Ranking
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Re: Ranking
If you want it, put it first on your CAF then keep your fingers crossed. Each year is different, and you may have a chance. If you don't get it and are unhappy with your allocated school you can always appeal in April.
Re: Ranking
Two things we'd like to know please!
1) Is the lowest rank the lowest number each school went to at the very end of the process (not sure when that is) or the lowest number they went to for 1st March?
2) Our DD has a ranking of 293 for SHS. Our head says that is unlikely to be good enough so we should make sure we put our first choice of comprehensive first on the form, followed by SHS second, then the other grammars if we want. If 293 is good enough for SHS, then the comp will be disregarded and SHS offered.
I didn't think that was correct, but she told me "don't believe everything you read on the internet!"
She has confused us now! DD has 293 for SHS, 338 for HSFG and 342 for Ribston. The order I've written them in here is our order of preference. Is she likely to stand a chance of getting any of them if we put them in that order on the form? (I know nobody here can tell us for definite, as it depends what everyone else does - just wondering if there's a chance, or whether the head is right and we should put a comp first as advised).
We'd be grateful for any advice please. Thank you.
1) Is the lowest rank the lowest number each school went to at the very end of the process (not sure when that is) or the lowest number they went to for 1st March?
2) Our DD has a ranking of 293 for SHS. Our head says that is unlikely to be good enough so we should make sure we put our first choice of comprehensive first on the form, followed by SHS second, then the other grammars if we want. If 293 is good enough for SHS, then the comp will be disregarded and SHS offered.
I didn't think that was correct, but she told me "don't believe everything you read on the internet!"
She has confused us now! DD has 293 for SHS, 338 for HSFG and 342 for Ribston. The order I've written them in here is our order of preference. Is she likely to stand a chance of getting any of them if we put them in that order on the form? (I know nobody here can tell us for definite, as it depends what everyone else does - just wondering if there's a chance, or whether the head is right and we should put a comp first as advised).
We'd be grateful for any advice please. Thank you.
Re: Ranking
Well done to your DD! I think last year SHS went down to the low 300s, so if the same happens this year then your DD should be fine. However you absolutely have to put the grammar schools as your first choice. Say you put SHS first and she doesn't get in then number 2 on the list becomes your first choice. If you put the comprehenisve first then that will get allocated and the grammar schools won't even get considered.
I would put the grammar schools on in the order of your preference and then the comp last.
I would put the grammar schools on in the order of your preference and then the comp last.
Re: Ranking
Please ignore the shouting here, butBlueDoor wrote:Two things we'd like to know please!
1) Is the lowest rank the lowest number each school went to at the very end of the process (not sure when that is) or the lowest number they went to for 1st March?
2) Our DD has a ranking of 293 for SHS. Our head says that is unlikely to be good enough so we should make sure we put our first choice of comprehensive first on the form, followed by SHS second, then the other grammars if we want. If 293 is good enough for SHS, then the comp will be disregarded and SHS offered.
I didn't think that was correct, but she told me "don't believe everything you read on the internet!"
She has confused us now! DD has 293 for SHS, 338 for HSFG and 342 for Ribston. The order I've written them in here is our order of preference. Is she likely to stand a chance of getting any of them if we put them in that order on the form? (I know nobody here can tell us for definite, as it depends what everyone else does - just wondering if there's a chance, or whether the head is right and we should put a comp first as advised).
We'd be grateful for any advice please. Thank you.
PLEASE IGNORE YOUR HEADTEACHER!
Put your preferences in the real order in which you would like the places - even if your DD's ranking is good enough for SHS, if you put a 'safe bet' school above it on your CAF, your LEA will assume that you knew what you were doing and will allocate you a place at the 'safe bet' and essentially turn down Stroud High on your behalf.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Re: Ranking
Thank you both. We are new to this, so very grateful for the advice! I didn't think the head was right, but she was very convincing, said she has many years' experience of grammar placings etc etc.
Now I have another question please. Say we put them in the order I mentioned SHS (293), HSFG (338) and Ribston (342). If DD doesn't get SHS, then doesn't get HSFG, would she be placed lower for Ribston than someone with a slightly higher rank - say 340 - who put it as a higher choice than 3rd? I'm worried that she won't get any of the 3.
Now I have another question please. Say we put them in the order I mentioned SHS (293), HSFG (338) and Ribston (342). If DD doesn't get SHS, then doesn't get HSFG, would she be placed lower for Ribston than someone with a slightly higher rank - say 340 - who put it as a higher choice than 3rd? I'm worried that she won't get any of the 3.
Re: Ranking
The girl with the higher ranking would take precedence over your DD, I'm afraid, but solely because she was ranked higher in the school's list, nothing at all to do with where she put.the school on her list of preferences, as the school does not have that information.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Re: Ranking
Thank you Toadmum. I didn't know that was how it worked. So it's purely based on rankings, not preferences? I appreciate there's no way you can actually know, but do you think it's likely she'll get a grammar place somewhere with those scores? SHS is the nearest, but we're not a million miles away from the other 2, so 'any grammar' would be realistic journey wise.
