TGS from Orpington

[doodles]

But I can assure you the best friend will be the one who lives the furthest away!

Yup, guaranteed.

[wishful]

Thanks Billie, thats great news, most people I know have put Newstead first. Your're probably right the best friend will no doubt be the furthest away Just have to hope she gets in now !! Best of luck to your DD

[franticmum]

The 2007 Ofsted Report says "Students travel from a wide geographical area and the tutor groups are structured to enable students to successfully make friends with others living near them."

Therefore, I would like to hope that children out of area, south of Kent would not be in the same form as children out of area, north of Kent. As there are about six or seven forms, I imagine they work it like pieces of a 'pie', segmented to include inner and outer area children but I'm only guessing.

[wishful]

Thanks Franticmum, it's good that TGS do that.

Whilst I am hoping there will be a class full from Orpington or surrounding areas, me thinks that if there is, this will reduce my DD's chances of being one of the 35 OOCs We have to be careful what we wish for! I have a feeling that this year there seems to be lots of 420 scorers, there certainly is at my DDs school. Oh well que sera, sera.

Are you an OOC candidate Franticmum?

[franticmum]

Dear Wishful

Yes I am hoping for one of the 'golden' governors' places. We are in East Sussex. I think this is a very nervous time and I'm trying not to give in to the scaremongering. I have heard that there are a lot of 420's but how do they know? Has someone got that from KCC themselves or is it the odd tutor who has one extra 420 in their group? It is easy to get caught up with the possibility that they are all going to apply to the one school, which is obviously unlikely. I understand some 'independent' applicants do the test as a dummy run. Obviously, I don't know what your daughter scored but I'm trying to take comfort in the statistics which TGS publish on their web site on past cut-off scores and hoping nothing freaky happens this year that means the cut-off is way higher than the highest cut-off in 2008(?) which was 412. Otherwise we're all doomed!!! Try to put it behind you as March is a long time to be worrying!

[wishful]

Hi Franticmum,

Yes I noticed that high cut off on the TGS website, I think it was 2009. We couldn't have been more pleased with our DDs score of 410 and were very proud of her, but I think re TGS this could go either way. However I have now got this into perspective and know that DD will do well at whatever school. So I am now officially not worried and wish everyone's DC all the best, and will wait patiently until 1st March

[WesterhamMum]

Hi Franticmum and Wishful

We live in Cudham and my 2 daughters are both OOC pupils at TGS in years 7 & 8. In 2008 my eldest daughter was fortunate enough to score 420 so I was quite relaxed about things. Last year however, my youngest ‘only’ scored 409 and as the out of area cut off the previous year had been 412, I was convinced that she would not be offered a place. I was certain that because of the economic climate being as it was, that the OOC cut off score was sure to continue to climb. However to my delight, I was totally wrong and the cut off score dropped to 407 instead. Traditionally it has always been around the 405 mark so hopefully, 2008 was just a ‘freak’ year.

My eldest last year used to catch the train from Knockholt which is the stop after Orpington and there were already plenty of girls who got on at Orpington or Petts Wood on the train already, so I don’t think you need to worry about the journey. It is a short walk the other end with hundreds of others walking from the station.
Good luck to both of you and try not to worry too much (says the lady who was almost bald by 2 March last year)!

[wishful]

Hi WesterhamMum,

Thanks for your message, let's hope it's the same next year! I can imagine it must have been very stressful, especially as your older daughter goes there. Fingers crossed that this time next year I will be able to offer the same reassurance to someone else