Parmiter's Sibling rule - 2009 entry

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Sressed but survivor
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Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:00 pm
Location: Hertfordshire

Parmiter's Sibling rule - 2009 entry

Post by Sressed but survivor »

I noticed that the Parmiter's website now shows the 2009 entry details and the sibling rule still seems to be there, but amended to exclude siblings in Year 13. They also show the intake statistics for 2008 - the proximity rule change meant that an additional 6 children qualified - and there appears a new category of children with SEN needs statements (6 children).

Good luck to anyone still waiting and hoping!
watmum
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Location: Herts

Post by watmum »

Yes stressed, I noticed they had updated their website this morning, have been waiting patiently as I have a current year 5 sibling in the wings!

I thought that the 2008 sibling figure seemed unusually high, I though it was generally 70 something, but am probably mistaken.

I was wondering also about the heading on the admissions page which says:
Detirmined admissions arrangements for year 7 in September 2009 will be confirmed after Thursday 21 August 2009.
I though maybe WP or someone could shed some light on this for me, he/she usually manages to point me in the right direction!
Why do the arrangements still need to be confirmed, does it me they can atill be chagllenged/changed??
Sressed but survivor
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Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:00 pm
Location: Hertfordshire

Post by Sressed but survivor »

I contacted the school - there is a typo error and the date should read 21 August 2008 not 2009. They were very helpful indeed and said that normally the Governors determine the Admissions critiera for the next year and this goes to County and is all approved by 21 April. However this year the government are hedging their bets and keeping the date open until 21 August (possibly 21 July as the August date is in the middle of the school holidays). I seem to recall something on another thread a month or so ago about this.

So parents are kept anxiously waiting to see if there will be any further changes, though the Admissions secretary said she thought there were no plans for sibling rule changes.

Hope this helps.
watmum
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Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:32 am
Location: Herts

Post by watmum »

It certainly does stressed! I too think this rings a bell from a previous thread..
WP
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Post by WP »

Sibling criteria changed for all schools last year from sibling at the time of application to time of admission, in line with the new Code, i.e. Y13 is out, twins are in. Applicants with a SEN statement that names the school are technically not an oversubscription criterion: they have priority over all other applicants. There are a small number of them each year.

Parmiter's will have no plans to change their criteria, but now they are waiting to see whether there will be any objections to the Schools Adjudicator. In the recent hoohah about schools breaking admissions rules, Ed Balls said he was extending the objection period from 6 weeks to 16. Perhaps 21 August is the deadline for objections. Note that they say "confirmed after 21 August", not on that date. If there are any objections, the situation still won't be clear until the objection is decided, which could be early October (just before parents file their preferences), and then only if the school aren't challenging the decision. I think the extension was ill-considered.

The good news is that although anyone can file an objection to practices that contravene mandatory provisions of the Code, only the LEA and other schools can object over advisory parts, such as partially selective schools giving preference to siblings.

Sibling numbers at Parmiter's fluctuate quite a bit: for 2004-2008 they have been 103, 90, 77, 72 and 90 respectively (figures from Herts Moving On books). I wonder why they have only 17 for music. Didn't they get 18 applicants that were good enough?
watmum
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Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:32 am
Location: Herts

Post by watmum »

Thanks WP, always helpful! small query though, You mention that
Sibling criteria changed for all schools last year from sibling at the time of application to time of admission

How come Parmiter's for 2009 reads "sibling attending the school at the time of application?"

Am I missing something? LOL :?
WP
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Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:26 am
Location: Watford, Herts

Post by WP »

watmum wrote:You mention that
Sibling criteria changed for all schools last year from sibling at the time of application to time of admission

How come Parmiter's for 2009 reads "sibling attending the school at the time of application?"
In full, they say "Students with an elder brother or sister attending the school at the time of application, unless the sibling is in the last year of Parmiter's age-range, ie. Year 13.(The twin or other full brother or sister, born in the same academic year as an applicant offered a place, will qualify under this criterion." I think that's equivalent to saying "Students with a brother or sister attending the school at the time of admission", except a bit longer.
watmum
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Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:32 am
Location: Herts

Post by watmum »

I suppose it is WP, but what if your youngest applies when your older child is in year 11 doing GCSE's and subsequently does not qualify to stay on for lower 6th because his grades were not adequate, does the younger child still get in??

Admittedly I don't suppose there are many children who would be in this scenario, but just wondering.
WP
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Post by WP »

watmum wrote:I suppose it is WP, but what if your youngest applies when your older child is in year 11 doing GCSE's and subsequently does not qualify to stay on for lower 6th because his grades were not adequate, does the younger child still get in??
They would get in. You're right: the technical details of the wording do make a difference in border cases. I should be more careful.

There's a bit of history to it. Paragraph 2.13(h) of the new Admissions Code forbids using "siblings who were on roll at the time of application but will have left by the time the child starts school". Section 2.18 suggests including multiple births, at least for primary schools. Attempting to conform with this, the Hertfordshire community criteria for last year initially read
Children who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission. Note: this would be based on a ‘reasonable expectation’ that the elder sibling will be at the school.
but this was the subject of an objection by Leventhorpe School (who where subject to a simultaneous objection by the County). The adjudicator ruled that "reasonable expectation" contravened section 1.65 of the Code ("Parents must be able to make informed decisions when applying for school places") and the wording should be changed to
Children who have a sibling at the school at the time of application, unless the sibling is in the last year of the normal age-range of the school.
The wording was only binding for one year, and schools that are their own admissions authorities (like Parmiter's) aren't bound by this decision, but they are keen to avoid any brush with the adjudicator, and conforming with the new wording on this doesn't compromise on their key principles.
Marylou
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Post by Marylou »

watmum wrote:I suppose it is WP, but what if your youngest applies when your older child is in year 11 doing GCSE's and subsequently does not qualify to stay on for lower 6th because his grades were not adequate, does the younger child still get in??

Admittedly I don't suppose there are many children who would be in this scenario, but just wondering.
IMO the younger child should be given the benefit of the doubt - after all, the number of such cases will almost certainly be infinitessimally small!

Incidentally, the above scenario is precisely why (or so I've been told) Bucks CC changed its definition of a sibling in 2005 to a brother or sister in Y7-11 at the time of admission of the younger child. Apparently it's too much trouble to check back with the schools for the handful of children who are likely to be affected. In any case, the whole thing seems ridiculous for a grammar school in which most children who want to stay on into 6th form easily manage to meet the criteria, which proves that it's more a case of administrative convenience for BCC. Unfortunately it will count against us as our younger daughter, currently Y5 is due to transfer in 2009 just after her elder sister moves to the 6th form.

The rule essentially discriminates against families with larger age gaps, but I think this point is lost on BCC who simply want an easy life. :evil:

At least your school/LEA seems to be adopting a sensible approach.
Marylou
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