Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Eleven Plus (11+) in South West Hertfordshire

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Tjc
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:20 pm

Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by Tjc »

Trying to work out whether it’s silly to apply to both Parmiters AND WGGS - we’d be applying under the academic or music test. The historic cut-off scores for Parmiters seem higher than the girls’ grammar (in 2017, it was 228 at Parmiters, vs 216 at WGGS), so if we put Parmiters first in our list of preferences, and WGGS second, and she scored, say 220, she’d get a place at WGGS even though we’d listed it second. Or do WGGS fill their places with people who’ve listed it first and still scored over the cut-off?

I appreciate that the historic scores are just an indication and this year / next year’s scores will be different.

However, the historic scores for the music test seem very similar - so if DD didn’t get a place at one (for music) she’d be unlikely to get a place at the other - right?
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by Tinkers »

Allocations are offered through the equal preference system.

If you can’t be allocated your first choice of School, your second choice becomes your first choice and where you have ranked them will not impact whether you get the School or not. In your example you have the same chance of getting get a place at WGGS regardless or them being first or second, if you don’t get your first choice.


Make sure you put the schools in your genuine order of preference and also make sure you have at least one School that you are happy with and are pretty sure you would get a place.

Sorry I can’t answer the question about music scores.
Cutting42
Posts: 186
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:06 pm

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by Cutting42 »

My DD put Parmiters first and WGGS second and gained entry based on music to WGGS. This was 8 years ago but the system was largely the same, certainly as far as preferences are concerned. The Parmiters music cut off was higher than the WGGS that year.
neo1232
Posts: 220
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:38 pm

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by neo1232 »

I completely agree regarding - Genuine order of preference - please remember you can not play with system here

for example Parmiters is genuine first choice, however for example if you put following preference in CAF form

1) WGGS
2) Parmiter

once WGGS confirmed your admission , you have no right to reject it on March 1st

however if you put preference in following order

1) Parmiter
2) WGGS

then

* You will be put automatically on wait list for Parmiter on 1st March
* Your chance is same as other child who has put WGGS as first choice - due to equal preference system , it does not make difference whether choice is first rank or second or third etc.
* once Parmiter confirmed place you can move their lets say in June 2017.
Otter
Posts: 90
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 3:23 pm

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by Otter »

Last year for my DS I put WBGS first and Parmiters second. He got a score way above the previous year's lowest score so I knew the only way that he wouldn't get WBGS was for me to have made an error on the CAF or SIF!

To echo other posters, put your genuine first choice first. If your DD gets just below the lowest score for both WGGS and Parmiters and gets allocated her/your third choice then you can go on the continued interest list and/or appeal both. On that basis do put both WGGS and Parmiters on your CAF but bear in mind that if you get your first choice you can't appeal for the second choice.

If you are looking at selective schools then you really must put your banker in 4th place, i.e. a non-selective local comprehensive where you would be happy enough to have as your insurance. In our case we are practising Catholics and my DS was at a feeder school so we were a shoe-in for St Michaels, which went in at fourth place. The schools do not know in which order you put them in as preference. Which is why you don't put your banker at the top as a couple of parents did in my DS year group did last year assuming of course your banker isn't also your top preference.

neo1232 said:
once WGGS confirmed your admission , you have no right to reject it on March 1st
, this is not quite right. You can reject it but the chances of getting anything else to your satisfaction will be extremely slim because it won't mean you automatically get your second choice, and (correct me if I'm wrong someone) any subsequent application will be treated as a late application and you will be at the back of the continued interest queue even if your DD got the highest possible scores in the SWHerts test or the music test.
Tinkers
Posts: 7240
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by Tinkers »

If you reject the school allocated, the LA do not have to provide you with a place elsewhere. They are no longer obliged to find you a School place, as they have offered you a School which you have declined. You will stay on the waiting list for schools on your CAF where appropriate, but obviously there are no guarantees you will get a place.

Therefore you should always accept the School offered. You can ask to go on waiting lists for other schools (in most areas this happens automatically, but best to check) and it has no impact on any appeals you might lodge.
streathammum
Posts: 1252
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:02 pm

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by streathammum »

Otter wrote:...any subsequent application will be treated as a late application and you will be at the back of the continued interest queue even if your DD got the highest possible scores in the SWHerts test or the music test.
I'm not sure that bit is quite right.

If you ask to go on the waiting list of a school after 1 March, you are added to the waiting list in the position you would be at if you had applied on time. So if you live next door to the school (for a school that admits on distance) or have a high mark in the test (for a school that admits on score) you may well join the waiting list at the top - even if that means that others who applied for the school on time are bumped down the waiting list.

However, what you won't get with a late application is any guarantee that a place will come free from the waiting list and, of course, people who've already been made offers won't have them withdrawn in favour of people on the waiting list.
Otter
Posts: 90
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 3:23 pm

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by Otter »

If what you are saying is true, it hardly seems fair that someone declines their first choice and decides in March they'd rather have another school instead goes ahead on a waiting list over someone who'd missed out by 1 mark say and had put the school top of their list in October.
streathammum
Posts: 1252
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 6:02 pm

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by streathammum »

Why not fair? If the late applicant had put the school first in the first place, the person missing out by 1 mark would now be missing out by 2 marks instead.

Also the late applicant hasn't necessarily declined their first-choice school - they've just decided to make a late application to another school for whatever reason. (Full disclosure - we did this because we changed our mind between October and March, but other people will do it if they move house or if they suddenly realise that their child's score is, in fact, high enough for a place at a school they hadn't thought they'd get into.)

It has been discussed in many places on this forum that where you put a school on the CAF does not affect your ranking for each individual school. You don't get priority because you've named a school at the top of the CAF - if someone else ranks higher than you because they've got a higher score or whatever, it doesn't matter whether they put that school at the top or bottom of the CAF. This rule continues at least until the end of the December term as the waiting lists are managed after offer day.
Tjc
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:20 pm

Re: Any point applying to Parmiters AND WGGS?

Post by Tjc »

Thanks v much for replies. So each school looks at everyone who has put down that school as any of their four choices, and fills up their places based on everyone’s scores, until they are full (thus determining the cut off score).

Presumably there is some hugely complicated spreadsheet whereby some children score highly enough to be admitted to multiple schools, in which case the ranking comes in.

So even if you put a school second, you’d still get a place if you scored above their cut off, if you don’t get your first choice school.

I do get that you shouldn’t do anything other than put your first choice first, but with two schools which historically have high cut offs, I didn’t know whether it was a bad idea to include them both, as you might get neither. Sounds like it is still worth it, as you’d get a place at your second choice just as long as you’d scored enough (and if not your 3rd and 4th choices come into play).
Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now