And is the lowest number the lowest number on 1st March? Or the lowest number later on when people have accepted/rejected places?
And is the lowest number the lowest number on 1st March? Or the lowest number later on when people have accepted/rejected places?
Re: Ranking
Many parents choose to share results will all applicable grammars (so Pates + 3 girls' grammars or Pates + 3 boys' grammars or just the 3 single sex grammars applicable to them) Crypt ranks up to 400, I understand, and that figure is based on their PAN + how far down the ranking list they went to before +how far they are initially prepared to go to when looking at the actual results. Taking this as an example it is entirely possible that someone ranked at 350+ may still get into Crypt. I guess that other grammars work on a similar basis.
Because parents often choose to share with lots of schools - even if they don't actually want their child to go there in reality (am guilty of this personally - we were only considering Crypt & Pates but still shared with STR & Marling
) the rankings are just a guideline. We qualified for Pates & the other 3, so there is definitely a place in the top allocation for STR & Marling going 'spare' which then knocks those in the ranking up one place. Multiply that by the numbers of others who have done the same and you soon start moving up the list nicely! 
Because parents often choose to share with lots of schools - even if they don't actually want their child to go there in reality (am guilty of this personally - we were only considering Crypt & Pates but still shared with STR & Marling
) the rankings are just a guideline. We qualified for Pates & the other 3, so there is definitely a place in the top allocation for STR & Marling going 'spare' which then knocks those in the ranking up one place. Multiply that by the numbers of others who have done the same and you soon start moving up the list nicely! -
kenyancowgirl
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Re: Ranking
Put YOUR CAF form in YOUR true order of preference. Don't try and second guess anyone else and play a clever game...school admissions don't play any games.
They look at your first choice on the CAF and see if your dd meets the criteria for that school. If Yes, she gets offered a place, if no, they move to your second choice and so on. Your next school becomes your EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE (because you didn't meet the criteria for your actual first choice)
To put it another way....If she does not meet the criteria for your first choice because your DD did not rank high enough for that school (in the sense that other girls ranked higher in the test AND had also listed it on their CAF and it is the school highest on their CAF for which they meet the criteria), the admissions people move down to your next choice.
Each person's effective first choice is effectively looked at at the same time - hence in your Ribston example, even if the girl ranked 340 had listed Ribston 4th, if that was the first school she met the criteria for (ie her EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE) then, because she ranked higher than your DD in the test, she would be offered that, then they would look at your DD (who is next ranked and Ribston has become her effective first choice because she meets the criteria) and see if there was still a space at Ribston, and offer her...if no space, they would move to your next choice and so on...
Where you say you are worried she won't get any of her 3, that is why we always say a) list schools on the CAF in your TRUE ORDER OF PREFERENCE and b) always make sure one school on there (it can be your very last choice) is a DEAD cert offer - ie your catchment state school. Otherwise you run the risk of not meeting the criteria for ANY schools, at which point admissions will simply offer you ANY school where there is a space - whether it is a failing school or not, and whether you can actually easily get to it or not - they have met their resonsibility at that point. It does happen every year - some people mistakenly believe if they only list GS and/or outstanding non catchment schools, the council will have to place them at one - they don't!
They look at your first choice on the CAF and see if your dd meets the criteria for that school. If Yes, she gets offered a place, if no, they move to your second choice and so on. Your next school becomes your EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE (because you didn't meet the criteria for your actual first choice)
To put it another way....If she does not meet the criteria for your first choice because your DD did not rank high enough for that school (in the sense that other girls ranked higher in the test AND had also listed it on their CAF and it is the school highest on their CAF for which they meet the criteria), the admissions people move down to your next choice.
Each person's effective first choice is effectively looked at at the same time - hence in your Ribston example, even if the girl ranked 340 had listed Ribston 4th, if that was the first school she met the criteria for (ie her EFFECTIVE FIRST CHOICE) then, because she ranked higher than your DD in the test, she would be offered that, then they would look at your DD (who is next ranked and Ribston has become her effective first choice because she meets the criteria) and see if there was still a space at Ribston, and offer her...if no space, they would move to your next choice and so on...
Where you say you are worried she won't get any of her 3, that is why we always say a) list schools on the CAF in your TRUE ORDER OF PREFERENCE and b) always make sure one school on there (it can be your very last choice) is a DEAD cert offer - ie your catchment state school. Otherwise you run the risk of not meeting the criteria for ANY schools, at which point admissions will simply offer you ANY school where there is a space - whether it is a failing school or not, and whether you can actually easily get to it or not - they have met their resonsibility at that point. It does happen every year - some people mistakenly believe if they only list GS and/or outstanding non catchment schools, the council will have to place them at one - they don't!