Cross sibling rule for WGSG and WGSB

[bcd]

Our experience of WGGS is that the work and homework is not as pressured as the Headteacher's speech implies. There are some very able girls at the school and some less able with a range in between. My DD does not seem to spend a long time doing homework and the older she gets the less time she spends! Somehow she seems to be doing alright though. Anyway, I would have no issue with sending a less academic child there who lives close enough to get in on distance. I think that the children who get in these schools on the academic rule (and I include my DD in this) are not necessarily the most academic children but those who have mastered the techniques of the exam the best and managed to 'pull it off on the day'. Hence my DD gained entrance ahead of those in her primary who were considered 'brighter', because I taught her to 'play the game' well. Hence do not be put off from sending less academic children to these schools as my experience has been that they are not full of child prodigies. It appears to me that the school is populated by a range of normal girls.

[herty]

Agree with most of that - esp the first sentence - and am glad the homework reduces further up the school! I have had a number of other mums tell me about the long hours their dds are putting in to keep up though - don't know if or why they would make that up, and certainly my dd is fine, but what i said about having to decide about whether my dd2 could cope was/is a very real consideration. Whilst you don't have to be brilliant to enjoy school there by any means I think girls who didn't enjoy academic study would not find it a terribly suitable school - not because the non-academic subjects are badly taught, because the reverse is true, but because the academic expectations are high.

[Snaidu]

Many thanks for taking time to respond.

I guess there is no chance of me banking on distance criteria then even though I only live 730m away from the school!

Feedback from local primary schools is that the 2013 entry year is a low bith rate year so if it is next year you are applying you might be in a good position for distance. But I think what the last person said is right, just apply under as many criteria as you can!

Really can't rely on low birth year. I checked and found it was indeed the lowest in a decade but by about 10% lower, so not much impact in an intake of 180. Won't change the game but will benefit max 2 DDs.

[Snaidu]

Dear Herty, had yr DD not been admitted at WGSS on the basis of exam, what were your options? Private? The neighbourhood comprehensives seem to be atrocious. Grateful if you can share your thoughts.

[decaff]

I also have been told by someone who works at one of the schools they they are very worried about decline in academic standards since c/s rule was abolished. However I believe these schools should not be able to change rules because it suits them. I still believe they will be fine schools even with slightly lower academic results. I live too far away from either school to benefit from a distance place. I also doubt my youngest will achieve a high enough mark to gain academic entry. However I know a number of families with children at both schools with some very clever children and some not so. They have been extremely happy with both schools. Comprehensive schools even those that are partially selective should be able to cope with a range of abilities. For any families who may miss out on a distance place due to re-introduction of crss sibling rule I would urge you to take matter to school adjudicator as soon as admission rules are published. It may well be too late if you wait until you find your child has failed to secure a place. The abolition of the c/s rule hit many families hard who thought they could rely on rule for younger siblings. However it helped many local boys and girls to gain entry to their nearest school and benefitted local families. It may not be a child who lives 1 mile away who gets a place over your child it could be a sister ot brother who lives as far away as Harrow!

[Mgnmum]

personally i believe that either sibling rules should totally be abolished for all families, or to make it fairer then the cross sibling rule should be brought back. I have a dd who will be sitting the tests this september, I have a son who is rising 7 and a daughter who is rising 3. If we are fortunate enough that my eldest gets in to our first choice WGSG then we will have to go through the stress of secondary transfer 3 times as there is too big an age gap between the 2 girls for any sibling rule. If however we had a single sex family then i would only have to go through it once as the younger 2 would get in on sibling rule each time.
Personally i think there should be no sibling rule at all and then all children are treated as individuals, schools are picked to suit the individual child, and there will be less fraudulent use of renting really close to a good school for a year and then moving back to your own home a few miles away once you have got the eldest child in!

[decaff]

The other factor which will be to the detriment of local children is that both schools wish to introduce priority to children of staff. This covers both schools so that a parent and employee at Watford Girls would get priority if they had a boy at Watford boys and vise versa. The problem of people renting locally and moving away is a problem that has not been properly addressed in my opinion. I know someone who rented in a block of flats close to one of the schools and she said the movement of people in and out of flats particularly around school application time was ridiculous. However successful schools will always be popular.

[Daogroupie]

It is very hard to fix the "rent a house, get one child in and then move back to where they came from" issue. In the US if you leave the school district you have to leave the school so they do not have any problem with it at all! Has anyone heard of any school that has managed to stop people getting places like this? DG

[watford]

Hi All,

The rules for Watford Grammar school for girls have now been determined on their website. Does this mean it's likely to go ahead?

Also roughly how many papers maths and VR are parents doing with their daughter/son a week? Are you using the 9-10 years Bond Books or the ones for 11 year olds?

Thank you.

[WP]

The rules for Watford Grammar school for girls have now been determined on their website. Does this mean it's likely to go ahead?

It means these are the rules they're saying they will use for Sep 2013 entry. Parents may file objections to any school's determined arrangements with the Schools Adjudicator up to the end of June. Unless the arrangements are overturned by the Adjudicator, they will be used in this round.