Qualifying score

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walsallmum
Posts: 216
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:18 pm

Qualifying score

Post by walsallmum »

Hi my dd got 208
As for key is 209

What does this even mean
Does she now not even stand a chance on a WLAN
walsallmum
Posts: 216
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:18 pm

Re: Qualifying score

Post by walsallmum »

I meant WL
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Qualifying score

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Your original post doesn't make a huge amount of sense as I suspect you were typing on a phone? Do you mean the the Automatic Qualifying Score (AQS) was 209?

If you do, it does not mean that you would not be offered from the waiting list as you are so close - however it is by no means certain - schools set a maximum percentage of places that can be offered scoring below the AQS. In practice, they usually set the AQS at a level that matches up with the ranked scores at or around their PAN. However, if other DCs choose to go to another school, for example, more offers are made so some children below the AQS may get an offer. In your case, if you apply for this school, you have to hope that some of the children who ranked higher than you reject the school in question.

Not sure what school you meant as you have typed key but assume it is one of the KE Birmingham schools. If that is your number one choice of school, put it in first place on your CAF and then put your other choices in your true preference order, making sure that you have at least one realistic option on there. If, on offer day there is some movement, you may find that you are offered a place in March. Alternatively, you will find that you are added to the waiting list with a below AQS score (the waiting list range is always a couple of points below) however, in popular schools, you may find that the lowest score offered is actually at the AQS. My point is, if you have space on the CAF it is probably worth a punt.
Need_guidance
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:54 pm

Re: Qualifying score

Post by Need_guidance »

If my child has a qualifying score of 200 and FW state that is their qualifying score, how likely is it that this is a realistic option? If all other options are unlikely then is it best to put this as number 1 on the CAF?
Fatnorville
Posts: 302
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:09 pm

Re: Qualifying score

Post by Fatnorville »

I went through this last year.

I am not going to check the fine print but I recall the qualifying score is set retrospectively and is the lowest score offered on national offers day. All the schools can give you are the qualifying scores for the previous years of an indication of what they might be this year. The PP and extra places will alter this score.

The general rule of thumb with CAF forms is put the schools down in your order of preference. However remember if whatever reason you cannot be allocated any school from your CAF form (using the schools place allocation criteria, which for GS will include 11+ scores ; for other schools may include catchment areas), you will be allocated a school with places (known around here as 'sink' schools) which may be one of the schools on your CAF form, so make sure somewhere on your CAF form you choose a school you will definitely get offered a place.
rah_b92
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 1:10 pm

Re: Qualifying score

Post by rah_b92 »

Fatnorville wrote:I am not going to check the fine print but I recall the qualifying score is set retrospectively and is the lowest score offered on national offers day.
I'm new to this whole 11+ thing this year (well, OK, I sat the Northern Ireland one 30 years ago ...), but as I understand it that's the "cut off score" you're thinking of. The "qualifying score" is the newly invented concept this year, a score below which no candidate will be considered, pupil premium or otherwise.

I'm not sure that the letter set this out especially clearly - the inclusion of the "qualifying score" in the table alongside the last three years' cut off scores was potentially a bit confusing. If someone was reading it through quickly they might think those last figures in the table are going to be the 2015 cut-off scores, when in fact they're something quite different.

(For those without a child sitting this year's test, see Image.)
walsallmum
Posts: 216
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:18 pm

Re: Qualifying score

Post by walsallmum »

Hi
I'm back right my dd got 208 and I want advice on remarking of paper
muminbrum
Posts: 362
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:14 pm

Re: Qualifying score

Post by muminbrum »

Need_guidance wrote:If my child has a qualifying score of 200 and FW state that is their qualifying score, how likely is it that this is a realistic option? If all other options are unlikely then is it best to put this as number 1 on the CAF?

For KEFW, 200 is the minimum qualifying score for those on pupil premium. There are only 30 pp places though as I undertand it. If your child isn't on pp then you need to look at previous years QS which are much higher.
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Qualifying score

Post by um »

I have already spoken to a few parents who are confused by the letter, and imagine that there could be hundreds more who are unsure what the 'qualifying score' is and may assume that any child above this score, 'qualifies'.

I will attempt to break it down very clearly.
If you already understand it please bear with me and try another thread!

Children are known as Pupil Premium (PP) pupils if they have been eligible to claim free school meals at any point in the past 6 years.
They receive additional funding from the government into the school budget which is supposed to help close the real gap in attainment across the country, between PP children and non-PP children.

The majority of those applying for the grammar schools will not be in this category.
As has always been the case, they need to gain entry by scoring high enough to be offered a place.
The 'last-score in' to be offered a place varies from year to year but the final scores in on 1 March 2014 are listed in more detail here:
KECHB 235
KECHG 226
KEFW 224
KEA 214
KEHG 215
SCGSG 211
BV 217
HGB 203

It is understood that these scores 'dropped' as children were offered places through spring and summer term from the waiting list. For example, it has been said on the forum that a child on 207 was offered SCGS.

These scores are, due to the increased number of test applicants, expected by most people to rise this year.
The scores needed for the KE schools may rise even further, as a percentage of places are being made available for PP pupils.

And following on from that point, the KE schools (not the Sutton Schools or HGB) have decided to prioritise PP pupils for 20% of their available places (25% for KEA).
In order to do this, they will admit PP pupils on lower scores than those needed for others, up to 20% of pupils (25% for KEA).

They have set a qualifying score so that even if they do not manage to fill 20% of places with PP pupils, they will definitely not take on any child below this score.

However, although, for example, the qualifying score for FW is 200, it may still be unlikely that a PP child on 200 will actually get a FW place, because there may be other PP children on higher scores, and the school only plan to go up to 20% of pupil numbers.

The 'real' last-score-in for PP pupils is still going to be lower than the last-score-in for non PP pupils but it may well not be as low as that suggested on the letter.

FAQ on the new KE Foundation Policy for PP admissions is available at http://www.schoolsofkingedwardvi.co.uk/ ... licy-faqs/
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