11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi
We live in Cardiff. Our DS currently is in year 4 and we plan to apply for grammar schools. Since there are none in Wales, we plan to move, assuming he's successful. My job does not really require me to be in Cardiff (only 1 or 2 days a week, if that), and wife's more flexible, so we can move. I have been focusing on Gloucestershire and Reading or even London.

I don't know how to go about this. My idea is to apply to multiple schools in the above local areas and depending on the outcome move to the best alternative, but the system does not seem to function that way, i.e. it looks one needs to be living in the same local area as the school before making the application. Is that correct, or am I misunderstanding it?

Sorry if this has been asked before and thank you for your answers.

You’ll need to look carefully at the admissions criteria for each school you are thinking of applying to check their residency rules, but yes more schools are tightening up on this.

I can only speak for Reading school, but I know you need to be in catchment by the end of August before taking the test to be considered ‘in catchment’. No one from outside catchment has got a day place (they have boarding places) since the catchment was introduced.

Best is to read schools' admission arrangements in different regions. That will give you idea about the residential requirements.

Some grammar schools are fully open selective, some have catchment policy. If you chose open selectives, you can move after getting an offer, otherwise you have to be in catchment area in accordance with the school's policy. Some schools would not allow for pupil to sit for the tests (illegally) if they are not in their catchment by the required date.

Edit; cross posted with Tinkers.

Are there no good schools in Cardiff? I'm not sure grammar schools are worth moving for, with all the attending upheaval. They are, after all just schools, teaching the same curriculum. Do you have younger children as well?

Currently you can apply to a Gloucestershire grammar to take the test and be offered a place out of county as places are offered on rank order. There is one test taken at any of the schools you are eligible for and you can ask to be considered by all the schools you are eligible for ..2 are now co-ed and the rest single sex from 11-16
There are children who travel a long way to these schools ..but I personally wouldn’t want my children to do those sorts of commutes..so by all means move into the county if you can manage to do so...it’s a nice part of the world anyway

Move to Birmingham - our grammars have no catchment area at all.

Can you apply for places in English schools, while still being resident in Wales? Do they have similar CAF?

That's another question I had in mind.

tiffinboys wrote:Can you apply for places in English schools, while still being resident in Wales? Do they have similar CAF?

Yes you can. Some towns/villages straddle borders and children live in Wales but attend secondary schools in England. Chepstow is an example of this.