Advice please

[Liltas]

Hi, I am new to this after lurking for a few months and I have found the site so helpful. My question is and im really sorry if im asking something I should know already (!) but if a few children get the same score for Sir Thomas Richs, say 210 and they offer places as low as that, how do they determine which child with a score of 210 to offer it to?

My DS is sitting the test on 6th October and im starting to really stress about it after having been fairly calm about it all. Unfortunately as a single parent Ive been unable to pay for tutoring, so hes been doing test papers at home for a few months and Ive been going through his weak points with him but Im now panicking that its not enough and hes not been given the best opportunity of getting through the test

[pixiequeen]

Hi Liltas, I know it's hard, but don't panic! Lots of people don't pay for tutoring - we certainly didn't with DD1 who passed easily for SHS and we will only do practice papers at home with DD2 when it's her turn next year. Best thing now is to hide your panic from your DS, lay off the practice papers and build his confidence up as much as you can.

I know with some schools the last few places are decided on distance if there are several children with the same mark, but I have a feeling that Sir Thomas Rich's pull names out of a hat. There is a thread somewhere about it on the Glos. forum. If this happens to you and your son passes but just misses out, don't forget that you can put him on the waiting list for a place and there is a good chance that he will get one.

Good Luck to your son for 6th Oct

Pixiequeen

[stroudydad]

The tie breaker for STRS is distance. If you check out the STRS website it is in the admission section. Would add the link but I'm not very good at getting them to work:-)

[Liltas]

Thank you both for taking the time to respond, its much appreciated

Im trying to adopt the what will be will be attitude but cant help but get a bit stressed! It does make me feel better to know others have got through with no tutoring as Ive had a couple of parents look at me like I was an alien recently when I said my DS hasnt had any!!

[stroudydad]

Please also remember every parent will be thinking the same, no matter how much tutoring their child has had , they will all be thinking now "have we done enough". Most importantly you obviously care about his education so whichever school he ends up at I'm sure he'll do brilliantly

[capers123]

The tie breaker for STRS is distance. If you check out the STRS website it is in the admission section. Would add the link but I'm not very good at getting them to work:-)

Just to emphasise, ranking is first worked out on weighted scores, then the distance factor is applied for those with equal weighted scores to give the ranking. It is only likely to affect a small handfull of children.

And if you think that's complicated, you should see the admissions criteria for some faith schools, where there may be 10 or more categories (Active membership of this faith in this parish curently at a faith school, Active membership of this faith outside this parish curently at a faith school, Active membership of this faith in another parish not at a faith school, Another faith within this parish, and so it goes on, until, at the bottom of the list, child with no siblings, no faith and living outside the parish). I feel sorry for the average parent trying to negotiate that minefield, but at the same time can see why those schools have such a complex set of criteria.

[Mum66]

Distance seems a fairer tiebreaker than names out of a hat.