GS choices dilemma

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nts
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 2:55 am

GS choices dilemma

Post by nts »

Hi

I have a family relative with a dilemma and as I am not familiar with this part of the process, I can't help him at all.

His son passed the Kent test with quite a high score and he was also 1 mark below the cut off point for Bexley. Now the dilemma is he wants to go to a Bexley school. They live out of borough.

Should he put the Bexley school as first choice and then do a head appeal and a Kent school as second choice.
or he should put a Kent school as first choice and the Bexley school as second choice.
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: GS choices dilemma

Post by ToadMum »

nts wrote:Hi

I have a family relative with a dilemma and as I am not familiar with this part of the process, I can't help him at all.

His son passed the Kent test with quite a high score and he was also 1 mark below the cut off point for Bexley. Now the dilemma is he wants to go to a Bexley school. They live out of borough.

Should he put the Bexley school as first choice and then do a head appeal and a Kent school as second choice.
or he should put a Kent school as first choice and the Bexley school as second choice.
It probably doesn't make a lot of difference which way round they put the schools, because he will be turned down by the Bexley school anyway as 'unqualified'. However, given that if they put the Kent school first, he will get the Kent place, it would look a bit odd to appeal for a place at one school when they apparently got what they wanted, they should really put the Bexley school first.
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amfnc
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Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:56 pm

Re: GS choices dilemma

Post by amfnc »

It's a tough one. Toadmum is right, in theory if you put a Bexley school first it should become obsolete as he didn't qualify, however I'd be very careful. I know last year, first hand of someone who did something similar. Their daughter missed Bexley, but passed Kent. They put Kent school second, lived out of borough, but not that far, but didn't get the Bexley or Kent school (was offered a school miles away). whereas the girls best friend, who lived further away, put the Kent school first and got it.

Based on this I would always put Kent first to ensure a place, it depends on whether they want to take the risk?

How far away do they live and which Bexley school are they after? Seldom are Bexley appeals successful unfortunately.
hermanmunster
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Re: GS choices dilemma

Post by hermanmunster »

amfnc wrote:It's a tough one. Toadmum is right, in theory if you put a Bexley school first it should become obsolete as he didn't qualify, however I'd be very careful. I know last year, first hand of someone who did something similar. Their daughter missed Bexley, but passed Kent. They put Kent school second, lived out of borough, but not that far, but didn't get the Bexley or Kent school (was offered a school miles away). whereas the girls best friend, who lived further away, put the Kent school first and got it.

Based on this I would always put Kent first to ensure a place, it depends on whether they want to take the risk?

How far away do they live and which Bexley school are they after? Seldom are Bexley appeals successful unfortunately.
There must have been some other factor you are not aware of - if the child missed out on Bexley but was eligible for the kent school then she would have got it. Maybe she actually had another school second and Kent GS third?
2childmum
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Location: S E London

Re: GS choices dilemma

Post by 2childmum »

Kent school's sometimes have different oversubscription criteria - some go by the parish you live in, so someone who lives further away may get a place and someone living nearer doesn't due to the parish they are in. Often the parishes are in Kent, but not Bexley, even though parts of Bexley are nearer.

It's always best to put the school you really want first, even if you are not qualified for it, but appeals in Bexley rarely get through, unfortunately
parent2013
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Re: GS choices dilemma

Post by parent2013 »

Kent school DGS/Judd/Skinners as top choices
Bexley as 4th choice
nts
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 2:55 am

Re: GS choices dilemma

Post by nts »

Thank you very much for your helpful comments and suggestions
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