Please help I need some advice?
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
-
WesterhamMum
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:08 pm
- Location: Westerham, Kent
I cannot remember where I saw the figures but I know at St Olaves and Newstead they do not have many successful appeals. As they take on score ranking, I think there needs to be pretty compelling reasons for them to over-ride this. There is also little movement on the waiting list once initial places have been accepted or declined (I had a friend on the Newstead list last year).
As Mystery said, they can also go down on the waiting list and if St Olaves have the same system as Newstead, they write to all the applicants who would have been successful in the exam but chose a place elsewhere, to tell them that they ‘were successful in the exam and if they would like to discuss their options to get in touch’. Any of these people who change their mind, join the waiting list above those already on it as their scores were higher.
I do not know C & S very well but understand it is an excellent school. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
As Mystery said, they can also go down on the waiting list and if St Olaves have the same system as Newstead, they write to all the applicants who would have been successful in the exam but chose a place elsewhere, to tell them that they ‘were successful in the exam and if they would like to discuss their options to get in touch’. Any of these people who change their mind, join the waiting list above those already on it as their scores were higher.
I do not know C & S very well but understand it is an excellent school. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
Hard to say, but I really would set an appeal in motion. You don't have to spell your case out in detail now (see the appeals forum). You can always cancel the appeal if a place comes up sooner via the waiting list, or you decide you like C and S (whatever it is!!)
At some schools there is huge movement in waiting lists etc. e.g. at Weald of Kent GS for girls last year, there were about 70 girls who got in via these routes after 1 March.
But you just can't count on it.
At some schools there is huge movement in waiting lists etc. e.g. at Weald of Kent GS for girls last year, there were about 70 girls who got in via these routes after 1 March.
But you just can't count on it.
-
WesterhamMum
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:08 pm
- Location: Westerham, Kent
-
panicattack!
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:30 pm
Sorry don't know the admissions policy of the school concerned, but assuming that it is score that counts, you need to see how far short your DC was of the cut-off score this year / a typical year.
Then I guess that at an appeal you would need to have some strong academic evidence to show that he is normally of the ability that they require, and something to explain why he did not perform as well as that on the day.
There are probably plenty of examples like this in the Appeals threads in the appeals forum.
Certainly boys do get into Judd (superselective boys grammar in West Kent) on appeal with scores that are below the 1 March cut-off. It all depends on convincing that particular panel on that particular day. It has to be a convincing academic argument for a superselective - don't think that all the other guff (sports, leadership, climbed Mount Everest without oxygen etc) counts for much.
Then I guess that at an appeal you would need to have some strong academic evidence to show that he is normally of the ability that they require, and something to explain why he did not perform as well as that on the day.
There are probably plenty of examples like this in the Appeals threads in the appeals forum.
Certainly boys do get into Judd (superselective boys grammar in West Kent) on appeal with scores that are below the 1 March cut-off. It all depends on convincing that particular panel on that particular day. It has to be a convincing academic argument for a superselective - don't think that all the other guff (sports, leadership, climbed Mount Everest without oxygen etc) counts for much.
Hi panicattack
So sorry to hear your son missed out on St Olaves, it's tough, I know, I've been there.
How far was your son from the cut off? What number is he on the waiting list? Did he score higher in his maths (this is handy if he is on the waiting list with the same score as another boy and the other boy's higher score was English, then your son gets the place first with the higher maths score).
Unless you have exceptional circumstances I would suggest this is a very hard appeal to win. You can prove that your son is VERY bright but I would imagine so could the first 30 on the waiting list (sorry if I sound harsh but it's the truth), We appealled because our eldest is there, it's walking distance from our house and our son missed by 3 marks - we lost the appeal (even with an amazing head teacher letter and loads of examples of our son's abilities)!!
St Olaves is a fabulous school and we have been very pleased with it however, I know my son would have shone at any other grammar just as my middle son is doing now at Wilmington.
Good luck
So sorry to hear your son missed out on St Olaves, it's tough, I know, I've been there.
How far was your son from the cut off? What number is he on the waiting list? Did he score higher in his maths (this is handy if he is on the waiting list with the same score as another boy and the other boy's higher score was English, then your son gets the place first with the higher maths score).
Unless you have exceptional circumstances I would suggest this is a very hard appeal to win. You can prove that your son is VERY bright but I would imagine so could the first 30 on the waiting list (sorry if I sound harsh but it's the truth), We appealled because our eldest is there, it's walking distance from our house and our son missed by 3 marks - we lost the appeal (even with an amazing head teacher letter and loads of examples of our son's abilities)!!
St Olaves is a fabulous school and we have been very pleased with it however, I know my son would have shone at any other grammar just as my middle son is doing now at Wilmington.
Good luck
-
panicattack!
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:30 pm
Thanks for your replies. I have to confess I was absolutely amazed that you can have people reinserted in front of you on a list but of course I suppose it does make sense!
I will look at the appeal forum and look through that. I am sure the school (it is an indie) won't be interested in helping with an appeal and apart from the atrocious weather which DS endured getting there to do the exam in the first place, would think the appeal panel would throw us out straight away! So many other people were in the same boat.
Gercha it sounds amazing that your appeal didn't go through and I think we would be even less likely to get ours of the ground.
I don't know what the cut off is this year but DS scored 153 with a higher maths score but I understand that he still has somewhere in the region of 30 odd people in front of him which of course is a whole class!
Realistically will a whole class of children not decide to go to St O's? I don't think so.
I just wonder though if you hold your nerve would the end of the Summer holidays yield any better signs of the list shrinking as people have committed money to uniform and induction days at other schools or am I literally clutching at straws!!?
I will look at the appeal forum and look through that. I am sure the school (it is an indie) won't be interested in helping with an appeal and apart from the atrocious weather which DS endured getting there to do the exam in the first place, would think the appeal panel would throw us out straight away! So many other people were in the same boat.
Gercha it sounds amazing that your appeal didn't go through and I think we would be even less likely to get ours of the ground.
I don't know what the cut off is this year but DS scored 153 with a higher maths score but I understand that he still has somewhere in the region of 30 odd people in front of him which of course is a whole class!
Realistically will a whole class of children not decide to go to St O's? I don't think so.
I just wonder though if you hold your nerve would the end of the Summer holidays yield any better signs of the list shrinking as people have committed money to uniform and induction days at other schools or am I literally clutching at straws!!?
-
panicattack!
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:30 pm
Hi panicattack
If you want me to be honest I think, as you say, "you are clutching at straws". There will be some movement but not a lot. By all means stay on the waiting list but in September the waiting list ceases and a new list is started with parents applying to go on the new one. IF a place then comes up they contact all the children on the list and IF they still want a place (bearing in mind they will have already started their new school) they are all tested AGAIN and the highest one is in - ouch.
You say there are about 30 boys in front of yours, my son was about number 28 on the wait list (only 3 marks out) and they only came down 8!!! I don't know what the cut off is this year but ring the school and find out, they certainly told us last year.
Good luck
If you want me to be honest I think, as you say, "you are clutching at straws". There will be some movement but not a lot. By all means stay on the waiting list but in September the waiting list ceases and a new list is started with parents applying to go on the new one. IF a place then comes up they contact all the children on the list and IF they still want a place (bearing in mind they will have already started their new school) they are all tested AGAIN and the highest one is in - ouch.
You say there are about 30 boys in front of yours, my son was about number 28 on the wait list (only 3 marks out) and they only came down 8!!! I don't know what the cut off is this year but ring the school and find out, they certainly told us last year.
Good luck