AGSB Out Of Catchment Chances

[enigma]

'Just curious as my DS score is just few points above the previous OOC minimum scores,.... anybody here who has heard of any score above the given minimum OOC (example min OOC was 353 and DS got 353 and above) that hasn't been offered a place? If yes, what was the reason? If a place is guaranteed for an in-catchment score of at least 334, does this also applies for an OOC score above the set OOC score of let's say 353? ---- BIG THANK YOU!

[Catseye]

at first I found your post a little confusing .

I think what you are asking if the OOC score is standardised at 353 and my son fulfills this requirement in March am I guaranteed a place ?-the answer is yes

If I miss out on a few a marks can I appeal ? the answer is yes if you can prove extenuating circumstances and your child if definitely Grammar standard - the onus is on you to prove this!! no sob stories after the event would be acceptable to the appeals board .

have you got some good alternatives , nothing is guaranteed until March for occ applicants (appeal is very stressful and they drag it out and almost never successful but do place your child on the waiting list many applicants will hold places for Indies as well and may opt to go there {we did with our son because we wanted a co-ed school} )

Anyway good luck

[Vicster]

Enigma: the OOC qualifying scorer was a little lower last year than it was in previous years.
The way I think it works is this:

All in catchment qualifying scores (334 and above) who have put AGSB as first choice will get a place and then the remaining places go to boys out of catchment on a highest score priority order.
So: if the minimum qualifying score for OOC is 353 and your son has 353 then he will most likely get a place. A boy who gets 353 might not get a place though if there are several boys with that score and not enough remaining places. So if 5 boys have a score of 353 and there are only 2 places available for boys with that score it will be decided on distance from school / tiebreak if 2 boys live the same distance. Of course more places might become available in the 2nd round of offers and I would imagine that those other boys with 353 will be top of the list.

We are also in the position of being not much above the previous 3 years scores and have an anxious wait until March.

[enigma]

All in catchment qualifying scores (334 and above) who have put AGSB as first choice will get a place and then the remaining places go to boys out of catchment on a highest score priority order.

Firstly, thank you so much for all your replies... this sounds to me that if 150 of this year's 178 quota will be from in-catchment (334 and above) and if the lowest score of the remaining 28 is 385 then 385 will be set as the minimum OOC qualifying score (?). But based from the past 7 years the highest ever OOC qualifying score was 355. So if Alty decided or set this year's OOC qualifying score to be 357, this means they've already allocated all the remaining places to 357 and above OOCs (?). Therefore, is it sensible to believe based from the last 7 years stat that an OOC qualifying score is highly unlikely to go past 360 and a score of 360+ has a guarantee of around 99%?. If this analysis is true then it'll be a big relief on my part

[Catseye]

I think vicster is spot on
I forgot all about applicants having identical scores and being in a tie-break
sorry I apologise
score of >360 would be almost a dead-cert IMO

[enigma]

Thanks Catseye. We've put 1. AGSB, 2. Sale, 3. Stretford, nothing else so failure of getting an offer from AGSB may end up to getting nothing as Sale usually gives high percentage to in-catchment while Stretford is counting by the distance and we are very far away here in Hazel Grove, Stockport. He has applied for entry to 2 indies as alternative but we'll be depending on part-bursary should he passes the exam/assessment, so another uncertainty on the process. I'm just wondering though, if everything else fails, how can he get into comprehensives as a last resort? Can he still get a place?

[Catseye]

crikey your coming some distance I was in High Lane today picking a fancy lamp from Mustique's on Buxton Road it took me 45min by car to get there by car the A6 is nightmare in the morning you could double that time by public transport to Bowdon!!

have you looked at St Aquinas RC College they don't just take RC children?

and Stockport Grammar has a fantastic reputation for Oxbridge entry and CHS is also a top School , but be aware bursaries and scholarships are few and far between.

[enigma]

hahaha I know... 'see if transpo is feasible for him otherwise we can still move closer as we're on rental property anyway... We really should have done this in the first place so we can get in catchment but we like our present abode so much that we can only move house as a last resort

[TIDDLYMUM]

Aquinas is a sixth form college. Not a school.

I live in Stockport though close to Didsbury end - my son gets the bus and it's a fair trip but manageable we have been doing it for 5 years.

There is a school bus from Parrs Wood Didsbury , which we don't use and the tram is now an option.

From Stockport train station it's only 16 minutes to Hale and then a five minute walk to school, but sadly the train times aren't great as on the hour and at 7.30 , if it was 8am it would be absolutely perfect I often think we should all lobby the transport people!

There's quite a few children on that train.

Enigma- you need to be careful on your places. If Stockport only offer three choices and they can't offer you any of the grammars and you haven't put a local comp- I am not sure how you are fixed. I think you should put your best local comp which you can bank on as your last choice.


Otherwise , if that fills up you will just get offered a school with spare places, which won't be somewhere you would necessarily pick. Then you'd have to appeal.

But I can't see the ooc score going up hugely so I think you will all be ok. I worried too, right up to the second the letter was in my hand.

[Catseye]

you should consider commuting time seriously more than 1hr is excessive for a small child .

by the way if you are renting there are some lovely places around Altrincham and not all silly prices of Bowdon/Hale

e.g Timperley , Sale and if feel a little flash picturesque Lymm!