Pass mark and mid-year admissions

[looleeuk]

Hello! Our offer on a house in SLeaford has been accepted so all very exciting stuff here! So now it's busy cramming 11+ stuff with DD for the test in September........

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can gather they have to get 220 points out of a max 286? This equates to under 80% by my rough maths which I find surprising - I would've expected it to be higher than that. Without any tuition DD is currently getting 80% and above in both types of test when we've had a few practice runs recently so I don't think there'll be any issues her getting a higher mark by testing date. I know there probably isn't a specific pass mark but anything is better than nothing!

On the subject of Mid-year admissions - does anyone have any idea what the likelihood on getting a place through a mid-year admission is? Due to our posting to the Falklands for a year, DD will start secondary school down there and hopefully join KSHSSA March 2014, subject to there being a place for her. We were hoping we'd be able to apply for a regular place and subject to her passing the 11+, defer it 6 months till March 2014 but this isn't an option sadly

I've heard the secondary school in Sleaford is oversubscribed also, so what would happen if there was no place for her there either?!! Would we have to make the trek to the nearest school that could fit her in daily, or is there transport around for that?

many thanks in advance
Lucy

[wonderwoman]

I can't help you on mid year admissions - it's all down to the numbers in the school but there is always the option to appeal.

The 11+ is standardised so it's not easy to work out a pass mark. 220 refers to the standardised mark and children born at different times of the year will gain a mark of 220 with differing raw scores.

You are right about the secondary school in Sleaford often being over subscribed, even when I was a child, long ago, it was the most popular school in Sleaford. It now also has sites in Ruskington (close to Sleaford) and Billingborough - I think. I don't know about transport, but you'd be able to get from Sleaford to Ruskington easily enough.

[Alex]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can gather they have to get 220 points out of a max 286? This equates to under 80% by my rough maths which I find surprising - I would've expected it to be higher than that. Without any tuition DD is currently getting 80% and above in both types of test when we've had a few practice runs recently so I don't think there'll be any issues her getting a higher mark by testing date. I know there probably isn't a specific pass mark but anything is better than nothing!

As Wonderwoman has said, the marks are Standardised - for an explanation of how it works see
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/advice ... xplanation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is not possible to say how many raw marks will get you a pass because that will vary from exam to exam and from cohort to cohort but a very rough guesstimate is that around 75% would generally get you there.

On the subject of Mid-year admissions - does anyone have any idea what the likelihood on getting a place through a mid-year admission is? Due to our posting to the Falklands for a year, DD will start secondary school down there and hopefully join KSHSSA March 2014, subject to there being a place for her. We were hoping we'd be able to apply for a regular place and subject to her passing the 11+, defer it 6 months till March 2014 but this isn't an option sadly

KSHSSA is usually full by the start of any school year even if it has not filled all places in March allocations. You can always appeal though and taking into account living in the town, being a forces family and having passed the tests your chances would be pretty good so long as they are not over 8 above their PAN in the year group - 2 extra per class is the limit above which I have never seen it go. You need to be careful about testing - the result usually is valid for only one school year - so if you are back by March 2014 it should be OK but if you were delayed the result might not be valid for the following school year. I think your best bet would be to check direct with the school about this - they are very approachable. You can apply from abroad with a posting notice and if there is a place they will generally keep it for 6 weeks or so - but I am not sure whether there is a statutory limit on the amount of time they can keep a place open - I think someone challenged this so it might be worth checking with the RAF education advisers. If you need to appeal it would be best to wait till you are in situ. You also have the option to delay taking the tests till you come back.

St George's has historically always been oversubscribed but the pressure hasn't been quite so bad in these low birth rate years. Again, if there were no place you can appeal. If the LA cannot offer you any of your preferences they will offer the nearest available school with a place. You will get free transport to the nearest available school that is over 3 miles away.

[FluxCapacity]

Just noticed this posting, and you may have resolved this already, but it resonated with something I read in a different school's policies, namely:
The governors will meet the governments 'military covenant' commitment to service personnel and crown servants returning from abroad by removing any disadvantage caused by their posting taking into account the curriculum and organization of the year group.

I don't know the school you are applying to, and its position regarding this, but I wonder if you can use the 'military covenant' approach with them?

HTH.

[looleeuk]

Thanks for your reply Fluxcapacity. I've heard of the military covenant but have never looked into it any further- I will do so now! When I spoke to the school initially they said they used to accept deferred entries into the school but had recently changed tack, my guess being too many military people applied for places that they didn't take up and the school had enough of it.

I shall investigate further
Thanks