Proposed changes to Dartford Grammar for Girls 2015 intake

[dartmum2]

Dartford Grammar for Girls are consulting on proposed changes to their admissions policy for the 2015 intake. Anyone local to Dartford and relying on the mile, parishes or sibling link arrangement to get their daughter in really needs to take a look at the proposed policy...http://www.dartfordgrammargirls.kent.sc ... ember-2015

The proposals are that there are only up to a maximum of 80 places reserved for girls from Dartford and parishes, with scores being the determining factor in cases of over-subscription, rather than just distance (the mile and sibling criteria will be removed altogether). The remaining 80 places are to be allocated on a scores basis. For the current year 7 intake there were 17 siblings, 50 girls that got in due to the mile criterion, 70 for due to the parishes criterion, the remaining 23 were scores based outside of the parishes. This means that the number of local girls may dramatically decrease (If I have understood the policy correctly).

If you object to the proposed changes you need to send your comments to the Chair of Governors by 24th Feb.

[MJMoore]

Unfortunately the link doesn't work any more. I have a daughter in year 10, and her younger sister who'll be taking the 11+ in September. First we find out the test format is changing, and now she won't be able to rely on having a sibling in the school!

[Okanagan]

Try this link instead.

[MJMoore]

Thank you

[dartmum2]

MJMoore - You might want to check out the proposed 2015 admissions policy for Wilmington Girls Grammar as this is in consultation at the moment... If you live within 1.5 miles radius or the in the Dartford Parishes your daughter should get in there with a basic pass next year, if I have understood the proposals correctly...

My oldest daughter passed the Kent test in September 2013 and we find out her school today. We live within a mile of DGGS, and it was our first choice, so I am hoping that its good news for her. However, my second daughter will take the new test this September and will have to do more than just pass to get into DGGS if the changes to the admissions policy are approved as she will not be able to rely on the sibling link or mile criteria any more. I'm finding it very stressful as the goalposts have changed at completely the wrong time for us....plus it will put a lot of extra pressure on my second daughter as she wants to go to the same school as her sister.

I DIY'ed it with my daughter last time (it was all very low-key with her - we did about an hour a week for the 3 months prior to the test to get used to the question types), but I am seriously considering the prospect of having to properly coach my second daughter now.

I'd better get a move on and start doing some proper 11+ work with her I suppose...not that I have a clue how to approach the new test...

[MJMoore]

Hi - nice to meet you.

According to google maps, we're about 1.8 miles from Wilmington, I'm not sure how to work it out purely by radius rather than travelling, but we'd probably be just outside.

I feel your stress - my eldest is in year 10 at DGGS, and we just did practice papers, to focus her timing etc. I wasn't sure if we were in the 1 mile, or a tad outside it, but we were reassured by people on here that as long as she passed, she'd be ok.

As for the youngest, in year 5, it's all so different - we don't know what format of test to prepare for, and now it looks like it will be harder for her to get to DGGS.. on top of the fact that she's hard to motivate!

Btw.. I really hope it was good news for you today!

[dartmum2]

Good to meet you too!

Yes - it was good news, thanks - my daughter got into DGGS and is very happy

I used this distance finder - its a bit fiddly to operate, but I think it is quite accurate....

http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-googl ... ulator.htm

this one gives similar results
http://www.freemaptools.com/distance-be ... tcodes.htm

They are only centre of postcode to centre of postcode calculations, but they will give you a good idea of straight line distance.

I'm 1.06 miles as the crow flies and 1.7 miles walking/driving distance from Wilmington Girls Grammar according to both of these calculators. Worth a quick look just to see....

[MJMoore]

Thanks for that - we're 1.62, so a little further from Wilmington than you.

I'm glad to hear your news was good - DGGS work hard to make it a good transition, and they have remained very caring. Be ready for lots of homework though!

[MJMoore]

Now this has been made official, can I check to see if I've got it right..

There are 80 places for those in Dartford and the listed parishes, correct? So, if there are, say 120 applications from within this area, the 80 with the highest score will be offered..?

Then, do the remaining 40 go in with all the other applicants, and again, the highest scores will be accepted?

[ToadMum]

http://www.dartfordgrammargirls.kent.sc ... t-2015.pdf

According to this, for 2015 entry, after eligible girls with a Statement and those who are Looked After have been allocated a place, 100 places are 'protected' for local girls then the rest for 'remaining eligible girls'.

From that, and to use examples local to us, it looks like Dartford Girls uses the same model as the Southend grammar schools, which is that the 'other' places are only open to OOC applicants, rather than the Chelmsford grammars model, where IC applicants get all the first 80% of the places, with the remaining 20% going to the highest remaining scores whether IC or OOC.

Having said that, I'm not sure which is actually the correct interpretation.