QEHS and Lincoln comps - advice please

Eleven Plus (11+) in Lincolnshire (Lincs)

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binka
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:42 pm

QEHS and Lincoln comps - advice please

Post by binka »

Hi everyone, I'm new to here and am currently having a bit of a dilema and thought people here may have some advice.

My daughter is currently in Yr4, she used to go to a primary school in Lincs between Gainsborough and Lincoln. We weren't happy with the school and moved her to the next nearest primary school which happens to be in Notts. At this point we thought she would still be able to go to a Lincoln Comp as we still live in Lincs. I'd always thought she may go to Christ Hospital.

Anyway she is doing a lot better at her new primary school and in 12 months has gone from being a year behind to now been in the top ability sets. Her teacher just told us she thinks she could well pass the 11+, this would be great if she did.

Now to my list of problems. We live 14 miles from QEHS, last year kids in our village (Saxilby) who passed the 11+ did not all get a place.

If she does not get a place either through not passing 11+ or from oversubscription I have only just realised that she will not get into Christ's. Christ's give preference to kids from 8 primary schools. Her old school was one of these 8, her new one is not. I have emailed Christ's and they have confirmed that this is the case and that even though we still live in the village our daughter will not be given any preference unless she goes to the village primary school. They've said she is very unlikely to get into Christ's if she remains at her current primary school.

The other option would be Tuxford, she would be guaranteed a place here due to her primary school and I hear very good things about Tuxford. However the bus picks up the wrong side of the A57 to us. So even though the bus stop is a 5min walk away she would have to cross the A57. As I work she would need to do this by herself on some day. I'm not happy about that. I also worry that her school friends would be some distance away from her and would this cause problems when she's a bit older and wants to meet up with them at weekends, etc.

Other option I suppose is LSST, but there is no transport from our village to teh school. I work shifts in Lincoln and can't get her there, hubby works in Leicester and can't get her there.

I don't know whether to keep her where she is and just pray she gets a place at QEHS. Or move her back to a primary school where she wasn't doing well so at least if she doesn't get a place she can get into Christ's. Seems madness that I would have to move her back. Do you think I would have any grounds of appeal to Christ's if I kept her at her current primary school and then she didn't get a place?

Thanks
sallyj
Posts: 212
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:45 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by sallyj »

Hi Binka,& welcome to the forum :lol:
In answer to some of your questions........
If your daughter is so happy & progressing well in her current primary I wouldn't be in any hurry to move her,especially to a school you were unhappy with-backward step !
A lot can change in the couple of years before your daughter moves onto secondary school too.
Why not consider letting her take the 11plus ?-nothing to lose & possibly everything to gain. We wanted QEGS in Horncastle last year when it was massively oversubscribed. This year they had over 20 places left ! The same could possibly apply to Christs. Yes it is currently very popular but who can say what it will be like when you need a place !
I know absolutely nothing about Tuxford,but I do know the road she would have to cross & my heart would be in my mouth each day wondering if she was safe,especially in winter months when children often start & end thier school journeys in the dark. Regarding friends being miles away,my son travels some distance to secondary school & while it's a pain ferrying him to Birthday parties miles away & after school activities,it's not impossible & he feels lucky to have two sets of friends,both within our village & at his school.
I personally am not a fan of LSST,but it certainly is very popular. It often helps if your child were to take part in thier Saturday masterclasses during year five. Maybe you could try this & get a feel for the place. If you like it you could ask about other children from your area who travel there & who's parents might be willing to offer a regular lift ?? Just a thought.
If you decide to go with the 11plus,pass, yet fail to get a place on over subscription there is always the appeal route,which although not the simplest thing to do,the wealth of information to be found here does make it a lot easier to bear. The same applies to Christs. As long as you have named it as one of your secondary choices you can appeal a place there too.
I hope that has helped you a little,no doubt others on the forum will be along shortly too.
All the best,Sallyj
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by Alex »

The distance for the last place offered at QEHS Gainsborough has gone through Saxilby for the last two years running, which is not much comfort if you live there.

