The Wrekin?

[um]

I do agree with adding Wolverhampton to this forum, but, having lived in Brum for over 11 years, had never heard of the Wrekin. If anything, there are far more posters from Solihull around here than from Walsall or Wolverhampton...

A search on Wikipedia brings this nugget of info:

The Wrekin is a hill in east Shropshire, England. It is located some 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Telford.

Now I apologise to anyone who lives on said hill and who feel it warrants a front page mention on the forum, but I am somewhat bemused here...is there a Grammar School on the hill or have I missed something?

[solimum]

Telford & Wrekin is the LEA for part of the historic county of Shropshire, and there does appear to be at least one grammar school in the area http://www.adamsgs.org.uk/public/publicWrapper.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is as you say also a very fine hill, and fits in with Wolverhampton and Walsall in a fine example of alliteration....

[um]

Ah, yes, I know the school, ds1 went to a rugby match there once and said it was ages away
It is in Shropshire.

[no_ball]

Close to Scotland?

[hermanmunster]

Oh really - just west of brum and they have brummy accents too! There are two schools in Newport - Adams GS ( state boarding for boys) and Newport Girls High school (rather good results) - also Thomas Telford Comprehensive with A level results better than the boys GS


ahem:

Thomas Telford School students have again achieved a 98% pass rate for twelve or more A*-C grade GCSEs including English and Mathematics which last year saw the School as the top performing comprehensive in the country in the Government’s Performance Tables.

[um]

I am now on rightmove searching for properties in Telford

[um]

Edit: Alas, it seems that buying a house near this particular (excellent) comprehensive gives no guaranteed place.

Which is sad as you can buy a 4 bed semi for £109K just next to it. A price unheard of in Birmingham

It is a 'City Technology' College and tests all applicants, 'bands' them and admits an equal number from each band. Bit of a lottery then.
My nephew took a similar test for Dixon's in Bradford and got the highest score - but no place .

[mike1880]

You can blame me for this, I've been badgering for it for months: (1) the Wolverhampton forum was down to about one post a year so hardly worth having, (2) most of the schools (not Adams I think, but I'm not an expert) have adopted the CEM test so are probably best served by tapping the accumulated knowledge on the Birmingham forum - esp. since I seem to be about the only person who's responded to anything on the Wolverhampton forum in the last year and (3) a measurable number of posters on the B'ham forum apply to the Wolverhampton schools.

Thomas Telford is an example of everything that stinks about the academy system. They test to identify nine ability bands and take equal numbers from each band...BUT selection within each band is by the headmaster by reference to Y5 school reports, and what he looks for is evidence of high achievement, work ethic, etc., so it's actually a VERY selective school, as the indicators for "comprehensiveness" (FSM, SEN, etc.) show. (The high ability bands are much more oversubscribed than lower ability bands, incidentally, so it's fairly obvious how to improve a bright child's chances of getting a place.)

Mike

[um]

The Adam's Grammar test sample paper on their website is completely identical to the one I have received from Bham Consortium, so yes, it is CEM.

As for the regional name, I am not sure if we should just throw Warks in as well, as it is also rarely frequented, has CEM-type tests and includes Solihull and Worcs families who also post on the Bham forum! Should we just say 'Birmingham and surrounding'? i

[UmSusu]

Or perhaps just West Midlands? But I suppose Warks and Worcs would not come under that title?