Allocations Day - Bucks

[Tinkers]

While they are both CEM tests they won't be the same, (at least I'd hope not) so I'm not sure that applies.

Still a bit ambiguous I agree.

[southbucks3]

Thanks, Sally-Anne

I am somewhat surprised.

Personally, (being at a state primary) I got the impression that less children qualified than previous years (my sample size of schools is quite small though). Maybe (?) what happened this year was that: A) More private school children took the test and qualified and/or B) More OOC children took the test and qualified and/or C) State school children in county did better than previous years. I guess we'll have to wait a few months to figure this out.

Anyway, lovely to see that all children who qualified got a place.

Less in catchment state school did pass, 4% less, which amounts to over 200 children...which is a shame, hopefully the reviews sorted some of this out.

The amount of in catchment state school children passing the 11+ has fallen by 10% in 4 years...something that surely has to be reviewed properly as the cem just made the situation worse! However as my dh has pointed out the amount of effected people is so minimal on a grand scale of things, that it is unlikely ever to get air time. The grammars will be happy as their intake is getting smarter (or better at passing tests) the general public will be happy as bucks grammars have always been seen as cosseting the stockbroker belt, and the thousand of ooc parents will be happy. So our weak little meow will not be heard I fear. Whilst parents are happy to have their child on hour long two way commutes for a 6 hour day (they all love it apparently) the situation will not change, even with stricter address policies. I think there will be some surprisingly long distance allocations from the most popular schools this year, I may be wrong....I hope I am wrong!

Also I already know two parents that have said their children will sit the bucks test and familiarisation as a mock...and I don't know many people, these are rugby parents!

[jabba7]

Hi Sally Anne

Do you know how many children actually passed the 11+, I'm sure I have seen it on a post somewhere but can't find it. If we know from above that 2113 applied for places it would be good to know how many passed as the difference must be the number who sat the test and qualified but decided not to apply for a Bucks school.

Just curious..........

Thanks

[kittymum]

Thanks, Sally-Anne

I am somewhat surprised.

Personally, (being at a state primary) I got the impression that less children qualified than previous years (my sample size of schools is quite small though). Maybe (?) what happened this year was that: A) More private school children took the test and qualified and/or B) More OOC children took the test and qualified and/or C) State school children in county did better than previous years. I guess we'll have to wait a few months to figure this out.

Anyway, lovely to see that all children who qualified got a place.

Less in catchment state school did pass, 5% less, which amounts to over 200 children...which is a shame, hopefully the reviews sorted some of this out.

The amount of in catchment state school children passing the 11+ has fallen by 10% in 4 years...something that surely has to be reviewed properly as the cem just made the situation worse! However as my dh has pointed out the amount of effected people is so minimal on a grand scale of things, that it is unlikely ever to get air time. The grammars will be happy as their intake is getting smarter (or better at passing tests) the general public will be happy as bucks grammars have always been seen as cosseting the stockbroker belt, and the thousand of ooc parents will be happy. So our weak little meow will not be heard I fear. Whilst parents are happy to have their child on hour long two way commutes for a 6 hour day (they all love it apparently) the situation will not change, even with stricter address policies. I think there will be some surprisingly long distance allocations from the most popular schools this year, I may be wrong....I hope I am wrong!

Also I already know two parents that have said their children will sit the bucks test and familiarisation as a mock...and I don't know many people, these are rugby parents!

Fantastic post SB3. It really saddens me that people consider it acceptable to a) pack up and move house at a moments notice b) think it's ok to send young children on a horrendous commute to go to school.

As I've said many times the Bucks schools should be local schools for local children and when there are so many fantastic, gifted, state educated LOCAL children not getting through qualification and potentially allocation because of these game players it makes me so sad and angry.

I am terrified what Monday will bring (and am off work poorly at the moment which is not helping).

[kittymum]

If we selected to receive results by email does anyone know when they're sent out / available to view online?

[southbucks3]

I must add I do not blame the parents, they are just trying to do the best for their kids, imo, many are misguided by league tables and shiny web pages.

I blame the system that allows it to happen, when in reality all it would take would be a lower fixed pass mark for the test, so that it once again reflected the ability of 25% of normal kids, as ooc simply would not get places, as our kids would have filled the schools. Other areas give priority to locals, with complicated rules on admission, so how do they beat the grenwich convention? Our grammars have no right theoretically to be competing in league tables successfully against highly selective schools, they should theoretically be in the top quarter of schools not the top 50, this just encourages more tourism, the schools do not seem to be fulfilling their local criteria at all?

[southbucks3]

Hi Sally Anne

Do you know how many children actually passed the 11+, I'm sure I have seen it on a post somewhere but can't find it. If we know from above that 2113 applied for places it would be good to know how many passed as the difference must be the number who sat the test and qualified but decided not to apply for a Bucks school.

Just curious..........

Thanks

According to an earlier thread by SA 2420 passed, so yes about 300 parents chose against bucks grammars after their child sat and passed the test, this will rise a little bit as the indie results and testing is on going, and people hang on to their grammar places until the indie place deposits are paid for.

The interesting comparison will be next year, when the berks kids sit the bucks test for a practice run...see whether that figure goes up?

[47guest]

Yes, either by achieving 121 or through a successful Selection Review.

I am told that this year there were 815 Review cases, and 340 (42%) of them were successful. (That compares with 221/859, 26% last year.)

Will there be a break down of these figures ? ie: 114 - 30 heard, 10 successful as there has been in previous years.

[Sally-Anne]

Do you know how many children actually passed the 11+, I'm sure I have seen it on a post somewhere but can't find it. If we know from above that 2113 applied for places it would be good to know how many passed as the difference must be the number who sat the test and qualified but decided not to apply for a Bucks school.

Yes, this is where it really does get interesting.

:: By 1st October, 8103 children had taken the test, and 2421 (29.7%) were qualified with 121 or more.

:: A further 342 children were deemed selective by a Selection Review Panel, bringing the total of qualified children to 2763.

:: From the figures on this thread, 2,113 children expressed a first preference for a Bucks GS.

:: Therefore 650 children who qualified for a Bucks GS did not put a Bucks GS in first place on the CAF.

There have always been children from Berks & Herts who take the 11+ in two areas, but I don't think they have ever amounted to more than around 400 - 450 qualified pupils.

My instinct says that there were around 200 "tourists" among the 2421 who qualified outright.

[jabba7]

Many thanks Sally Anne and Southbucks3. This is very interesting and I guess as SB3 has said not such a large number to bring about a change but still concerning if you live deep in Bucks and have no option really re schools other than grammar or upper.

How much does it cost to sit a paper if you sit from outside Bucks?

If this is how people play the game do any areas sit CEM type papers before Bucks or are we always first?