Watford Boys Results Please

[silverysea]

you are allowed to rent as well as own the house, it's just as good for the admissions criteria I'm afraid....

I don't know what to suggest apart from turning detective and staking out houses to make sure people really live where they say they do-I'm sure the school does some checking on it but I don't know how or to what extent...

[tense]

As Silverysea says, I guess you can't blame people for trying to navigate the system. But you took a risk. It's certainly not the school's fault it didn't pay off. You may be 'fuming' but families who have lived here all their lives aren't that impressed with people pricing them out of the market by effectively attempting to buy a school place either.

[Daogroupie]

In the US you live in a school district and you can only go to the school if you live in the district. If you leave the district you have to leave the school. This policy would stop school fraud overnight. When you have flats closer buying a house is not the safest option. I know a primary school where parents leave their homes and move into the flats next to the school just before the applications have to be in and then return home when they have their place. I think some of them pretend to split up and then reconcile as soon as the place is awarded. I know that nobody in the admissions department of DAO would tell anyone that any house would guarantee them a place at the school. The distance has been going down every year so I am very surprised to hear that anyone would assure you that 296 metres away would get in. How long ago did you move in? DG

[prod]

Has anyone got waiting list position from Watford Grammar yet? We have 253 (Watford inner) and wondering where would that leave us on waiting list? I have emailed the school and they replied that letter is in the post but haven't received anything yet.

[itsajoke]

Daogroupie - we moved in last year and i spoke to the school before and they said judging on the past we should be fine - obviously they couldnt guarantee - i find it ridiculous they can bring the catchment down by over 100m

also the school we have been allocated in 10-15 mins drive from our house when Watford Grammar is across the road at 296 m - how is this fair / logical - would that be grounds to appeal at all ?


keepcalm - have sent you PM. Thanks - but what will getting intouch with MP / newspaper achieve - will it achieve anything - from Watford point of view we do not fall into their requirements

from my side - we sold our house - borrowed etc etc to start a new life in watford with the close certainty that we would get into the school - and with the 251 in exams we quite sure.

prod - they said the posted letters out yesterday that is the only way to find out where your son will be on the waiting list when it comes to the 11+ exam results


thanks

[noonynunu]

The local Councillors are clueless and don't want to get involved. They have bigger fish to fry, like monitoring the traffic flow down Cassiobury Drive (yes I actually passed them a few weeks back doing just this while I was doing the school drop off).

I attended a local meeting which Dorothy Thornhill attended. To sum it up, according to her, there is nothing that can be done. Admissions criteria is set by the schools and they hold complete power over who they give places to. there is an agreement in place with all SW Herts primary schools that no assistance will be given to children to help or prepare them for sitting the 11+. Interesting that there is no such agreement with all the local private preps. who are able to give their students practice papers and guidance.

I had one councillor knock on my door a couple of months back asking if I would be voting for them. I asked them what their plans were providing secondary school places. His response was that they were building a new school down Baldwins Lane. When I asked him if he was referring to the free school on Tolpits Lane, he told me I had it wrong, it was on Baldwins Lane. Sums it up really.

[decaff]

Itsajoke yes the whole process is ridiculous. To think there are 19 above you on distance and you live less than 300m away. Can I ask what academic position you are as 251 is a fantastic score. Academic route is likely to be your beast chance on CI list. Can I ask do you have any younger boys. I only ask because the re introduction of cross sibling rule is why you have missed out. As I have said on this forum many times before brothers with sisters who live as far away as Harrow and Stanmore etc will have taken places above your child. Parents should now be taking this back to the school adjudicator as it is totally unfair. It is something you may wish to consider if you have a younger son who may benefit from Wbgs. However I am sure with a score of 251 you have been allocated another good partially selective school. Fingers crossed with CI list as I really feel for you. Yes I agree with you totally whole process is terrible.

[thumbelina]

the thing i have come to realise is that the cross sibling rule benefits local watford families just as much as it does those further away.

i think its difficult to expect the schools to police this, they do their job superbly: which is educate the children that walk through their doors.

perhaps the council who have access to data/ information are in a better position to police those that come in to rent and disappear within a year of gaining a distance place. after all in both the girls and boys school this year it cant be more than 40 in total that need to be kept an eye on.

[itsajoke]

decaff thanks for the kind words

just got the letter and we are in 12 on the list for academic - school feels its no hope as they had only 8 boys last year turning places down and that's totally on all the lists - so here i need 11 boys to say ' no ' on the academic list

should i give up hope now ?

we got riki high - but we didnt want that - we sold our house and settled into watford for the grammer school - its a 1 minute walk - GUTTED

yes i have a younger son but he is 6 years younger

[decaff]

I believe ending X sibling rule would benefit more local families than keeping it myself. I just get angry as rule was abolished by School Adj 4 years ago at great cost of public funds and hard work of local parents only to be re-introduced because schools feel like it. Itsajoke do not give up hold tight. It has been such a strange year with such high scores so who knows what might happen. You can pm members with experience of appeals on here for advice. Good luck and let us know what happens.