Info for 2016 entrants

[MedievalBabe]

Depending on where you are in Cheltenham the 94 bus is very convenient and much cheaper. We pay £67 a month for DS to catch the 94 with a monthly mega rider. We don't have to pick him up if he is involved with a club after school as he just catches the next 94, the bus runs every 10 mins from Cheltenham Promenade and the bus stop they all get off is a very short walk to the school. DD will be on the same bus to HSFG as we couldn't afford the school bus and we know plants of girls and boys from both schools catch the 94.

[Kismet]

Thanks MedievalBabe, that's useful. We will look into it.

[DebsB]

Sorry if slightly off topic, but does anyone know whether next year's cohort will be larger/smaller than average e.g. based on birth year? Thanks in advance for any insights.

School census for Gloucestershire May 2014 so last academic year.

Y5 - 6021 - the cohort that received results yesterday.
Y4 - 5986 - will take 11+ Sept 2015
Y3 - 6157 - bigger than this year and it only gets worse!

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/extra ... =61112&p=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Obviously out of county students also apply so they will contribute. Wonder how many of the 1300 sharing with Pate's this year were in-county?

Thanks for the link CrossCountryMum.

It's not just out of county students who will push up that 6021 number. The school census only counts state schools, so there are all the children at private primaries or prep schools as well. As we all know, lots of those apply for state grammars too.

[CrossCountryMum]

Of course, eek, even worse then!

I wonder how many of those children go to the single-sex grammars? I know there are lots at Pates.

[MedievalBabe]

DS has 12 boys in his class who came from the Indie sector. So a third of his class had private primary education, take that across the board and it could be a third of the children in the past were Indie. But of course that can change year on year, school on school and of course with the new test...

[warden]

yes - my worry is that the new test will only increase the numbers of indy children getting in and good luck to them - but seems harsh on other bright children who have underachiever parents (i.e. me) unable to afford the fees. It seems like a self fulfilling prophecy on so many levels.

[DebsB]

yes - my worry is that the new test will only increase the numbers of indy children getting in and good luck to them - but seems harsh on other bright children who have underachiever parents (i.e. me) unable to afford the fees. It seems like a self fulfilling prophecy on so many levels.

Time will tell. I'm quite hopeful about the new test. At least my state-educated DD had been taught some relevant maths and English at school, so all I had to provide was a bit of a top up, and some familiarisation with the NVR, which she picked up quite quickly. If she'd tried under the old system, I don't think I could ever have got her onto a level playing field with prep school kids who'd been doing VR at school for years.

[Tolstoy]

yes - my worry is that the new test will only increase the numbers of indy children getting in and good luck to them - but seems harsh on other bright children who have underachiever parents (i.e. me) unable to afford the fees. It seems like a self fulfilling prophecy on so many levels.

No worries Warden for me last nights experience has proved that is not the case Were you told how the papers were weighted? In Bucks it was 50% V.R, 30% N.R and 20% NVR. As NVR is ultimately the only area not covered by schools then a good school be it private or state is essential to pass this test. If that is not an option then sort those areas out yourself be it by tutor or Smiths or the excellent bookshop on this site

[Stressed?Moi?]

yes - my worry is that the new test will only increase the numbers of indy children getting in and good luck to them - but seems harsh on other bright children who have underachiever parents (i.e. me) unable to afford the fees. It seems like a self fulfilling prophecy on so many levels.

Worth mentioning that it's not in the best interests of indie prep schools to push hard for grammar schools, as they feed into seniors and that would be cutting off income. After all, what benefit is there of Kings, Wycliffe, Dean Close, CLC, Boys' College and Cheltenham College hothousing for the grammar exam? I think it's a bit of a fallacy that indie schools are the ones who are distorting the system. Now, pushy parents at indie schools are a whole other story Having said that, all of my state school friends privately tutored their dc's and we diy'd ours, so I think the logic doesn't necessarily follow-through. My dd's friendship group at Ribston consists of a mixed bunch; two of whom are on free school meals, one is a single parent with two jobs' - one is from a private school (and she is seriously intelligent). After going through the whole new test/old test, I think they have moved in the right direction and will weed out the tutored kids. Just my thoughts.

[DebsB]

yes - my worry is that the new test will only increase the numbers of indy children getting in and good luck to them - but seems harsh on other bright children who have underachiever parents (i.e. me) unable to afford the fees. It seems like a self fulfilling prophecy on so many levels.

Worth mentioning that it's not in the best interests of indie prep schools to push hard for grammar schools, as they feed into seniors and that would be cutting off income. After all, what benefit is there of Kings, Wycliffe, Dean Close, CLC, Boys' College and Cheltenham College hothousing for the grammar exam? I think it's a bit of a fallacy that indie schools are the ones who are distorting the system. Now, pushy parents at indie schools are a whole other story Having said that, all of my state school friends privately tutored their dc's and we diy'd ours, so I think the logic doesn't necessarily follow-through. My dd's friendship group at Ribston consists of a mixed bunch; two of whom are on free school meals, one is a single parent with two jobs' - one is from a private school (and she is seriously intelligent). After going through the whole new test/old test, I think they have moved in the right direction and will weed out the tutored kids. Just my thoughts.

Agree with what you say, up to a point. Although those all age schools can't afford to get a reputation among local parents for producing children who don't get into grammars. The schools who really have an incentive to get as many kids into the state grammars as possible are places like Airthrie and Berky and so on, who don't have children beyond Y6 anyway.

Oh, and FYI, "Cheltenham College" and "Boys' College" mean the same school, and CLC only starts from Y7 and doesn't have a junior department, so isn't relevant.