Which (other three) schools to choose?

[squidsin]

Hi everyone! I've not been on this forum before but my son has passed his 11 plus and I have a few questions - the main one being, we live in High Wycombe so are in catchment for Royal Grammar School and John Hampden, which will be our first and second choices as loved both. However - what do we put for the other four schools on our application? I guess William Borlaise would be our third but the other grammar schools are absolutely miles away and we haven't looked at any of them - do we just pick three at random?! This is hopefully academic anyway ass we're in catchment for the first two but having said that, went in for the open morning at RGS this morning and there were more than 200 kids looking round, with another open morning on Thurs, so clearly some families aren't going to get their number one choice. Is it ever the case that kids who pass the 11 plus don't get allocated a place at grammar school at all? Does the actual score that the kid got affect their chances of getting their chosen place (I've looked and don't think this happens in Bucks but not 100% sure). As you may be able to tell, I waited to see if my son would definitely qualify before starting to research this as didn't want to get either his or my hopes up!

[hermanmunster]

the thing that does make a difference to whether a child gets into the GS of choice is distance ... somewhere we have the allocations, will hunt for them and post the link

[mad?]

I have moved your post to Bucks where you are more likely to benefit from local knowledge

[hermanmunster]

here you are : https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/451308 ... -final.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[squidsin]

Thanks! When they say 'some allocated under rule 6
(distance) to 3.576 miles' do they mean 3.576 miles outside catchment or from the school itself? Sorry for seemingly stupid question!

[mad?]

Thanks! When they say 'some allocated under rule 6
(distance) to 3.576 miles' do they mean 3.576 miles outside catchment or from the school itself? Sorry for seemingly stupid question!

From the school itself. Borlaise's distance has been shrinking considerably lately

[kittymum]

You won’t be catchment for Borlase in Wycombe. The last year they allocated out of catchment was the current year 11.

You will definitely get JHGS and I would imagine RGS if catchment should just put whatever one you prefer first.

You don’t have to fill every slot as long as one is a definite.

ps it’s Borlase not Borlaise, or to be precise Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School - pedantic maybe but always surprised at the number of local people who spell its name incorrectly but always get RGS and JHGS correct - sorry personal irritation

Re allocations it will be in the individual schools admissions policies which will be on their websites. No score doesn’t count (as long as qualified). There may have been 200 people there but I would bet that a significant number are out of catchment so irrelevant really. Every year at SWBGS open evening there are people asking how many children get in from Reading etc

[squidsin]

You won’t be catchment for Borlase in Wycombe. The last year they allocated out of catchment was the current year 11.

You will definitely get JHGS and I would imagine RGS if catchment should just put whatever one you prefer first.

You don’t have to fill every slot as long as one is a definite.

Thank you. JHGS is a definite then - good to know!

Actually, we could get Borlase - we're out Lane End way and the catchment has been extended to include 30 extra places for children as far as Stokenchurch this year.

[kittymum]

If you’re in catchment then potentially yes.

The change in priority area / amendment to admissions policy is up to 10 looked after / pupil premium with score of 110 followed by a maximum of 15 from the priority area by random allocation. Followed by catchment siblings then catchment by distance.

The priority area includes the bit around lane End, Paddington, west Wycombe and Stokenchurch but also all the old Bucks part of catchment so isn’t 30 places for Lane End / Stokenchurch as such. The new places were generated by taking 5 classes from year 7 as opposed to not taking the 5th class until year 9.

If JHGS is your preferred school I can’t think of a year they haven’t gone out of catchment (of course I may be wrong). Borlase, JHGS and RGS are VERY different schools to each other - my children are at Borlase and very much didn’t want JHGS (which we are also catchment for) or RGS so I would be cautious about putting schools down just because they are grammar schools rather then the right school for your child.