11 plus

[phonez]

So now the grammar exams are later then how do you select schools?

I am out of area too but maybe the point is that they want to stop out of area applicants?

I am confused as to how I choose schools without knowing the results?

Did people used to know the outcome of 11 plus before submitting a school selection form to their council?

[Time2change2]

All other recent years have had around 1-2 weeks in between results and form deadline.
Now the test is later this year (I think it’s actually after last years form deadline date!) won’t the admissions deadline be pushed back?

[phonez]

Maybe that is the plan but if you live out of area then there won't be the incentive of the council to push the date back?

[Meredusoleil]

Apparently the CAF deadline of 31st October (32 London boroughs) is not going to be changed from my understanding!

Dd1 sat a few 11+ exams last year. For one set, we had the result before the CAF deadline. For the other, had she passed the 1st stage, we wouldn't have had the result of the 2nd stage in time.

The grammars basically want you to rank them high up on your CAF, despite not knowing if your child has scored highly or even passed the exams.

I would say, think very carefully before potentially wasting any of your preferences on these schools, especially if you are OOC (out of catchment) and the journey will take your child an hour or more!

[phonez]

Yes, this is what I am thinking..

In reality getting in is difficult enough but we live in an area without good secondary options.

I would not mind about the journey because we would look to move eventually.

[Meredusoleil]

@phonez

Yes, this is what I am thinking..

In reality getting in is difficult enough but we live in an area without good secondary options.

I would not mind about the journey because we would look to move eventually.

That's what we said too. That we would move house if dd1 got offered a place. The reality was something else. Dd1 got offered a place from the WL back in April for 1 of the 2 grammars she passed the exams for. However, the journey would have taken her over an hour easily. And we couldn't live house because of various issues, including Covid. So we had to decline the place 🤷‍♀️

[Meredusoleil]

Move house not live house 🤦🏻‍♀️

[phonez]

But did you have good local secondary schools so was your fall back option ok?

I guess it may be a possibility to be on a waiting list for a grammar but I would have thought that was rare if you were out of catchment?

[Meredusoleil]

@phonez

But did you have good local secondary schools so was your fall back option ok?

I guess it may be a possibility to be on a waiting list for a grammar but I would have thought that was rare if you were out of catchment?

Our local secondary school has been improving, but not yet up to where we wanted.

Our back up was to send dd1 to an out of (London) borough school which she got a place through an aptitude test. If we didn't have that, I don't know what we would have done tbh!

As it turns out, we got a place at an in borough school that we had ranked higher (still below the grammars though) back in July. So that's where dd1 is going now 👌

We would have been OK with the out Borough one. But now with this awful virus, I much prefer her to be local. So hopefully, it's all worked out for the best thankfully 🤞

[CulturallyAppropriatedName]

This is affecting us this year. As DD is borderline on passing for our local grammar, and we are on catchment limits for the good comp up the road, we have decided to put comp as first choice and grammar as second (then other non selectives to make up to 5). If she passes the grammar we will be top of waiting list as her brother is there. I am worried about not getting into the comp unless we put it first.

[Meredusoleil]

Oh and it depends how the grammar school admissions policy is worded. We automatically went on the waiting list despite being OOC because there are several different WL. We were only on the one which was based on the score. There were others based on being within a certain distance/in borough etc.

So check the admissions code for each school carefully!

[phonez]

Thank you both - that is really helpful.

The 11 plus may just be out of reach for my child.

But another question ... if you don't mind.

So if you put a local school as the first choice then what happens if you second choice if a grammar and you do pass.

Can you say no to the first choice and go on the WL for the grammar (if there is a WL that you can join).


Also it does make sense not to have a job commute because of covid.

I really am in pieces about it all as I just want my child to be at an ok school and my child is bright.

Not helped by yesterday having a massive party outside on my street with some kids from both of failing comprehensives totally drugged up and seeing my neighbours boys change so much from going to poorly achieving schools. I know they are not representative but there were enough of them to make me realise my child will not fit in.

[phonez]

My child is bright but I am not sure my child is bright enough to get an out of area place.

[hellooooooooooo]

@CulturallyAppropriatedName

This is affecting us this year. As DD is borderline on passing for our local grammar, and we are on catchment limits for the good comp up the road, we have decided to put comp as first choice and grammar as second (then other non selectives to make up to 5). If she passes the grammar we will be top of waiting list as her brother is there. I am worried about not getting into the comp unless we put it first.

Put your schools in the order of your preference. If the grammar is your top choice put it first. The schools won't know the order of where you put them.
For both my children the stage 2 for the grammar schools was after the admissions deadline- it's not a new thing for some areas.

[Meredusoleil]

@phonez

My child is bright but I am not sure my child is bright enough to get an out of area place.

Do you rent? If so, I would try to move (easier and quicker than selling/buying a house imho) closer to the grammar school but also near good comps AND I would still enter your ds for the 11+ AND if he feels he has done well in it, I would put the grammar school above any local comp. As long you end up living close enough to the comp to have a high chance of getting in on distance.

Is this your only child or eldest?

[montventoux]

In Kent this year they have increased the number of schools you can name on the form from 4 to 6. This gives more flexibility, so you can name (for example) three grammars as first choices and then three high schools as the others. I don't know how that affects out of county applicants though. But if you want a grammar if your child passes, then you must name it first. If you name a local school first then that's what you'll be offered (assuming they have spaces). Yes, you could turn it down and go on the WL for the grammar, but then you could find yourself without a school place at all. Whereas there's no disadvantage to naming the grammar first (except that it uses up one of your choices). If you don't get the grammar, that won't affect your chances of getting your second choice school.

[Plastictattoo]

Speak to your LEA admissions. Our LEA are having a meeting next week to decide what to do. They will either allow more choices or allow us to phone after the 11+ results come out in November and change our first choice to the local comp if DD doesn't pass.

[montventoux]

culturallyappropriatedname it's called an equal preference system. I think the best way to think of it is that you are effectively submitting separate applications to all the schools you name on your form. They will all consider your application separately and inform the LA whether they can offer you a space. If more than one school can offer a space, then you will be given whichever of those schools you named highest. If none of your first three choices can offer you a space but your fourth choice can, then you'll be offered your fourth choice. The fact that you named it fourth makes absolutely no difference to your chance of being offered a place there. If none of the schools on your form can offer a place, you'll be allocated another school by the LA. So you should always use all your choices, and you should always name your schools in your true order of preference.

[phonez]

Thanks again for all the excellent replies.

I will speak to the council next week.


I don't really feel renting would be the right thing to do as I would feel that would disadvantage someone more local so I guess I may just have to name a grammar or two and hope for the best.

Basically I don't want a local school though. It really is that bad.