Our son will be sitting the 11+ in Nov. We were hoping for KEGS as in catchment but are a bit worried his final score may not be high enough (recent mock 61% overall). For people that have been through all this before, when we get the results in December, does the school tell you what chance you have of getting in? How will you know if the score is high enough? I imagine it will be borderline or not high enough. I know the pass mark for 2020 was 345 but even if he gets that, it is not a guarantee that the pass rate will be the same for the 2021 intake?

His mock exam score would have been enough to get into the Southend grammars but I worry about the 50-55 min commute. It’s so hard that we’re not in a position to chose the school after test results day due to Covid. If we put KEGS, Southend and then local comp and he missed out on KEGS and we changed our mind about Southend, would that mean he misses out on local comp?!

Anyone in the same boat?

KEGS use standardised score, hence it shouldn't vary much.
Be careful about the way you give your school preferences, you will be always allocated the higher one if you are eligible.
In case your lower preference school is given, you will have the option to continue in the waiting list for higher preference schools.

The equal preference system ensures that you are allocated the school that you want most if you qualify for it.

You will be able to stay on the waiting list for your higher preference schools whilst accepting the offer from your local comp.

Then if you are offered a place you will be given a few days to decide if you want to stick with your original offer or move to a new one.

However if you put your local comp first and are allocated it you will be removed from the list of all of your lower ranked schools. DG

First off, I'm not an expert, and I don't have any real experience, but I would be dubious about taking too much notice of the mock result. It may be that a child was stressed because of the exam conditions, but having experience of them may well make the actual exam easier, or it could have been a slightly harder paper, or the questions weren't the favourite types. Of course it could always work the other way around, but I have basically ignored DDs mock score and gone with her genuine preference in the hope that things went well on the day (different area, but no results before CAF). I'd not forgive myself if I'd not chosen it if she actually qualifies. I don't know your circumstances though so it may be that you don't have space for a 'possible but not likely'. Good luck either way.

Thanks for your replies.

- So if we put Southend as say no 2 and the local comp as no 3, if we change our mind about Southend and decline the place, would there be no guarantee he would get a place at the local comp because it was 3rd on the list?

- Is there any way to be added to a waiting list for the grammar if he does enough to pass but we put the comp as a higher preference?

He has scored better in practice papers, than the mock. He finished the mock maths 15 mins early which is always a bit worrying. He does tend to rush unfortunately.

Are you sure that's how it works in Essex? Some LAs just update without asking

https://assets.ctfassets.net/knkzaf64jx5x/5foPC3PrBPptqCU3dUikrF/27270ab31e01300570c35fa68115f853/Essex_County_Council_Secondary_school_admissions_brochure_2021_to_2022_with_form.pdf

If you are in catchment for KEGS, you must be submitting your CAF to Essex. The document above (which is linked to from the ECC website) explains the process. please.17 has information regarding post allocation change of preference:

I’ve decided I would prefer a lower
preference school than the one I have
been offered

If, having received your offer, you decide you
would rather your child attends one of your lower
Essex preference schools please put this request
in writing to School Admissions. Your application
to that school will then be reactivated and, if there
are no places available, added to the appropriate
place on the waiting list. If you want your child’s
details added to a non-Essex school’s waiting list,
you need to put this in writing to School
Admissions. It should be noted that different
waiting list systems may apply, and it is yourresponsibility as the parent or carer to find out
how waiting lists for schools in other LA areas are
operated. This includes what happens if an offer is
made from a non-Essex waiting list.

If you already know that you would prefer your DS to be on a local school than to travel to SHSB every day, then it might make more sense to place your local non-selective preference(s) directly below KEGS from the outset? Otherwise you increase your risk of having to go to appeal (with no particular chance of success) for a local school if you don'tget KEGS and decide to turn SHSB down if you have named it as your second preference and it is allocated. If you are actually in Chelmsford, pretty much all the local secondary schools, bar Hylands, usually see a number of appeals each year, although the opening of Beaulieu Park may have taken the pressure off so some extent now.

It's not because it was 3rd on your list per se that makes it unlikely that your DS will drop straight into a place at you local comprehensive if you turn down a(n apparently) higher preference offer; it will be because you, on your personal list, said that you would prefer a place at another school which was also able to offer your DS a place. Even if your DS was ranked within PAN by your 3rd (or 4th, 5th or even 6th) preference school, if he was also selected to be offered a place at a school you ranked higher, he would not be offered the place at your third preference. But someone else would.

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