PAN

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sss
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:53 pm

PAN

Post by sss »

What is PAN?
Can it change in number?
How do individual heads of the GS decide how many offers are made over PAN each year?
Is the real idea of offers over PAN because schools want the cleverer children (i.e. those definitely reaching the pass mark) as opposed to the borderline cases (those on the waiting lists)?
Is the 'ideal' scenario: a zero offer over PAN - so those on the waiting list can get a GS place or is it better to have a larger offer over PAN?
Can you have more take up offers over than PAN?
Is the pass mark set after working out offers over PAN or is it the other way round?
What are the recent offer numbers over PAN for the KEGS?
Can there really be as much as a 25% rejection of a KEGS (offers over PAN) in favour of an Indie etc?
I'm just trying to get my head around this subject (after finally getting to grips with standardisation scores)!
Any of these answered would be appreciated.
mike1880
Posts: 2563
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:51 pm

Re: PAN

Post by mike1880 »

sss wrote: What is PAN?
Can it change in number?
Published admission number. It's the number the school is permitted to admit. It can change athough in the past GSs couldn't increase it by law, and others could do so only after lengthy consultation and usually faced bitter opposition from neighbouring schools who didn't want to see their own funding threatened. Much easier for schools to increase their PAN this year, as the Warks GS have done.
sss wrote: How do individual heads of the GS decide how many offers are made over PAN each year?
No idea. Experience probably.
sss wrote: Is the real idea of offers over PAN because schools want the cleverer children (i.e. those definitely reaching the pass mark) as opposed to the borderline cases (those on the waiting lists)?
No, the idea is to try and get as close to PAN as possible after initial acceptances. If they didn't over offer they'd have to try and fill more places from the waiting list which I imagine is a much more uncertain process (and the top of the waiting would be the same children that they're over-offering to, so in that respect it makes no difference). The head is looking to fill every single place, because funding is per child. An empty seat is money lost to the school.
sss wrote: Is the 'ideal' scenario: a zero offer over PAN - so those on the waiting list can get a GS place or is it better to have a larger offer over PAN?
It depends who you ask. Zero over-offers is much better for the amateur statistician, it makes the maths so much more reliable. I'll repeat, the waiting list is in the same priority order as initial offers, so whichever approach you adopt it's the same children.
sss wrote: Can you have more take up offers over than PAN?
Yes, but you can't make a habit of it.
sss wrote: Is the pass mark set after working out offers over PAN or is it the other way round?
It would have to be after, wouldn't it? Because if you set the mark first you wouldn't make any offers over PAN.
sss wrote: What are the recent offer numbers over PAN for the KEGS?
No idea
sss wrote: Can there really be as much as a 25% rejection of a KEGS (offers over PAN) in favour of an Indie etc?
Not impossible. All/most of the prep school entries will also be entering for some or all of KES, Solihull, Warwick, KH8, etc., etc., and CH will be the fall back option for many of them rather than the other way round as it is for us plebs.

Mike
sss
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: PAN

Post by sss »

Thanks Mike for your reply - I knew I could rely on you.
Also I liked that last line about us 'plebs' - very pertinent.
vza
Posts: 63
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:35 pm

Re: PAN

Post by vza »

SSS,
How do individual heads of the GS decide how many offers are made over PAN each year?
For NGHS 2012 intake, this is how the allocation process by Telford Council was carried out (not actual figures):

- PAN was 100 and 846 took the test;
- After marking the test, a list with rank orders were sent to the council
- 100 places were allocated to the top 100 ranked candidates. However, at the time of allocation, 60 places were offered to these 100 candidates at a higher preference school
- As a result, more candidates with ranks 101 to 160 were allocated places and the last offer was made to the candidates ranked 160
- A waiting list was also drawn up of 38 more candidates (ranks 161 to 198) in the event any places being declined and become available to reallocate
- After allocation letters were received in March, some places were declined (parents opting for independent schools) and the waiting list kicked-in. This further increased the numbers over PAN, possibly by 12 to 18.

The above figures are not the actual figures for NGHS, but are proportionally correct. In this allocation process, the school had no role. The council match candidates’ ranks with their preferences, which may involve more than one local authority. In my own case, my DD expressed three preferences (maximum allowed in Staffordshire) which included schools from three different local authorities.

I cannot see the allocation process working any other way, but I could be wrong.

VZA
Last edited by vza on Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
sss
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: PAN

Post by sss »

Thanks vza
Your explanation was great - it all makes a lot more sense now.
Regards
sss
UmSusu
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: PAN

Post by UmSusu »

sss, before you know it you will be an expert on all things 11 plus!

I should admit that when I first visited this forum, although I gained a lot of information from it, after reading the amount of detailed discussions about every aspect I turned to DH and said 'what a bunch of freaks!' (SORRY :oops: )
.....nowit seems that either I have become one or I was completely wrong - tbh I am still not sure which :D
UmSusu
sss
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: PAN

Post by sss »

I've made a promise to myself that after the 15th Oct I'll log off this forum forever..........but I remember you said something similar last year! :lol:
UmSusu
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: PAN

Post by UmSusu »

:lol: :lol:
:oops:
UmSusu
sss
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: PAN

Post by sss »

Don't be :oops: - I think there's more of us 11+ 'freaks' than you can imagine! :)
still hopeful?
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:18 am

Re: PAN

Post by still hopeful? »

I've been off the forum since DS1 settled on a place at BVGS (BTW for those who've tracked my posts, DS is hating it but working much harder than he would have at local Comp so I feel vindicated...), I was however intrigued by this thread.

I guess the new exam system may alter everything, but I got the impression that last year BVGS offered to a low PAN in order to 'sweep up fails' from the other KE schools who had not put BVGS on their LE submission in order to boost the score of their 'lowest entrant'.

I've no facts to support this. Just a thought. Anybody have comments?
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