KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open Day

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scgsdad
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Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:43 am

KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open Day

Post by scgsdad »

Attended KES open day and was intrigued to hear the following comments by Mrs. Phillips (Admissions Secretary) and Mr. Claughton (Chief Master):

Mrs. Phillips

1. Age standardisation weighting is being applied to the KES Exam for the last couple of years hence Birth Certificate Copies are required.
2. Children not passing the Grammar exam can often get a place at KES because we are looking for potential.

Mr. Claughton

1. 880 applicants, 30- 40 Scholarships, 550 Assisted places for approximately 40-45 places from 300 different primary schools.
2. Looking for potential and if a child at interview can explain a section C maths question to Mr. Claughton they will get a scholarship because you can even get 0 on section C and still get in.
3. Looking for the "Right Child" with the right spark, no cutoff mark and within middle to top sets in any primary school.
4. No Coaching - "I know you're not going to listen but no coaching, it really is not necessary". Exact words.
5. These are our results A/A* in (a range of subject) as compared to the school on the right with a bus ( It was KEFW) They were twice as good for the main subjects!
6. We do Greek! And if you are strong at Greek your an Intelligent Mathematician and amongst the brightest group of people in the world! Mr. Claughton is passionate about Greek! (He did Classics at Oxford, got a double first and taught at Eton College for 14 years as Classics Master).
7. In short, we are the best international school in the country, OR was it the world?

Interesting day.....

Any comments on any of the above ????
shakey
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Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:51 pm

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by shakey »

We were there too- mightily impressed - if we had the money or indeed if we got a scholarship then we wouldn't hesitate in going to KES- the best of the best overall I believe in the region.
KenR
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Location: Birmingham

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by KenR »

Don't forget Claughton is retiring at the end of the academic year to be replaced by Dr Fenton
Happy dad
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Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:10 am

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by Happy dad »

scgsdad wrote:Attended KES open day and was intrigued to hear the following comments by Mrs. Phillips (Admissions Secretary) and Mr. Claughton (Chief Master):

Mrs. Phillips

1. Age standardisation weighting is being applied to the KES Exam for the last couple of years hence Birth Certificate Copies are required.
2. Children not passing the Grammar exam can often get a place at KES because we are looking for potential.

Mr. Claughton

1. 880 applicants, 30- 40 Scholarships, 550 Assisted places for approximately 40-45 places from 300 different primary schools.
2. Looking for potential and if a child at interview can explain a section C maths question to Mr. Claughton they will get a scholarship because you can even get 0 on section C and still get in.
3. Looking for the "Right Child" with the right spark, no cutoff mark and within middle to top sets in any primary school.
4. No Coaching - "I know you're not going to listen but no coaching, it really is not necessary". Exact words.
5. These are our results A/A* in (a range of subject) as compared to the school on the right with a bus ( It was KEFW) They were twice as good for the main subjects!
6. We do Greek! And if you are strong at Greek your an Intelligent Mathematician and amongst the brightest group of people in the world! Mr. Claughton is passionate about Greek! (He did Classics at Oxford, got a double first and taught at Eton College for 14 years as Classics Master).
7. In short, we are the best international school in the country, OR was it the world?

Interesting day.....

Any comments on any of the above ????
Did he mention the school with the bus is free and has a completely open and transparent admissions policy? No, thought not :roll:
Petitpois
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Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by Petitpois »

Chamon
scgsdad
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Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:43 am

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by scgsdad »

Well he is very passionate about the School but there were several things that struck me about the speech:

1. It was delivered very hastily.
2. The comparisons with KEFW were not necessary - one is not comparing like with like and with over 880 applicants to KES a jibe at KEFW Headteacher, to sway some parents was a little unprofessional and wholly unnecessary I thought.

Anyway, excellent independent school but no need to compare it to any Grammar school in Birmingham.
brc
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Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2014 10:47 am

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by brc »

Please don't get carried away with this. The comparison is first started by KEFW head on Friday in their speech day, so obviously it has to be concluded by someone with the light hearted pun, I think.
WindowGlass
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Location: West Midlands

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by WindowGlass »

scgsdad wrote:...

2. The comparisons with KEFW were not necessary - one is not comparing like with like and with over 880 applicants to KES a jibe at KEFW Headteacher, to sway some parents was a little unprofessional and wholly unnecessary I thought.

Anyway, excellent independent school but no need to compare it to any Grammar school in Birmingham.
Don't forget that both schools are in the King Edward's Foundation, which is a big reason for why we have so many excellent selective schools in Birmingham - i.e. wthout which we'd probabaly have much less choice.

Also, I understand that the Chief Master at KES is head over all schools in the foundation.

The Foundation does a great job of educational provision in the second city, including now a non-selective school too!
With state eduation budgets being what they are, I suppose that Birmingham would be a whole lot worse off for education if KEF didn't play its part.
scgsdad
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:43 am

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by scgsdad »

I did not attend KEFW so did not know what the Head said. However, tit for tat - a little unprofessional even if it was a light-hearted pun. They are all excellent schools all round and it was the reason why I moved back here a number of years ago having lived in London and abroad. Generally speaking, in London, this would simply not happen! It would be considered very unprofessional.

Anyone with any experience/knowledge of the age-related adjustment that KES has bought in over the last three years?
um
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Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL - KES Admissions Comments On Open D

Post by um »

They perhaps forgot to mention that KEFW is free :D

If my child was in any if the KE schools (or BV or SCGS) I'd be completely happy that they're in one of the best schools in the country.

I have noticed in recent years that more Indie children are choosing to stay Indie (KES/KEHS) rather than go to grammar, and that might be due to expectations and familiarity with additional support/small classes/better staff feedback.
You do have to pay for it though! If you have a spare £13,000 a year, that's fair enough :)
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