QE Boys admissions- expectations for 2019 allocations?

[tiffinboys]

A very simple solution is for both HBS and QE is to have a reasonable catchment, if they have confidence in their teaching and nurturing abilities.

[loobylou]

Sadly this is true.
As a Barnet parent for many years I watched cohorts of children come through our primary - to be fair most did not sit any selective exams but, of those who did, 100% sat for DAO each year and about 60% for Latymer. Maybe 30-40% of the girls sat for HBS and less than 10% of the boys for QEB every year. This isn't because they felt they had no chance of admission but that, despite its being their closest selective school, they had no wish to put their children into an environment that's perceived as being not for local boys and where they would be perceived as outsiders. (Of course this then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy). There is definitely a (negative) stigma attached to sending one's child to QEB as a local parent.
I know many local Barnet people who attended QEB in the past (currently in their 20s/30s) who would never send their children there today.

[piggys]

A very simple solution is for both HBS and QE is to have a reasonable catchment, if they have confidence in their teaching and nurturing abilities.

100% agreed. I have been saying this for years!

[tiffinboys]

I know many local Barnet people who attended QEB in the past (currently in their 20s/30s) who would never send their children there today.

That may be more to do with QE regime at their time, than the current ratio of children coming from huge distances.

[tiffinboys]

A very simple solution for both HBS and QE is to have a reasonable catchment, if they have confidence in their teaching and nurturing abilities.

100% agreed. I have been saying this for years!

Needs to be put up to school governors regularly - perhaps in September when they are formulating draft admissions arrangements. Larger the number proposing the changes, better. It took years of persuading for Tiffin and Tiffin Girls to bring in catchment - though still a large one, but better than not having one. Boys were attending Tiffin from as far as Slough - legendary 3 in one year group at one time.

[loobylou]

I know many local Barnet people who attended QEB in the past (currently in their 20s/30s) who would never send their children there today.

That may more to do with QE regime at their time, than the current ratio of children coming from huge distances.

I think you are absolutely right but these things feed into each other. If local parents are not sending their children to the school because of the regime/ethos then children get places from further away who might not get those places if local children applied. Then the ethos/regime - apparently appreciated by those families - is supported and strengthened rather than challenged - which then creates its own positive feedback loop.

[tiffinboys]

Yes, I see your point.

[streathammum]

The scores are standardised (meaning that 230 is not "out of" anything) so there will be the same spread of scores as there always is. If lots of children scored very highly it would push the raw score needed to achieve, for example, 230, but you have no way if knowing that. Roughly the same proportion will be getting 230, 240, 250 etc as every other year.
If the scores are higher in your primary school that is just year on year variation in a very small sample.

Agree, that’s my understanding of standardisation too (saw some threads here explaining it) but does it also mean that every year for example constant 50 children are given scores in 270s, 100 children in 260s, 100 in 250s and so on?
The number of kids sitting in exams per year increase exponentially and so does max score.

No that's not what happens. The spread remains the same - the highest possible score and the lowest possible score will be the same every year, and the distribution of the scores along the bell curve will be the same.

If there are more applicants this year than last, it means there will be more children this year holding any given score. If the number of places at the school remains the same, it means that the cut-off for getting a place would be higher than in the previous year as the school would fill up quicker.

[Zoe007]

The scores are standardised (meaning that 230 is not "out of" anything) so there will be the same spread of scores as there always is. If lots of children scored very highly it would push the raw score needed to achieve, for example, 230, but you have no way if knowing that. Roughly the same proportion will be getting 230, 240, 250 etc as every other year.
If the scores are higher in your primary school that is just year on year variation in a very small sample.

Agree, that’s my understanding of standardisation too (saw some threads here explaining it) but does it also mean that every year for example constant 50 children are given scores in 270s, 100 children in 260s, 100 in 250s and so on?
The number of kids sitting in exams per year increase exponentially and so does max score.

No that's not what happens. The spread remains the same - the highest possible score and the lowest possible score will be the same every year, and the distribution of the scores along the bell curve will be the same.

If there are more applicants this year than last, it means there will be more children this year holding any given score. If the number of places at the school remains the same, it means that the cut-off for getting a place would be higher than in the previous year as the school would fill up quicker.

Thanks @streathammum, its clears up a bit.

Thanks for all above responses, I appreciate all replies here. There are some lovely local secondaries around and indeed some very sought out independents too. We are planning to move to Barnet if DS gets in(and this move will not effect our work commute etc). It won't be a long journey and kid will not be sleeping in the vans and yes I do understand I would not ridiculously send my child ever from Reading(if lived there) to Barnet! I opted as he fell in love with QE moment we visited and we visited quite a few schools. I did not helicopter tutored my child from year 3, but yes had to push him a bit to polish his capabilities(which every parent here has done at some stage).

Hope all aspiring parents get the desired places.

[Daogroupie]

I suggest you start looking now.

It takes a long time to find somewhere you like and move there.

You will have the additional problem that Barnet will be much more expensive than where you are currently living.

There are reasonable commutes that can be made from Herts. A very good overground line into New Barnet that goes onto Moorgate and a good bus 614 that comes in from places such as Hatfield that are considerably cheaper than Barnet.

Do you have other siblings that will need to find local schools? DG