Christ's Hospital has filled all its places this year. Did they specifically tell you that all places had been filled by siblings and children attending partner primary schools?

Last year it did not fill all the places on March 1st. There is also usually a fair amount of movement after March 1st so I think they were giving you a rather over-gloomy picture. But. of course, it is impossible to tell what might happen year to year as there are sometimes quite big blips and changes.

Priory Academy LSST has a rather complicated admissions policy which gives places to children from partner primary schools, gives 10% on aptitude for technology, then allocates the rest by lottery. Most of the partner schools are Lincolnshire ones but Queen Eleanor at Harby is also included though it is a Notts primary. The upshot is that from some schools you may be able to work out your chances very easily but for most it is very difficult to make an assessment of the likelihood of getting a place. They do, however, regularly admit at least another "classful" on appeal.
binka
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:42 pm

Post by binka »

Thanks for that Sallyj.

I do definetly want her to take the 11+ and if she passes I will be over the moon. I just keep thinking though that at present we more or less have her at a primary school with no back up plan. The more I think about it the more I think I can't let her go to Tuxford if it involves crossing the A57.

I just think its so unfair if we have to move her back to her old primary. I think I will email the LEA and see what they have to say about it.

I must admit I'm not keen on LSST. My "step-brother" currently goes there and from talking to his mum it does seem like a very high pressure environment which I don't think would suit DD. Of course QEHS may be the same but I went there and never found it to be like that, though guess things may have changed in 20 years!
binka
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:42 pm

Post by binka »

Christ's told me that they are oversubscribed for this coming Sept. They said that as they fill on siblings, partner primary schools and then distance from the school, as we live 7 miles away the school will be full way before they get to Saxilby unless she goes to Saxilby primary. I think that Christs has recently had a very good Ofsted so may be getting more popular.

As far as QEHS goes we are the wrong side of Saxilby as well, I would say our house is the furthest away in the village from QEHS. I know people who have sold and moved towards Sturton to try and have a better chance of a place.

Its Harby school that my daughter goes to and yes LSST normally offer 2 or 3 places per year. But its no guarantee that she would get a place even if we wanted her to go there and could get her there. There are a couple of girls in her year who I would say are brighter than her and would me more likely to get places if thats where their parents want them to go.
binka
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:42 pm

Post by binka »

And am I right in thinking that if she passes the 11+ but doesn't get a place as long as everyone who did get a place lives closer to the school then we have no grounds for appeal?
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by Alex »

And am I right in thinking that if she passes the 11+ but doesn't get a place as long as everyone who did get a place lives closer to the school then we have no grounds for appeal?
No, you can appeal on any grounds you would like to put forward. The problem is more that there are not many successful oversubscription appeals for this school and being the "only one in the village" who missed out will not necessarily be sufficient.
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by Alex »

LSST normally offer 2 or 3 places per year. But its no guarantee that she would get a place even if we wanted her to go there and could get her there. There are a couple of girls in her year who I would say are brighter than her and would me more likely to get places if thats where their parents want them to go.
Allocation of places does not take account of being bright (other than the 10% who get in on "aptitude"). There will be a couple of places available for the primary school and if there are more applicants they will be allocated first to anyone with siblings and then on distance from the Priory LSST - any further applicants will be in the lottery. It has happened in the past that nobody from the school applied.
binka
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:42 pm

Post by binka »

Mmmmm, one of my daughter's classmate's has a sister at LSST already so I think that rules one place out.

With QEHS and distance is it "as the crow flies" or road distance? I think I'm going to have to get a map out and work out if we really are the furthest away in the village :)
binka
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:42 pm

Post by binka »

Have had a look at QEHS website and its road distance so if they are using the main road (A57) then we would be about mid point in the village I suppose. But if they use the shortest road distance, ie; the back road to Sturton then we would be the furthest away. It also doesn't look good that on their website it says for the last 3 years they have had to turn down between 34 and 38 children every year who have passed the 11+.
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