New Admissions Procedures - RHS

Rugbymum · Post by **Rugbymum** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:47 pm

Thanks for bringing this to our notice - I wonder if LSS will follow suit?

Charlotte67 · Post by **Charlotte67** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:06 pm

Rugbymum wrote:Thanks for bringing this to our notice - I wonder if LSS will follow suit?

(Al)most certainly! And Ashlawn.

Dadof3 · Post by **Dadof3** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:22 pm

As a new member to this very informative forum, I feel it is only fair that I declare my position. I live in South Warwickshire with one son at LSS and another in Y5 hoping to follow big bruv to LSS. The proposed boundary changes will put us out of catchment. So this is obviously a very hot topic for our family.
I wonder if anyone has calculated how many households will now be excluded due to the revised boundary and how many of these households have younger siblings! I am obviously aware that for everyone in my position there will be improved opportunities for those remaining within the revised catchment. Judging by the amount of children sharing the school bus with my son (from now-out-of-catchment towns) the numbers must be very significant.

LSS are way behind RHS in terms of keeping parents informed:
http://www.lawrencesheriffschool.com/in ... 12no14.pdf

Therefore, i am grateful for the advice on this forum.

jacquie · Post by **jacquie** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:57 pm

Dadof3 wrote:As a new member to this very informative forum, I feel it is only fair that I declare my position. I live in South Warwickshire with one son at LSS and another in Y5 hoping to follow big bruv to LSS. The proposed boundary changes will put us out of catchment. So this is obviously a very hot topic for our family.
I wonder if anyone has calculated how many households will now be excluded due to the revised boundary and how many of these households have younger siblings! I am obviously aware that for everyone in my position there will be improved opportunities for those remaining within the revised catchment. Judging by the amount of children sharing the school bus with my son (from now-out-of-catchment towns) the numbers must be very significant.

LSS are way behind RHS in terms of keeping parents informed:
http://www.lawrencesheriffschool.com/in ... 12no14.pdf

Therefore, i am grateful for the advice on this forum[

Thanks for sharing that. It looks like L.S. may not necessarily follow suit. The headmaster makes some quite measured points. It's only relatively recently that the two schools had any dialogue, so I'm not surpised the two schools have not come out with a joint statement. Traditionally the two schools kept apart. When I was at the girls' school in Rugby, many years ago, it was a huge thing that we and L.S.S. agreed to do Macbeth together! Perhaps this will mark a parting of the ways again. Maybe they want to make their own stand on this. LSS may interpret the adjudicators decision in a different way . We'll see.

Charlotte67 · Post by **Charlotte67** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:35 pm

Oh blast. You're depressing me now. I was beginning to think DS was a shoo-in for 2010!

Seriously though - Dadof3, I really feel for you; this must be extremely worrying.

jacquie · Post by **jacquie** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:21 pm

Judging by the amount of children sharing the school bus with my son (from now-out-of-catchment towns) the numbers must be very significant.

I bet there has been some heated debate on this between the schools and it is significant that they havent come out togther with a joint decision, so likely, there was disagreement.

So, maybe LSS are relying on the outer catchment area for top students. I think that is why the schools may differ in the responses to this decision.
However, at LSS, I know for a fact, that many of my out of town pupils are some of the best candidates and take top places in the results. If LSS are to lose their top candidates, they will be worried- and many of the top candidates will have brothers at the school.

LSS also have an extra class to fill, so need another 20 further pupils than RHS. In short: They wont want to lose talent. They are already quite a bit below RHS in the schools results, so no wonder they are thinking this over.

jacquie · Post by **jacquie** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:54 pm

Charlotte67 wrote:I could well be wrong here but I assume that it will operate as it has up to now, just with a different 'priority' area.

If this is the case then children in Northants might still get in - But only those with very high scores - And only in the second round of offers, as the automatic entry cut off is set at just short the number of places (if you get my drift???)

My daughter (conveniently) has a friend who was top of the waiting list after first round offers - she ranked 34th in the test. IF children from Northants are allowed to sit the test (a telephone call is in order I feel) then they will need to perform very well to be offered one of those extremely rare second round places.

I found it interesting that 34th was the best that 'out of priority circle' girls could do - Go Rugby!

I'm confused having read this again. I thought we had clarified that it was a level playing field as far as entrance was concerned- that is before 2010 entry?Certainly all of my pupils were in the first round of offers, and half of those were not in the Rugby Region.

Marylou · Post by **Marylou** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:36 pm

jacquie wrote: Interesting point Marylou, btw Do you have time to elaborate?

Sorry - been away for a bit and so I think this has already been done!

The point I was making was that, since anyone is allowed to apply for any school regardless of local authority area, then it follows that out-of-area candidates must be allowed to sit the test if such a process is necessary in order to apply for a school in a different LA. However, there is nothing to stop a LA using catchment area as an oversubscription criterion, as Etienne and WP have pointed out.

Charlotte67 · Post by **Charlotte67** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:38 pm

jacquie wrote:I'm confused having read this again. I thought we had clarified that it was a level playing field as far as entrance was concerned- that is before 2010 entry?Certainly all of my pupils were in the first round of offers, and half of those were not in the Rugby Region.

Sorry, I was getting carried away again! I included your girls in my 'Rugby' celebrations as they would have had to be within the 10 mile priority area to secure a first round place

Loopyloulou · Post by **Loopyloulou** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:26 pm

Thinking about this logically:

1. RHS is going to set its passmark ("automatic standard") so that it just about fills its places with girls from the new reduced catchment;
2. "The single sex schools have the same automatic standard each year as required by the Equal Opportunities regulations";
3. There are more places available each year at LSS than at RHS since LSS is a bigger school;
4. Boys don't do as well as girls at 11+ anyway;

So however LSS set their oversubscription criteria, it seems to me that due to the Equal Opportunities legislation it is going to be much easier for a Daventry boy to get into LSS than for a Daventry girl to get into RHS?