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chim289
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:51 pm

Questions

Post by chim289 »

Hi we live in an area that only has private grammar schools but we are very keen for ds1 to attend a grammar school rather than being stuck in one of the comprehensives that are local to us, but not living in an area that has grammars I'm, clueless as are the teachers at his school. He is in yr5 and in the yr6 G&T groups so have absolutely no doubt that he would pass the 11+.

How do we go about getting him to sit the 11+? What is the applicatio process for someone outside of an area?
Will he be able to do it at his school under supervision of one of his teachers or will he have to go to an area that sits the 11+ to do it?
Is the 11+ a standard exam across the entire country or is it different for every LEA?

We have family in 3 areas that have grammars plus the next county along have grammars so we have a few options but just no idea how to go about it.

Thanks very much for reading and I look forward to your responses. :)
faitaccompli
Posts: 357
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:44 pm

Re: Questions

Post by faitaccompli »

May I say that we have also come from am area with either indies or comprehensives - also with a child that is in the G&T range. However, unless you specifically prepare for the 11+, it doesn't really matter HOW clever your child is.

Also, each area has pretty stringent requirements with regard to pupil location - some areas will not consider you if you do not live (and this is providing council tax bills to prove residency) within 5 miles of the school. Others have a far wider catchment.

It does not matter a jot where your family is living - it is where the child lives that is relevant - you cannot just have letters address to a family member in another town - the admissions staff have been there and done that many times over! Find a school and see if you are in the catchment area - there are maps detailing this information on a variety of website.

The exam is different for each county and often within each school within that county. It totally depends on where you apply as to the type of exam you will be doing.

But whatever you decide, make sure you get moving now to ensure you do not miss the cut off dates for applications - then start working on what your son needs to achieve for each of the schools for which he is applying.

Best of luck - it is a more difficult process when you are up against the issues of not being in catchment.

Edited to add, due to family illness, it made sense for us to move nearer family and therefor into grammar catchment areas - but we did leave it very late and had to make up a lot of lost time with the lack of preparation. My son has qualified for a Bucks grammar school, but we don't know whether he will actually get his local one or be allocated one further afield.
chim289
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:51 pm

Re: Questions

Post by chim289 »

Thanks. We will obviously be looking to move. If we didn't my son would have up to a 2 hour a day journey to school, we want to find out the answers to the questions so that we can get him to sit an exam (if that is possible in any way). The reason I put about family was that there were 3 options to move to, plus the neighbouring county would mean that we could look at that and only have to move about 40 minutes away from home.

The areas we would be looking at are:

Medway & Kent (more specifically Maidstone area as DH is from Medway but not keen on moving back, but Maidstone is as close to his parents as living in another area of Medway would be), Gloucestershire (DHs sister lives there, but we don't like the area she lives in so would really only be looking at Cheltenham) and Dorset (Bournemouth or Poole). Does anyone have any info on these areas? Can he not sit an 11+ without living in an area? If & when we move it will be between years 6 & 7, not before, so no matter what we decide he will not live in a grammar catchment area until he finishes at his current junior school.

I have already printed off some of the test papers for ds1 and he flew through them (quicker than I did tbh and I had an assisted place at one of the local private schools so I would definitely be confident on him passing without any problems).

So if exams are different in each area and often in each school would that mean he could quite possibly have to take up to 10 exams?

Is it then going to be necessary for me to contact each and every school that would be a possibility and apply to them? I take it then that you have to apply to a school before the exam is sat?
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Questions

Post by hermanmunster »

Grammar schools vary in the way places are allocated.

Some are super selectives who offer places on scores alone and it doesn't matter where you live... - others are "pass and you are in BUT you must live in the area for a period of time before the tests.."

So... risk is going for the super selectives and see what you get - some kids have been practicising for years and the competition is fierce. or decide that it will be a non super select - decide which you want and then move to the area before he takes the testor take the test and then risk an over sub appeal when you move to the area.
DC17C
Posts: 1197
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:34 pm

Re: Questions

Post by DC17C »

You can sit the Gloucester test at any Gloucester GS and the results can be shared with any Gloucester school you are interested in. The schools are super selectives so no catchment area. I know there are children who sit out of county- I believe one child sat the test in Calfornia last year!
scary mum
Posts: 8840
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Questions

Post by scary mum »

There are sections for each area of the country if you look further down the index. There are always people around to give advice. Good luck.
scary mum
pheasantchick
Posts: 2439
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:28 pm

Re: Questions

Post by pheasantchick »

In Maidstone, the 11+ is known as The Kent Test, and consists of maths, verbal reasoning, and non- verbal reasoning. In Medway, a different 11+ test is taken. Most grammar schools require a pass mark of 360, with a minimum score needed in each section (119 this year). Some schools ( super selectives) require higher scores.

Please feel free to post any questions in the Kent section. We're a lively, friendly lot.

Welcome to the forum.
chim289
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:51 pm

Re: Questions

Post by chim289 »

Thank you for all of your replies. I will have a wander over to the various areas in the week and pick your brains!

At the risk of sounding like I'm throwing my toys out the pram, how is it fair that where you happe to be born and live can have a major effect on your education. <stamps feet and moans about how unfair life is> :D
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Questions

Post by Guest55 »

There are some excellent schools that aren't GS or private schools.

You do not always have to be 'lucky' about where you are born. :D
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Questions

Post by hermanmunster »

Chim... it is just one of those things..

I understand how you feel about the schools - I lived in an area with comprehensives and indies - no GS. Many people were really quite happy with the comprehensives- while others paid up for indies.
I wanted a GS so moved area to be able to send the kids - it can be done but takes intricate planning - also be careful thinking kids don't need any extra help with the papers - my kids were at private schools where there was extra work being done for indie exams and this helped them (not specific to the GS but seemed enough .. :oops: )
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