Direct contact from school to ask if child want to go there?

hari · Post by **hari** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:52 pm

I appreciate this is going to be a bit annoying because I can't name schools here BUT I cant believe what I heard today....

A child who has been offered a place at a grammar has been contacted directly from another Grammar to see if he would like to reconsider

?

I heard it from the child's parent who by all accounts is a 'good egg' so wouldn't tell porkies.

Child in question is bright AND sporty.

Anyone ever heard of the like?

guest42 · Post by **guest42** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:25 pm

Seems a little surprising (apart from the obviously illegality) because I thought the Grammars were pretty full this year-WGG and Upton anyway

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:47 pm

Hari - my son sat the 11+ in Bexley and was offered his first choice grammar. He also sat the Kent 11+ which he passed and his 3rd choice grammar in Kent wrote to him and said they were sorry they were unable to offer him a place (they couldn't because, with co-ordinated admissions, a child is offered the first place on their list that they qualify for) but would he like to go onto their waiting list? Seemed an odd thing for a very popular Kent Grammar to tout for business, but apparently they have sent the same letters to others.

Maybe your friend's child was also invited to go on a waiting list rather than actually offered a place?

hari · Post by **hari** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:50 pm

Guest 42 - It was a boy. I suppose if all the boys grammars are undersubscribed this year it may be a reason ..but I just didn't know they could contact 'direct' so to speak! Is it illegal?

It's more the aspect of ' please pick us instead' that intrigues me!

guest42 · Post by **guest42** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:32 pm

I guess money follows numbers so schools who have massively expanded capacity and are looking to expand again (the school at the top of a hill near a river springs to mind!) are in big financial trouble if they can't make the numbers and may be sorely tempted.

scatshouse · Post by **scatshouse** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:08 pm

What puzzles me about this is where did they get the names and addresses from? I thought the schools were only given the names and addresses of children who gained a place, their names and addresses would obviously be passed to their first preference school but how did the other school get them, do they have the names and addresses of all boys who reached the pass mark

?

I overheard last week that there were less boys going to Calday this year than last and that they were undersubscribed, even though Calday had upped their proposed intake this year.

guest42 · Post by **guest42** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:44 pm

I think Calday planned to increase their numbers in 2008 but were prevented doing so by the School Adjudicator as they had acted unlawfully

see http://www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk/de ... &order=lea

under Wirral

Perhaps someone can explain the Calday masterplan. It seems crazy to try to increase the intake to 240 a year when you can't recruit for the existing intake.

I wouldnt feel happy about DS in such a large year either

hari · Post by **hari** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:59 pm

I suppose it's impossible to predict what subscription rates will be year in year out. It hardly seems an exact science.

I would , just to clarify somewhat, say that the boy in question can probably be described as 'exceptional' . Personally I think its a good sign that the grammars aren't prepared to lower standards just to boost intake.

Overall from what I can gather from other parents and this site....its been a bit of strange year for allocations and subscription. Maybe thats why there are these strange tactics!

guest42 · Post by **guest42** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:42 am

But there are such strict rules about admissions these days and they are getting tighter. I think any school that thinks it can merrily do its own thing is going to come unstuck.

The point I was making about Calday (apart from the bizarre fact that it is looking to expand just as the school numbers plummet!) is that they are planning a school that just looks way too big. There is no way I would consider a school with an intake of 240 for DS. WBG is 150 and St Anselms 135 so it would be nearly as large as the 2 other grammar schools combined.

Am I missing the point here? Is big beautiful?

hari · Post by **hari** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:15 am

Wow 240? really? No I wouldn't be happy with that intake. I have a daughter so the boys schools weren't on my radar.

It does seem very peculiar doesn't it? With the falling birth rates I do worry that all the grammars only hope of survival is the Birkenhead route...With so much private finance in schools now they are clearly showing their business side in trying to maximise their intake/output!

Once the under subscription at Calday became clear the boys in my dd's year were told they could choose between either Anselm's or calday. ( obviously they had passed both 11+ and entrance tests). So the first place choice and allocation wasn't an issue for those boys. It's a bit of an unfair advantage really isn't it?

But my original point was the school contacting this boy direct. Did they only have his details because the Anselm's is apply straight to the school? Still think its a bit ruthless though.

Ultimately I think all the grammars under subscribed or not are all clearly excellent schools and I think we are damn lucky. What the future holds I'm not so sure....

Direct contact from school to ask if child want to go there?

Direct contact from school to ask if child wants to go there