Allocation - how are we all doing?

Eleven Plus (11+) in Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

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Bucks Mum
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:34 pm

Allocation - how are we all doing?

Post by Bucks Mum »

Yes, I know it's half-term and really I shouldn't be dwelling on March 2nd but...I thought I'd just give a shout out to all those of us who have applied to OOA schools ie those of us for whom allocation is as big a hurdle as the damn exam itself....how are we all doing? I was fine but have found myself starting to fret a bit as the enormity of DC not getting a place at the GS he actually wants to go to is starting to hit home.

I'm bracing myself for waiting list purgatory!

BM x
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

You will get the offer of a GS place and there's always a transfer appeal.

You just have to hope that other people do not want the school you prefer!
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

I don't want to pour cold water on anyone's hopes, but 11+ Transfer Appeals have the worst success rate of any type of appeal in Bucks.

In 2008 it was just over 15%, and in 2007 it was just under 12%.

In 2008 there were 91 transfer appeals actually heard (some were settled or withdrawn before the hearing), so you can see that, across the 11 Bucks Grammars, if every appeal were to succeed, that would mean each school potentially going over PAN by 8 pupils - clearly an untenable situation.

Sally-Anne
All Too Much
Posts: 72
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:29 pm

Post by All Too Much »

Am I the only one that thinks that the Letters may arrive on Saturday 28th Feb? County work Mon-Fri so should in theory post them out on the evening of Friday 27th Feb.

Possibility they may arrive on the Saturday, anyone agree, or am I totally wrong?

Another consideration for OOA mum is that although offers are made at that time, not everyone takes up those offers and things are constantly changing, even up to and including the first week of September. So always worth finding out where you are on a waiting list and sitting tight. It's not set in stone in March.
All Too Much
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Some of the transfer appeals will be between GS - last year I heard of two people each appealing for the school the other people had been allocated - so it is not necessarily 9 extra people per school.

I do think you have to have a VERY strong case - 15% is better odds than some appeals in LAs on the forum.

The letters are posted on the Monday - I think you should be able to pick up your allocation on-line if you applied that way. However I believe that there were difficulties in accessing the site last year.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Guest55 is quite right - the letters are actually posted on March 1st, or the first working day thereafter - in the case of this year, Monday March 2nd.

All Too Much - you are also quite right to say that sitting tight and hoping on the waiting list is probably the best option for many people than going for a transfer appeal. There are several further "allocation rounds" after March 2nd, and any one of them could deliver a place, depending where the child is on the waiting list.

A transfer appeal will only succeed if you have very compelling reasons indeed as to why only that school (or specifically, that GS, if in catchment) is suitable for your child, and that is very hard to prove. Some GS Heads have a "tried and trusted" appeal case that they put forward, and it is simply watertight.

We will post the 2009 Bucks Allocation Profile the moment it is available on March 2nd/3rd, and add it to the website page for past Bucks allocations as soon as possible after that. That will allow us to "guesstimate" the chance of a waiting list place coming up trumps.

The historic allocations can be viewed here, if anyone hasn't seen them:

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/11-plu ... rofile.php

Sally-Anne
Greta2
Posts: 180
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2008 2:21 am

Post by Greta2 »

It seems remarkably quiet on here with one week to go before allocations - How is everyone faring?

Having gone back to school after half term it's clear the children have been talking about allocations day in DS2's class today as I have had lots of "what if" questions tonight. He has suddenly realised there is one more hurdle for them all.

How about everyone else?
happymummy
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:46 pm

Post by happymummy »

I have been thinking about it a lot the last few days. DS is quietly resigned to the fact he will probably not get his first choice (we are OOC) and I am trying to think the same on the basis that if we do get first choice it will be a bonus!! Its all down to distance from school gates for us, hisorically until last year we would have got in no problem but last year was the first that people living where we are didnt. Hope it was just a blip!!

GOOD LUCK everyone! I bet this forum will be red hot this time next week...
Greta2
Posts: 180
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2008 2:21 am

Post by Greta2 »

Happymummy -
I'm glad it's not just me feeling the waiting game.
Lets hope for your DS that last years blip was just that - I realise it is even harder for anyone OOC.
It just seems a long drawn out process for everyone. Roll on next week.
andyb
Posts: 645
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:27 am
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by andyb »

DS told me on the way home from school that allocations would be out next week (even though the date has been engraved on my mind since November!) - they had obviously been talking at school. He then said "what happens if I don't get "my school", I don't want to go to "the other one" - it has been worrying him that all his hard work might still not pay off :( . I explained to him that we are fairly certain of getting his first choice as we live within 3 miles of the school gate but even if we don't then "the other one" is just as good and at one point he couldn't decide which he preferred. He said that's just what his friend said - I guess all the children and their parents are going through the same emotions - it's good to know that even at 10 years old they are supporting each other.
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