What schools

Marylou · Post by **Marylou** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:52 pm

Jazz wrote:There was an eleventh-hour 12+ admission to RLS this September - a girl who was due to go to AHS but was given a place at RLS in the end.

(Just a piece of random info).

Successful appeal?

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:07 pm

Yes there were some successful 12+ appeals for RLS -

Jazz · Post by **Jazz** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:01 pm

In the specific case I mentioned, I don't think it was an appeal.

She was going to AHS, but apparently was contacted the day (?) before term started about a place at RLS. I assume she had put RLS as her first choice, been offered AHS, and a last-minute space became available at RLS. She certainly left her previous school at the end of Y7 with every expectation of going to AHS.

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:24 pm

RLS final allocation profile was Out of Area up to 8.218 miles from school gates.

Does that explain it Jazz? If not, it's conspiracy theory time folks!

dyslexichelpneeded · Post by **dyslexichelpneeded** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 2:15 pm

Guest55 wrote:Mel X,
I believe that Becky High are considering a shortened KS3 - is this right for your daughter? What are her interests? Which one has the clubs to match this?

Beaconsfield High School are doing a shortened KS3, and in addition the girls will be taking a selection of GCSEs in Year 10. The avowed aim is to put more flexibility into the system, allowing girls to pick up or return to subjects in Year 11 that they otherwise wouldn't have the time for, and to allow more time for enrichment activities. In the case of modern languages, it also adds in a 'transition' year, so that girls can better make the leap from GCSE to A level. Since the current Year 8 is the first year that will experience this in full, know one can yet know how successful it will be.

Anther question to ask yourself is : What GCSEs are compulsory in the school? BHS has one compulsory Tech (Food or Textiles or Resistant Materials) and compulsory short course ICT in addtion to the traditional English, Maths, Science and Foreign Language.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:38 pm

I do worry that 'dropping' something inY11 for a year will make picking it up again in Y12 very hard.

Old Armachian · Post by **Old Armachian** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:32 pm

Royal Grammar is a very interesting example of how things can change between March and September. On 3rd March, the position was:

- In-Area Siblings + In Area children to 10.645 miles from schoool gates.

By 29th August the position was:

- All catchment children offered, Out-Area Siblings and Out-Area children to 18.537 miles.

That is a huge change, and some people will have needed nerves of steel to spend up to 6 months on the waiting list.

I would caution against false expectation based on this particular circumstance. In 2007 entry allocation profile was Out-Area to 4.9 miles. As we live about 4.9 miles Out-Area DS placed RGS as #1 choice. Obviously he was not allocated on the 3 March notification but was 3rd on wait list. By mid April he had been accepted as the last pupil, bringing the School to PAN (182). At a parents' evening in July the Head advised that "that day" 2 of the new entrants had been "posted overseas" and he would be looking to fill the vacancies they had left. By that stage I imagine most parents would have been settled on their allocated school and would not have welcomed a late change therefore perhaps no surprise the unusual distance the school had to go to fill those unexpected vacancies.

OA

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:48 pm

Hi OA

Old Armachian wrote: At a parents' evening in July the Head advised that "that day" 2 of the new entrants had been "posted overseas" and he would be looking to fill the vacancies they had left. By that stage I imagine most parents would have been settled on their allocated school and would not have welcomed a late change therefore perhaps no surprise the unusual distance the school had to go to fill those unexpected vacancies.

Thank you for posting that information.

I should also mention though that it is not the first time in recent years that RGS has been scrabbling around at the last minute to fill vacant places. You might be surprised at how often this sort of thing happens, right up until the day the children start school.

I have even heard of children simply not turning up for their first day at school, because the parents have moved or made other schooling arrangements and simply not told anyone!

Sally-Anne

andyb · Post by **andyb** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:59 pm

Sally-Anne wrote: I have even heard of children simply not turning up for their first day at school, because the parents have moved or made other schooling arrangements and simply not told anyone!

Sally-Anne

I was speaking to the admissions coordinator for a school that we are looking as for DS and she said they had 4 "no shows" this September

. Imagine getting the call that there was a space at your preferred school after you have gone through the induction day, bought all the uniform, got used to the idea that you were going to you second (third/fourth) choice school and the first few days of term. I would hate for my child to be put in that position

. (She did say that all the places are now filled)

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:45 pm

Exactly Andy. It is a huge emotional and practical disruption to both the child and the parents.

It is unbelievable just how totally disorganised or downright inconsiderate some parents can be.

As a footnote, can I ask all Bucks regulars to remind people who encounter this situation - a family moving out of Bucks between March and September, or not accepting a GS place that has been offered - to tell them "point blank" to talk to Admissions.

S-A