Hi all,

Just to let you know that Mr Skelly confirmed that as in previous years, according to the data available to him, residents in priority area should be able to get a place for sure with a score of 303 and above, if they choose either of the Southend grammars, WHSB or SHSB.

He didn’t give the exact number of passes for priority area, but everyone with a score of 303 and above will have a place. Wonder if Mr Bevan would confirm this in tomorrrow’s enquiry meeting at SHSB.

Anyone planning to move into the priority area with a borderline scores for out of catchment, must do so by 31st October 2018, any later and the place will be considered only after the national offer day of 1st March. Don’t assume that you could move by mid January as it was in the previous years.

That's good to know. If that's true, then it makes the 4 month wait a lot easier to bear for those with borderline scores aiming for these schools. Hope Mr Bevan can confirm this tomorrow.

It's Dr Bevan .

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Sorry, Yes, it’s Dr Bevan, the best Headteacher I’ve ever come across, passionate and kind man, wanting the best for his boys. Seen him just one in June open days, have great respect for him. He could be one of th reasons why local boys choose SHSB.

Seen him once, not one

I was at the same meeting and had a slightly different take on it. While Mr Skelly did indicate that 303 was the cut-off for ic children, he was at pains to stress that this pattern is based on historical guidance from the last four years, and anyone who suggests he is guaranteeing a place with that score is misquoting him.

The traffic light guidance sheet can be interpreted thus: orange - POSSIBLE; yellow - PROBABLE; green - HIGHLY PROBABLE.

Last year, there were 185 places, 139 reserved for ic boys. Of these 139, 109 were filled, leaving an additional 30 (+46) for ooc boys.

As a parent with a son at a large local primary school, it seems to be that scores are higher this year, perhaps due to age standardisation. It may also be the case that we will see a swing in preference towards WHSB. Historically, SHSB has been a preferred choice for many over the years, but anecdotally, around 80% of my son's year will be opting for WHSB as a first choice. It is also a high birth rate year.

With all this in mind, Mr Skelly was asked by a parent after his talk had finished whether it is likely, taking all these factors into account, especially the new variable of age standardisation,that the cut-off of 303 might be higher this year, say 306, and that more ic places will be filled. He said this is feasible, but added, not unexpectedly, it is impossible to know until all the application forms are in, and the best chance of scoring a grammar school place is to put both schools down. If more ic boys have passed, this will obviously have an impact on ooc places too.

What do you refer to as "borderline scores"?

Hi,

According to my understanding, Mr Skelly put out a slide which said,

Inside priority area- 303- Yes

Outside priority area- according to guidance sheet
Amber - possible
Yellow - probable
Green - highly probable

He did say that if you are resident in priority area and name any one of the Southend grammars with a score of above 303, you should be able to get a place. He has the number of incatchment passes to say YES as above. He did say he cannot guarantee a place, but my take on that is, it’s for OOC places.

By borderline scores I mean, for an example, if an OOC has a score of 315, and plan to move to the priority area to increase their chances of a priority place, they must do so by 31st October in line with the deadline for CAF. In the previous years, it was usually the 19th January of the next year, by which you could move into priority area and get a place as a resident in priority area. Many people have done it in the past, despite which in catchment places were not filled completely.

The guidance sheet is not prepared blindly for 2019 entry, irrespective of the high scores and standardisation, I would still rely on it, obviously we will know for sure only on national allocation day.

Sorry, name both schools on your CAF, not just one.

Dr Bevan confirmed today that there were 254 (sorry if a few numbers out I didn’t write it down) boys in catchment with 303 and above.

So all will get a place at WHSB or SHSB just can’t guarantee which.