Rankings and offers

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:19 pm

Yes I put a grammar school first but did not get required score. Chalfont second (out of catchment) and Beaconsfield Sec. (3rd). We got offered Beaconsfield Sec.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:20 pm

Interesting that Admissions do not seem to know their own rules - i am talking about two years ago.

hugh · Post by **hugh** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 4:28 pm

It was 2 years ago that we went through it as well, and catchment took precedence over distance then too. However, it was the first year that distance was a deciding factor for oversubscription, rather than score - perhaps that's what you're thinking of?

As we lived out of county for most of year 5, there was no knowledgebase from school staff or fellow parents, but we read the Bucks info exhastively and had several lengthy conversations with very helpful people in admisssions. As a result, we moved in catchment before applying, he passed 11+ and got thus got into the school of our choice. Had we stayed over the county line, but barely any further away, he wouldn't have got in.

Dad40 · Post by **Dad40** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:48 pm

In Bucks, one cannot judge probability of winning a place purely on whether one is or is not in catchment or, on the other hand, whether one is or is not "close" to the school.

Put another way, you could find yourself 5 miles away and "in catchment" for School A (and make it your highest preference), yet get a place for your second preference - School B - for which you are 6 miles away and outside catchment.

In short, it is about whether there are enough people who better fulfil the admissions criteria than you and consquently take all the places before you get a look in. Good old supply and demand, I'm afraid. Only the allocation profiles for the last few years really show how supply and demand are balanced for each school.

I'd only add that those schools which are easier to get into are not necessarily worse schools. The shape of the catchment, demographics and the local population's penchant for private schools all play a part.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:03 pm

Very well put Dad40 - you need to live in catchment and close to the school you want to have the best chance of getting your preference.

I also agree that the demographics are a major factor and geographically the north has schools further apart.

Dad40 · Post by **Dad40** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:48 pm

you need to live in catchment and close to the school you want to have the best chance of getting your preference.

Yes........but I can't help feeling reluctant about making such a statement. To the uninitiated - uninitiated into the joys of allocation profiles, that is - the statement appears to reinforce that, in all circumstances, one really has to move into a catchment area and close to a school in order to win a place.

But being in catchment doesn't always bring the desired result. Being close AND in catchment......well, define the word "close" ?

In the end, catchment is a factor, proximity is a factor but the historic allocation profile is a big factor.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:10 pm

Historic allocation assumes demographics stay the same - have you seen this:

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/schools/leade ... n_roll.asp

You can see how much some schools fluctuate - a new Head, a dodgy OFSTED, new housing etc etd all these can 'throw' the historic. Anyway we only have three years since the rules changes and, for me, that is not enough to form a hypothesis!

By close I mean within three miles or so ...

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:15 pm

I agree with Dad40, hence my earlier statement that parents may even consider putting a non-catchment GS as first preference.

It can be a risk,especially if the hiostorical allocation profile suggests that there is no precedent for out-of-catchment allocation. However, if you are in the lucky position to live close to your second choice school, and therefore have a strong likelihood of getting a place there, it can be well worth taking the risk, especially if you are just on the borders of catchment for the first choice school and within the likely allocation distance if catchment places are all filled.

The Bucks cohort is going to remain at it's current low level until 2010 (I picked this statement up from the Bucks CC website this week) and therefore allocation profiles are likely to remain around the current pattern.

Sadly Guest 55, I think you fell foul of the higher cohort two years ago as much as anything. Not much consolation though!

Sally-Anne

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:23 pm

Also depends which school. Little poitn applying to Challoner's if your out of catchment - even some who live in catchment and put it 1st don't get in. But others (e.g. RGS?) its a different story and you can get in out of catchment.

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:57 pm

Yes, funnily enough it was Challoners (Boys) that I had in mind when I wrote that! It is probably the most competitive GS for entrance in Bucks. The Girls school is a different matter.

Sally-Anne