Difference between Denmark Road and Pates papers?

[Milk]

I know that girls entering Ribston in-year have had to take a CATS-test, covering non-verbal reasoning, maths, etc. I would have thought such admission procedures for in-years take place at all the grammars, regardless of whether there are places to fill? The bottom line is, the child has to actually qualify for grammar school, in order to be offered a place. I suspect the stories about in-year children getting in at the drop of a hat are urban myths... they certainly bear no resemblance to what I've observed.

[Amber]

I am not making it up Milk..I have taught children who entered Gloucester grammars in Year 9 and 10 with no tests (a report from previous school sufficed) and I know personally another couple of children doing this at different grammars this year. Including Ribston. Maybe it is different at lower years, but I don't tell lies, nor pass on urban myths as fact either.

[mitasol]

It should say in the admissions policy. The admissions documents that I have seen for casual admissions are often worded as to give some leeway. Along the lines of "A candidate may be offered a place if the criteria and attainment appear to be satisfied" or (my favourite) "Would have passed the selection test if they had been taken"

Its not specific to your area just a general observation.

[gloucsdad]

I tend to agree with Milk

There are, unfortunately, people who say all sorts of things. For example, each year there seem to be dozens who pass and turn down a Grammar after working hard for it...... did they all really pass?

There seem to be loads of preople who 'just do a few practice papers' but then there are also very wealthy tutors ..... maybe some do not admit their use of tutors???

There may be some you have heard of who have not taken a test. Of course, if they had taken one in year 6 and passed but were on the waiting list then there would be no need to take a test. I suspect some odd things happen in every system but I would be wary of advising people to try to blag their way in in year 8 or 9 with no test score needed.

[capers123]

There are, unfortunately, people who say all sorts of things. For example, each year there seem to be dozens who pass and turn down a Grammar after working hard for it...... did they all really pass?

There are a few each year, partly because they either decide to go to private school, or the child has become so distressed at leaving a friendship group that they decide that they would be happier at a non selective - and don't forget, we do have some pretty good non-selective
schools around.

There seem to be loads of preople who 'just do a few practice papers' but then there are also very wealthy tutors ..... maybe some do not admit their use of tutors???

Most children are tutored or at least 'home tutored' by parents who know the system. But there are children whose parents know that they're bright enough to pass the exam with flying colours just having done the practice papers. I know two from DD1's class (having also known them well at primary school) whose parents are academics. These two are 'super-bright'. All the other children who took the test and passed (and a few who didn't pass) were tutored to a greater or lesser extent.

There may be some you have heard of who have not taken a test. Of course, if they had taken one in year 6 and passed but were on the waiting list then there would be no need to take a test. I suspect some odd things happen in every system but I would be wary of advising people to try to blag their way in in year 8 or 9 with no test score needed.

Most of the schools will insist on a test for Y7 or 8. After that then it becomes more difficult to compare them with the cohort without making the rest of the year retake a test. The schools are pretty good at spotting a child that would be suitable for a grammar education & would fit in with the cohort academically. They'd be pretty good at reading through the lines in reports from other schools, looking at the work produced. They also know that a few over-tutored children already in the school struggle (ie - were not bright enough, but were forced in), so would be used to seeing work produced by the strugglers. They'd just compare the two sets of work, the SATS scores, and if the child seeking admission was better than the strugglers (and there was a place), in they come. The school will simply not admit any children who won't be able to keep up.