Today is closing date for applying for Consortium Tests

[Daogroupie]

Today is the last day that you can apply to sit the Consortium Tests. After today if you want to apply for any of the Watford schools that have the entrance test and you have not applied to take the test, you will only be able to get in on distance or sibling or a statement of special educational needs. The exam is on 15th September so no good for DAO applicants but I would recommend anyone who is sitting QE boys or HBS to take advantage of the fact that this exam is before and apply for it. Clement Danes has no catchment area at all so anyone can apply and Parmiters has an outer catchment area so you can apply for either of these schools to sit the test. There is also a music test so if you are sitting for a school that has a music test after this date this is an excellent opportunity to get some experience. Unfortunately this year a lot of students are going to miss out so do not be one of them! DG

[RationalityRules]

DG, are you suggesting that parents and tutors should apply for their children to sit the Consortium tests for practice even if they aren't going to name any of the Consortium schools on their CAF? Thanks for clarifying. RR

[dlb]

Gosh - closing date is so early - a lot of parents are going to miss out this year and you only get one shot.

[mp1]

Thank you very much.Just now I applied.I am really appreciated you DG.

[Long Journey]

I was helping out at a school event last evening and my heart sank at the way some children and parents had no idea about the application process. I blame the school (primary) for it. True, the parents should do their research, but not all of them are going to (they might not realise that they need to) and it's the children who will miss out. There should have been a meeting for parents to explain the process and the key dates. I heard things like

1. I'll first apply for School A, and if I don't get in then I'm going to try School B.
2. What test?
3. Watford Grammar is too hard, so we're just applying to Parmiters.

I wonder how many children are missing out because of schools like ours.

[Daogroupie]

Your post makes for very sad reading Long Journey. I would like somebody at Herts County Council to explain to me who they think should be informing parents about what they need to do to apply for the eight state secondary schools in their country that have entrance exams. If it is not going to be the role of the primary school and I absolutely feel that it should be, than who is supposed to do it? What happens to "Every Child matters" when there are very able children from less well off families who are not being given these opportunites? DG

[Long Journey]

To be fair DG, the school sent out a letter initially with the dates (this was well before registration for the test opened) but since then nothing as the Headteacher changed during that time. A parent told me that she doesn't have internet facilities so had no idea about any info on the test or how to apply but luckily she had a family member who was clued up about the dates and registered her child for her. A lot of parents were, understandably, angry with the school.

[Daogroupie]

I would have thought it would have been important enough to be announced in assembly, put on the website and in the newsletter and on Friday morning put on a whiteboard and propped up outside the school gates. That is what I would have requested if I had had anything to do with a Watford school. DG