AGGS Catchment/Score Question

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countrymum
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Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:16 am

AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by countrymum »

Hi, well after a very enjoyable open day event at AGGS, both DD and I are as keen as beans to get her a place there :D One question I would like answering is this score situation. We are within catchment ( 4.6 miles ) but believe there may be many others taking the exam who live a lot closer to school than that.

My question is: If she passes the qualifying 334 score though gets the same score as girl A who lives closer to the school, am I right in assuming girl A get's the place over her?

If DD got a higher score than girl A, ( even just by a mark or two ) would DD then get the place? Am just wondering when/how the actual score one gets over the pass mark actually comes into it, if at all.

I did ask this tonight but was very busy etc so went a bit over my head. Thanks in advance.
overanxious
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Location: Manchester

Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by overanxious »

It's a simple pass/fail situation, and then the distance criteria is applied. A girl living nearer to the school with a bare pass will qualify before a girl on the edge of catchment who scored 100%.

I'm not sure in what circumstances passing with a high score might give you an advantage over a bare pass - perhaps for the very last place available if both candidates live exactly the same distance away?
countrymum
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Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:16 am

Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by countrymum »

overanxious wrote:It's a simple pass/fail situation, and then the distance criteria is applied. A girl living nearer to the school with a bare pass will qualify before a girl on the edge of catchment who scored 100%.

I'm not sure in what circumstances passing with a high score might give you an advantage over a bare pass - perhaps for the very last place available if both candidates live exactly the same distance away?
Thanks overanxious, that is really helpful. We have been having a bit of a debate at home about this and DH saying doesn't seem fair that hypothetically if she got 100% someone who just lives up the road ( but nearer as the crow flies ) just passes and gets in. Though do understand this distance rule so appreciate why it is used in this instance. Of course in an ideal world everyone who passes would get in.

Thanks for clarifying.
TraffordMum
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Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by TraffordMum »

Overanxious is right. Schools can choose what criteria they apply. AGGS has a sibling policy and under the relevant law, if they choose to have that then they cannot also have a highest score policy. Contrast that with AGSB which has a bare pass requirement for boys in a small catchment (who usually fill about 2/3 of the places) but then fill the remaining places with out of catchment boys on a highest score first basis. No sibling rule.
countrymum
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Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:16 am

Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by countrymum »

TraffordMum wrote:Overanxious is right. Schools can choose what criteria they apply. AGGS has a sibling policy and under the relevant law, if they choose to have that then they cannot also have a highest score policy. Contrast that with AGSB which has a bare pass requirement for boys in a small catchment (who usually fill about 2/3 of the places) but then fill the remaining places with out of catchment boys on a highest score first basis. No sibling rule.
Thanks TraffordMum, all making sense now. Have gone over criteria's etc and understand much better. Also mentions in tie breaker type thing, they pick randomly. Does anyone know how many girls passed last year, or rather passed but didn't get a place. Are they oversubscibed every year.
TraffordMum
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Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by TraffordMum »

They are always oversubscribed, yes. This year they made offers on 1st March up to just over 6 miles from the school. We know that only one place has been made available from the waiting list this year.

I don't know the figures off the top of my head (my memory is not what it used to be), but it's something like for 174 places they get 280ish passes out of 500ish exam takers. Remember though that the exam is somewhat self-selecting so you generally only get people who have a chance of passing taking it. It's not an exam that everyone takes.

Edited to add: For definitive figures for the 2012 intake read a bit further down the thread......
countrymum
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Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by countrymum »

TraffordMum wrote:They are always oversubscribed, yes. This year they made offers on 1st March up to just over 6 miles from the school. We know that only one place has been made available from the waiting list this year.

I don't know the figures off the top of my head (my memory is not what it used to be), but it's something like for 174 places they get 280ish passes out of 500ish exam takers. Remember though that the exam is somewhat self-selecting so you generally only get people who have a chance of passing taking it. It's not an exam that everyone takes.
:shock: Oh my, didn't realise so many passed but didn't get/take up a place. Think am going to forget about numbers :roll: and just concentrate on seeing if she passes, and then take it from there. Thanks TraffordMum, really valuable information from you as always :)
Tao
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Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:31 pm

Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by Tao »

Hi there, I don't think you need to worry unduly. 4.6 miles is safely within catchment. I think only going out 6.2 miles this year was unusual, I've never heard of them going out any less so you should be fine. Although upto 300 pass the exam, I think a lot of people take the exam who live further away. I thought that usually 900+ take it though, meaning about a third pass. Just concentrate on getting her through the exam!!

Tao
TraffordMum
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Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by TraffordMum »

You may well be right, Tao, in terms of numbers sitting the exam.

And I agree that this year's 6.2 miles is as close in as it's been. My conjecture as to why it is so far in this year is because in the current Years 11, 10 and 9 there is a 7 form intake which potentially gives a higher number of siblings in current Year 6 who are within the 10 mile radius and therefore may have taken up a higher number of spaces before you get to allocations on distance. There's also the undoubted effect of the credit crunch where girls who might have gone to Withy or Man High in previous years are taking up places at AGGS instead. Certainly I have never known a year before where only 1 place has come from the waiting list. But who knows?

Just concentrate on practice, technique and timing and keep wandering in and making a noise so that your daughter is used to some distraction, because she'll probably have to deal with something in the actual exam, be it someone bursting into tears, someone being sick, or people going in and out to the toilet.
Elphaba
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Re: AGGS Catchment/Score Question

Post by Elphaba »

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Last edited by Elphaba on Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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