school near where they live is filled up with students from across the town.

School outside Birmingham catchment can now thrive as the better students stay in the local schools.

Only bad news is, business might be bad for the Green Bus operator. But look on the bright side, they can finally live up to their name and be green and carbon zero when they finally cease operating.

It's still a pretty big catchment area! reading your message I had images of children from the surrounding two streets walking to their local grammar school. My catchment for my daughter was handsworth girls and Aston for my son, both as hard to get to as QMHS and Bishop Vesey that they go to.

[SVK]

It is very quiet indeed. Thanks to the new catchment rules, things are much simpler than before. No more score inflation year by year and parents/candidates having to aim for impossibly high score to get in.

Grammar school feel more local, children are happier not having to travel across town because the one grammar school near where they live is filled up with students from across the town.

School outside Birmingham catchment can now thrive as the better students stay in the local schools.

Only bad news is, business might be bad for the Green Bus operator. But look on the bright side, they can finally live up to their name and be green and carbon zero when they finally cease operating.

It's still a pretty big catchment area! reading your message I had images of children from the surrounding two streets walking to their local grammar school. My catchment for my daughter was handsworth girls and Aston for my son, both as hard to get to as QMHS and Bishop Vesey that they go to.

Is that because they live in the catchment area but missed the qualifying score or simply because of preference?

[SH031]

Is that because they live in the catchment area but missed the qualifying score or simply because of preference?

For my Daughter she missed the qualifying score, my son was preference.

[JustOutside]

SVK, serious question about the Green Bus. Have you heard anything about financial difficulties, numbers dropping, longer term viability?

We would be relying on the Green Bus for DD if she went to Handsworth Girls - our bus would be the 841 (Kingstanding | Barr Beacon | Walsall | Great Barr | Hamstead | KE Handsworth | KE Aston). I naively assumed that there'd still be sufficient demand, seeing as the Handsworth and Aston KE schools haven't been filling up with catchment kids.

[SVK]

I don't know about their financial status but I do hear more complaints on their service quality nowadays. And I could see more traffic outside the school as more parents living nearby are dropping off their kids themselves.

I think your route is quite short, so should be safe.

I don't think they would want to continue the routes to Bromsgrove and Solihull in a few years time.