Could this be true?

Eleven Plus (11+) in South West Hertfordshire

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PD mum
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:44 pm

Post by PD mum »

Time to use Google Earth...!
watfordmum66
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:45 pm

Post by watfordmum66 »

:D :D :D
WP
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Post by WP »

raceytracey wrote:Sorry I am being a bit thick but can you explain what you mean about the location of the post office address point being inside?
Also there are roads in this estate but they are behind the barrier.
I was just parrotting the Herts booklet: "We measure from the address point for the child's house (as supplied by the post office) to the nearest public entrance of the school." But now I've looked it up, it seems to be this:

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsi ... resspoint/

There's a sample viewer showing a bit of Southampton, which at least shows that the locations are actually attached to buildings (on private property), not roads:

Image

I don't think the private road bit helps them, because the wording has roads as an alternative to public routes (rights of way in the latest version).
PD mum
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:44 pm

Post by PD mum »

Just found this bit of info on the ********** for all of you who live in Chorleywood (there's also an example of a family who successfully queried their GIS mapping system - eg, if the route Herts CC chose, wasn't the shortest possible route);
******************

removed by a moderator, forum links to a commercial website.



"Re: Mapping and convincing Herts CC that they should use your shortcut
Herts CC produce a map, with all accepted shortcuts on it, which is updated every year. Of course, you have to apply for it, they won't just put it up on their website, but do ask them for it, if you'd find it helpful.

SGx"
PD mum
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:44 pm

Post by PD mum »

PD mum wrote:Just found this bit of info on the ********* for all of you who live in Chorleywood (there's also an example of a family who successfully queried their GIS mapping system - eg, if the route Herts CC chose, wasn't the shortest possible route);
******************

removed by a moderator, forum links to a commercial website.



"Re: Mapping and convincing Herts CC that they should use your shortcut
Herts CC produce a map, with all accepted shortcuts on it, which is updated every year. Of course, you have to apply for it, they won't just put it up on their website, but do ask them for it, if you'd find it helpful.

SGx"
Oops! - Apologies, didn't realise this link was against the rules...
PD mum
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:44 pm

Post by PD mum »

Here's the query minus any links (relates to a primary place);

Mar 9th, 2009 - 12:36 PM Re: Mapping and convincing Herts CC that they should use your shortcut

We did! A couple of years ago, we failed to get the primary school we wanted - and then heard that someone who lived further away than us had been offered a place (and we were applying under the same rule).

County, of course, would not / could not give me much information. I knew which road the other child lives on and the two journey are very similar. We had done our own distance calculations, yet County would not accept this. All distance calculations have to be done by their own system, which does not make mistakes!!

The only information I managed to get from County was the two distances. I'm not sure if the system has now changed, but they calculate the distance in miles and then it is converted into kilometres.

Our distance calculation was correct, but the other child's was not converted into kilometres, so on paper their distance looked shorter. I explained what had happened but they would still not accept that an error had been made.

I then sent an email asking if, still respecting the other child's privacy, would they answer a question with a simple YES/NO answer.

The question was "does the other child's route go via ...... road"

This forced them to actually review things. The letter from County states:

"I have further discussed the continuing interest list allocation process with the head teacher, and have looked again at the distance measurements used to allocate the two places that became available in the Reception class this term. From this investigation it has become clear that while the correct allocation process was followed, one of the distances used to allocate a place was incorrect. This error was on the part of Hertfordshire County Council as the school's admitting authority as opposed to any mistake made by the school itself.

"Due to this error, one Reception place has been offered incorrectly. This place can not be withdrawn. However, your child ( as the next child on the continuing interest list at the time) would have been offered a place if the school's admissions arrangements had been properly implemented and the correct distances used. I am therefore writing to offer you child a place in the reception class.

"This allocation counts as an exception under the government's class infant size legislation for the rest of the 2003/4 academic year"

As a result, I don't have much confidence in the admissions system!
raceytracey
Posts: 96
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:09 pm
Location: chorleywood

Post by raceytracey »

Just a quick update on this situation with the Loudwater estate parent. I spoke to Herts admissions yesterday and again they said they couldnt tell me but they were still looking into it and there were discussions as to the situation!!

Maybe this parent has opened a huge can of worms? Clement Danes pan number is 208 and this is the number of children that have been allocated a place.

So what would this mean? If admissions give into this parent and other parents on this estate that means that they would go over the pan number.

Also I asked for admissions to send me the map on how they worked out the shortest distance for my DD.

They sent it through and I have noticed that they have used a public footpath for part of the journey but have ignored another public foot path that runs off this one. Although it wont mean that we would have been within distance if they had used this other footpath but it might move us up the list a bit.
WP
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Post by WP »

raceytracey wrote:Just a quick update on this situation with the Loudwater estate parent. I spoke to Herts admissions yesterday and again they said they couldnt tell me but they were still looking into it and there were discussions as to the situation!!

Maybe this parent has opened a huge can of worms? Clement Danes pan number is 208 and this is the number of children that have been allocated a place.
I don't think this person has a case: the measurement has followed the advertised procedure, and last year an adjudicator ruled that that procedure is reasonable.

It certainly is a large can of worms, which is a strong motivation for the school and county to resist this one.
40
Posts: 100
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 11:05 pm

Post by 40 »

if more than one child applied for a place, how would the school determine who should have the place? Surely it has to be from the childs door?
raceytracey
Posts: 96
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:09 pm
Location: chorleywood

Post by raceytracey »

I have heard through the grapevine that the parent concerned has heard back from the Council who have amended their route. They have taken this gate into consideration but are still measuring from the childs front door.
So although this has made a slight difference this particular child would still have not got in.

However there is another family on this estate who live nearer to this gate and who will have moved up the CI list for CD quite a bit.

I too contacted the council to see how they had measured my DD's route to school. They had used two footpaths. When I went back to them and asked why they had not used the third footpath that would have cut off a huge chunck off the distance I was told that this footpath was covered in shingle and therefore could not be taken into consideration!

I have come to the conclusion that there is no way we are going to get into CD now and although we are still waiting for our appeal date I will go through the motions knowing full well that she will be going to Westfield in September.
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