Allocation SWB 2015

[anniec]

Does anybody know why the allocation distance for SWB was significantly further last year (at 11.32 OA) than in the prior 5 or so years? Were there more places offered at other GS's in the area, meaning demand for SWB was less? Just trying to figure out whether to invest time & energy in the 11+ for my child living 6.5m OA. Thanks Sally-Anne for very useful summary doc previously published

[Sally-Anne]

Hi anniec, and welcome!

One factor was a lower qualification rate (19.6% qualified outright) in the Wycombe area than in previous years when it has been in the region of 22 - 24%. That meant that all the GSs in the area had wider allocation distances than usual. The qualification rate bounced back to 24.5% this year.

Secondly, and probably even more of an influence, was that Beaconsfield High School added an additional class of 30 in 2014 and (I think, turkey brain ...) again in 2015, and is definitely doing the same again for 2016, so it looks like a permanent increase to their PAN. (Turkey brain may even have seen that confirmed in writing at some point late last year.) That will have affected both SWB and WHS.

That might just win the day for you, but 6.5 miles out of area could still be touch and go, so you should certainly be lining up viable alternatives.

S-A

[kittymum]

sallyAnne has guven you the "science" part of the allocation so I can add tge unreliable gossip part

My ds is in year 8 and there are a couple in his year from Henley (thinking if you are only 6 or so miles fromthe school but OOA then you must be in this direction. There are also some from further afield but who have siblings at the school.

My dd will be going in September and the totally unscientific word on the street (certainly among the girls) is that they are largely going to SWBGS as opposed to WHS (I think everyone in catchment for SWBGS is also catchment for WHS).

There are always Henley children who join in the year 9 intake.

I think WHS have increased PAN from Sept too or have I invented that?

The school have said no more about the possibility of the annex since the email to parents a few months ago although sadly I expect it will rear its head again!

[Sally-Anne]

sallyAnne has guven you the "science" part of the allocation so I can add tge unreliable gossip part

I think WHS have increased PAN from Sept too or have I invented that?

No, you aren't inventing it - up to 192 from 180 for 2017 admissions.

[Lillie]

One factor was a lower qualification rate (19.6% qualified outright) in the Wycombe area than in previous years when it has been in the region of 22 - 24%. That meant that all the GSs in the area had wider allocation distances than usual. The qualification rate bounced back to 24.5% this year.

Does anyone know why the qualification rate was so low for the 2015 intake and why the qualification rate bounced up again this year? Was the 2015 intake just a comparatively weaker cohort or was something done to the the standardisation process to rectify last year's low rate? Just wondering.

[Sally-Anne]

It will have been the make-up of the cohort because the same pattern wasn't replicated in the other areas of Bucks. Aylesbury and South Bucks remained broadly level over the two years, while Chiltern dropped by 5 percentage points.