Admission arrangements - consultation RHS

[sportsforall]

The consultation period for 2021 entry to RHS is open and the draft policy published:
https://www.rugbyhighschool.co.uk/admissions

It looks as though it will now be impossible for any girl outside of the priority areas to gain admission. Removing the limit of 50 on priority area two (category four) means any places left will be allocated to this category rather than category five which previously has admitted up to 27 pupils.

Assume LSS may also adopt the same policy.

[Vicksteroo]

I don't think that'll be the case. They'll always be incentivised to take the highest ability pupils, by the need to ensure their results remain high. I imagine that this just makes it easier to choose an AQS and take all the children with that score within the priority circle (as so many children take the test these days, there could be dozens achieving the AQS which would make it difficult to split them to remain within the 50). They can then fill the remaining places with children that have scored highly from outside the circle. It would not be in their interests to lower the AQS to take more children from within the circle.

I also wouldn't assume LSS will take this policy on as well, because I hear they're moving to a 5 form entry in 2020 so will have an additional 30 places to fill. Yet more reason to take children from outside the circle, as their AQS would plummet if they didn't.

[WarwickshireOzzie]

I know RH struggle with getting enough local girls to put it first choice, so I don’t think it will make a huge difference to be honest.

[sportsforall]

I know RH struggle with getting enough local girls to put it first choice, so I don’t think it will make a huge difference to be honest.

I wonder why this is. Not considered a good enough school, too many other good local schools or are they put off because they don't think they will get in?

Agree with @Vicksteroo they do need to try to keep the standards high and lowering the AQS wouldn't help. I was just interested to see they changed the admissions policy in this way. LSS has up until now had the same policy but maybe that will change.

[Vicksteroo]

Regarding why RHS isn't always first choice... I was speaking to a friend recently whose daughter chose the local comp over going to RHS (she'd scored highly enough), based largely on their lack of extra-curricular activities and lack of sport opportunities. I don't know a great deal about RHS but I do know that the comp she chose has so much on outside of normal academic lessons, much more than any other school we viewed for my son. They put other schools to shame in how much they offer! I wonder why it is that other secondary schools don't put more effort into the extra curricular and enriching opportunities? My son says he's often so bored at lunchtime that he keeps rubber bands and bottle caps in his pocket to play with

[Rugbymumto2]

Setting the Automatic Qualifying Score
The Committee of Reference has an overriding discretion to set the Automatic Qualifying Score and the minimum score for the waiting list as it considers appropriate to ensure that those offered places, and those on the waiting list, have the level of ability required to cope with the academic environment of the school.

The Committee will consider the descending score order and the number of children applying for each school (living within the priority areas and who registered before the closing date) and set the Automatic Qualifying Score using the score obtained by the fiftieth candidate (in score order) in Category 3 as a benchmark. The Automatic Qualifying Score will be set at a level which allows fewer than 50 applicants to be given priority under Category 4.


From this it would appear that there will still be only 50 from category 4so no real change!!

[sportsforall]

The extra-curricular activities is interesting - my experience (and that of friends with children at other schools) is that lunchtime clubs etc are great in maybe Y7 & Y8 but they seem to be less interested as they get older. RHS has a club at lunchtime every day but the sports side is definitely lacking.

[guest201]

My son says he's often so bored at lunchtime that he keeps rubber bands and bottle caps in his pocket to play with

With friends and a football my son would never get bored, lunchtime is very short for most extra curricular activities, once the kids have eaten lunch there is probably only half an hour left anyway