BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

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raymae
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2012 5:51 pm

BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by raymae »

I have realised i have made a huge big boo boo :(
My son sat the kent 11plus, The grammar i desperatly wanted, i have only just discovered requires the Bexley test to have been taken ... So if he qualifiys, he still wont be accepted there :(
I thought that a pass meant you could apply to any grammar for a place, Ive only just figured that this is not the case. Im too late to sign up for him to take there test now, im gutted :cry:
Not to mention when i looked into the bexley test, it appears to be more in line with what they actually learn withing their curriculam, Maths being based on key stage 2 material ... And the results are scored overall for a pass, not on each individual subject having to reach a minimum mark.
Grrr .... Is there anything that i can do :?:
theonly1
Posts: 152
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 11:24 am

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by theonly1 »

Hi,
Out of curiousity, which grammar in kent requires for the Bexley exam to be done? You need to consider contacting the bexley county for details of late entry exams.

All the best,
theonly1
raymae
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2012 5:51 pm

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by raymae »

Chistlehurst and sidcup Grammar school. It has a lot of focus on music drama and dance, which are very much my son's strong points. I can't find another Grammar that specializes in this area within our reaching distance. His school have recommeded he apply for the Brit performing arts school, but they dont take children below age 14. x
hermanmunster
Posts: 12818
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by hermanmunster »

Raymae, I am sorry to hear what has happened but it is the case that there are many 11 plus test around the country and these vary - they are not interchangeable and each area will require their own to be done. Many kids do bothe the Kent test and the Bexley test each year.
Unfortunately you have missed the tests now for Bexley - am really not sure if they have a late test (presume they do) or whether they would accept a late application to sit it? You really need to phone the Bexley admissions people and plead!!
Jiff
Posts: 140
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:31 am

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by Jiff »

Raemae, I am so sorry to hear what's happened and can only imagine the panic you felt when you found out. Whereabouts do you live? If you are in reach of Chis and Sid, might you also be within travelling distance of eg Dartford Grammar in Kent? I have a DS there and can thoroughly recommend it. As you may know, although they have a catchment area, they also take a fair number of high scorers who are out of borough. Is this a possibility for your DS?
lefol
Posts: 382
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:13 pm
Location: Bexleyheath

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by lefol »

My advice would be to ring or email Bexley and explain the mistake you made, I am sure they can make provision for a late test .. It is worth calling them asap.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by mystery »

Oh I wouldn't worry about these specialisms. Most of them are a bit meaningless these days anyhow. e.g. language specialisms at schools which only offer one language etc etc.

Just make sure that you get him a place at a good school and that you use the right applications fomrs etc. It still sounds as though you have a lot of research to do to ensure that you don't hash up the CAF too. Have you read the admissions booklets and admission policies for every local authority and school in which you are interested?

It's easily done, don't worry. I know several people who put the wrong primary school on the form because they didn't read the school name which comes up on the list on the computer properly and it looked quite similar to the school they wanted!! One of them got a school about 40 miles from where they lived because it had a similar name (a not very good school of course as otherwise it would have been full of children who lived closer).

The Brit School is still an option later on. I've always been very curious about it too.
tigger2
Posts: 755
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:35 am

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by tigger2 »

I met someone who made a real hash of their caf....as soon as she got her sons score she applied for the school they wanted...a super selective gs in Tunbridge Wells called the Skinners School...trouble is that in her rush to complete the caf she didn't double check and instead applied for the school next to it on the list...The Skinners Kent Academy...which was at the time a non selective that many families wouldn't make their first choice.

She didn't realise until 1st March when she got the offer..................Sorry ,diverted from Mystery's sound advice about reading up on your possibilities but this family had to go wait three long,stressful months to go through the appeals process for a very silly mistake.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by mystery »

Ha, yes, that's as bad as the other mistakes I've heard people make. People make a hash of it in more subtle ways than that too - e.g. putting down a whole bunch of schools they stand no chance of getting in to and then wondering why they are allocated a school on the other side of the earth.

The trouble is that the booklet makes you feel it is a choice - really it's a form on which you should put schools to which, on the basis of sound research, you know you have a chance of getting in to, and you should put them in the right order of preference. You need a cast iron plan B so that you don't get allocated something a million miles away unless you are going to enjoy appealing to the local shcool you didn't really want that much but should have put as your final choice.
raymae
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2012 5:51 pm

Re: BIG BAD Mistake .. What can i do?

Post by raymae »

Thanks everyone for the replies :D
I did try and beg for a late sitting of the bexley test but it was a deffinite no no :( . They did say that if my son passes his 11plus then he will automatically qualify to sit the 12 plus at the end of year 7, should we still wish him to attend a grammar in their area ... Or even if he should not pass, if his levels are 5a in maths science and english, then he would also beable to sit it. So thats something to bear in mind should he either not pass this year, or not be happy with the school he eventually gets allocated.
I think i am officially going insane with all this school malarky .... Very nearly carted my son off to an all girls school open day :oops: Somehow ended up on my short list (not that "short list" is a very apt word for my never-ending list of open days) :lol:
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