Royal Grammar and Dr Challoners Boys Allocations

janeyjack · Post by **janeyjack** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:54 pm

Is that right, Sally-Anne? It's just that I keep hearing of boys in Gerrards Cross and other areas of Bucks who passed the 11+ but still have not had an offer of a GS place.
Hopefully you are right and I am wrong

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:49 pm

This is the usual spin that parents will put on the situation! They go around telling everyone that their child "hasn't got a place and what a disgrace it all is", etc, etc. What they are actually hiding is that they have been offered a place, but it just isn't their first preference school. (Another one for "Myths & Legends", maybe?)

These are the relevant quotes from the last meeting (in May) of the Bucks CC Admission Forum - the bold type is mine:

Dr Challonerâ€™s Grammar School â€“ after further allocation rounds 6 catchment boys remained on the schoolâ€™s waiting list, all of whom had been offered alternate catchment or preference places. Transfer appeals were currently being heard.

The Royal Grammar School â€“ after further allocation rounds 36 catchment boys remained on the schoolâ€™s waiting list, all of whom had been offered alternate catchment or preference places. Transfer appeals were due to be heard in June.

Members noted that as of National Offer Day 2009, 24 catchment boys were on the unallocated list for both Dr Challonerâ€™s Grammar School and The Royal Grammar School.

Added to that, I know that the Head at Chesham High said in March that he was expecting Year 7 to be "almost full", i.e. to have some vacancies in September. I am guessing that Burnham is not full either.

If there genuinely were children living in-county who had not been given a GS place at all despite passing the 11+ there would be absolute uproar, and you would have heard about it long before now on the front pages of the Bucks newspapers.

S-A

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:28 pm

Just to add some numbers to prove the point (as I am prone to doing from time to time!

):

As at 27th February, 364 places had already been allocated to out-of-county children. Bucks CC cannot allocate places to OoC applicants until all Bucks resident children who applied on time and qualified in the 11+ have been accommodated at a GS.

The problem remains one of preference, not places.

S-A

beacmum · Post by **beacmum** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 3:31 pm

Sally-Anne you are absolutely correct there is NO shortage of places. Just some very popular choices and oversubscription for these popular schools. Of course there is a place for every child just not in catchment or in first choice that's all.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:36 pm

Also being pedantic here - the transfer appeals are heard by an independent panel - nothing to do with the LA or the school (who obviously 'oppose' extra pupils).

guest666 · Post by **guest666** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:28 pm

Burnham has a far higher number of acceptances than in recent years and is unlikely to have any spare places this September.

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:52 pm

Thank you for posting that Guest666. Burnham can be tricky to judge, because it can look very full in early March, but by the time the Berks schools and Bucks transfer appeals have all shaken down, it is left half empty.