Oversubscription apeal question

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frustrated
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:28 am
Location: kent

Oversubscription apeal question

Post by frustrated »

Hi, I wondered if anyone could shed some light........

My son passed 11+ and was offered a local non-selective school. We live in the Canterbury Authority of Kent, and missed out when oversubscription criteria was applied, due to distance (missing out by less than half a mile for grammar schools that we applied for)

Does anyone know of any children in the past who passed their kent test and were still refused a grammar school place even after appeals?

It is my understanding that any child who wants a grammar school and passed the kent test would eventually get a grammar school place, either through appeal or the waiting list.

How accurate do you think this information is?
Tracy
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Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:28 am
Location: Bexley

Post by Tracy »

Frustrated, sorry you haven't had any answers yet.
I can't help with Kent but here in Bexley, the authority makes a point of stating that no child will be guaranteed a grammar place unless he/she is placed in the 'top 180'. In a nutshell, it's tough luck if the grammars are oversubscribed! This info is found in the admissions booklet.
Have a look in the Kent booklet to see what your authority says.
hermanmunster
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Post by hermanmunster »

I get confused about Kent - aren't there some areas that are not grammar school areas where you can take the test but aren't guaranteed a place..?
frustrated
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:28 am
Location: kent

Post by frustrated »

Yep, Bexley is tough area to get into grammar school, and I'm glad I don't live THERE anymore! :D

The schools that we want are a straight pass or fail for the kent test, so it is a bit easier here.

Personal opinion only - if he were to be refused a grammar school place in the end even though he passed the test, then surely the grammar school system isn't being supported to some extent?

The schools that we want offer places on appeal year on year, also one is expanding, building extra classrooms for academic subjects and the other is going up a whole class size next year, with no evidence of expanding, so how will they fit these extra children in if they say that they can't do that now? Don't know if this will have a positive or negative effect for my appeals. :?

I am sure the local paper published a comment from someone in the education authority that just because some children didn't get a grammar place, it doesn't mean that they won't get one eventually. Wish I kept the article now so that I can be more clear.

Yes, it is very frustrating not yet having any answers until after appeal, but we'll get there. :(

Just want to know if there are any grammar assessed children in my area who were still left with no grammar school place in past years even after appeals? :?
frustrated
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:28 am
Location: kent

Post by frustrated »

Hi, Hermanmunster

We live in a 'scheme of education that serves grammar schools'. There are children in this area who have secured grammar school places at the schools that we want, but due to oversubscription, we literally just missed out distance wise (by just a few roads), although there is a large amount of children living even further away that attend the schools, so they have managed to get out this far and even further in the past, just not the last couple of years unfortunately.

Very difficult times for us, as my son is feeling dissillusioned about the whole thing, and is wondering why he bothered to even do the kent test in the first place.
Tracy
Posts: 1123
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:28 am
Location: Bexley

Post by Tracy »

Passing the Kent test does not guarantee that your child will go to the grammar school of your choice. Grammar schools can become over-subscribed in the same way as other schools.

I found this on the Kent website. There is a ray of hope as it says that you might not get the grammar of your choice not NO grammar.

If you are in the same scheme of education and you are only a couple of roads away, surely you must be at the top of the waiting list?

I know you have an appeal going, good luck with that, I can really understand how frustrated you and your son must be.
Tracy
Posts: 1123
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:28 am
Location: Bexley

Post by Tracy »

Like all other schools, grammar schools may be oversubscribed, and need to apply their oversubscription criteria to decide who can be offered a place. A child who takes part in the Kent assessment procedure is not guaranteed a grammar school place, even if he or she has been assessed
suitable for grammar school, and if the grammar school(s) you want cannot offer a place, we may need to offer you a place at a different sort of school.


Just found this. :cry:
mitasol
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Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Post by mitasol »

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/ ... laces.aspx

I don't know if this is the article you were thinking of?
KCC said about 100 children who passed the 11-plus had not at this stage been offered a grammar school place.

It follows concerns raised last year when some children were offered places at the county’s selective schools miles away from their homes. In one case, a student from Sevenoaks was offered a grammar place at a school in Folkestone.

Cllr Sarah Hohler (Con), KCC cabinet member for children's services, said that did not mean those children would not eventually be offered a grammar school place.
Hang in there. :D
frustrated
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:28 am
Location: kent

Post by frustrated »

Thanks Tracy

It does seem a little hopeful.

He is in the first 10 for one of the schools, but the other won't tell me his position yet, and as the schools are two of the most popular choices for this area, I don't think he would get in on the waiting lists this side of the summer holidays.

Am having visions of the appeals panel being monsters, but clearly, by reading other posts, this is not the case. I am sure we'll get there in the end, just wish we didn't have to go through it, but someone has to....... :(
frustrated
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:28 am
Location: kent

Post by frustrated »

Thats the article, Mitasol

Thankyou.

We are holding on (by a thread! :) )
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