Grammar schools without catchment criteria

[sandra]

Hi all,

We live in the border of Surrey and Berkshire and if I am right we do not fall in the catchment of any grammar school.

Would it be possible for anyone to advice if my DS can write exams for any grammar school (Sept 17 entry) in the surrounding areas (Bucks, Kent, Berks, London etc) which do not have any catchment criteria? We are willing to moveafter we get the results, if needed.

Thanks in advance for any help/pointers

[Guest55]

Bucks GS places are all allocated on distance so you are too far away to get a place.

[Tinkers]

Reading school has a ctachment, and no one ooc is likely to get a place. They take the address you live at when you apply for the test, so there is no option of moving after the test, you'll still be counted as ooc.

I don't know about Slough schools, so you'll need to look at their websites to see their admissions criteria.

[Twinkle]

Skinners and St Olaves in Kent. Judd has just changed its admission criteria and has a small number of places for high scoring boys who are out of catchment

[PettswoodFiona]

Bexley the top 180 scorers can gain entry to the grammar of their choice regardless of proximity. Kent superselectives go on score but they require a very high score as places are limited, I know the girls school figures but not boys.

[sandra]

Thanks for the input, would you know how hard is it yo get into the above mentioned schools in Kent?

I guess boys need to score roughly 75% in the test? Also for Bucks schools I understand the cut off is 121 - any idea what percentage is this?

[southbucks3]

The percentage needed to achieve 121 changes depending on the results of the cohort. The more highly tutored, super bright kids that sit it, even if they will not be accepting a bucks gs place, the higher the pass score.
At a guess it will be between 60-65%
taking the test and moving after results is not an option as your address for the admissions form must he that of 1st october, prior to results.
You could move prior to the test and accept an upper school place if dc does not pass

[Daogroupie]

QE boys Barnet has no catchment so you can sit it from anywhere in the world. I know of boys from Singapore and India who came over to sit the exam and got a place. Parmiters in Garston NR Watford has three non catchment academic places, score required to get a place on allocation day this year was 269 out of 282. Clement Danes in Chorleywood has 20 music and 20 academic places non catchment, this is the same exam as Parmiters.

So you could sit all two exams and get three options and stay living where you are now. Or you could move to Watford and get into inner catchment for all the schools in the SW Herts Consortium and also sit QE. The QE boys open day is on 2nd July from 3pm onwards.

There are quite a few boys and girls who sits for non catchment places around the home counties and then the family moves closer to the school they did best in. It does prove a nightmare for younger siblings. I know of one having to go to a primary quite some way from the new family home.

You have time on your side so I suggest you start going to open days and see what takes your fancy.

Be aware that the North London schools are very oversubscribed and preparation for the top ones starts in Y4. QE had over two thousand boys sit for 180 spaces last year. DG

[Ladymuck]

All 3 Sutton boys grammar schools have non catchment places.

However, I would raise a note of caution before looking to move area. Such a move is not necessarily cheap, and must presumably cause a fair bit of disruption to family life. I would make sure that you have a good look at what local schools do with their high achievers before concluding that your child is better off relocating purely for a different type of school. There appears to be a greater need for schools to come together to reduce costs (indeed the Sutton girls grammars have just announced their proposed move to a MAT). All schools are tightening their belts, but Outer London schools in particular are hit, as teachers can work just a short distance away and get far more pay, and there is huge teacher shortage in key subjects. Schools are having to cope with changing demographics as well, and many of these schools have been forced to take in additional classes. There is increased uncertainty as to what any school will look like in 5-7 years time. For all we know, free schools and academies could even get the power to become academically selective. And there is now a huge focus on ensuring children make adequate progress, so your local schools will have to ensure that the bright year 7 attains the highest GCSE grades.

I wouldn't want to suggest that grammar schools won't continue to provide good or excellent attention to bright children. But given the cost, both financially and emotionally of moving, and that there must already be bright boys in your area, I would look carefully at what is on offer first. I get the impression that the educational landscape has changed a lot over the last couple of years, and will continue to do so over the next few.

[Minesatea]

Also bear in mind that the schools will not have written/published their admission criteria for 2017/18 yet, so you cannot guarantee that schools that do/do not have out of catchment places at the moment will still be the same in 2017. The admission criteria are likely to be published spring 2016 for the Sept 17 entry.