Appealing and order on your preference list?

[Frikadellen]

We believe we have found the right school for our son. It is however a super selective grammar school.

If he hasn't quite scored enough for a place by a point or two and we go to appeal will it have any bearing on the case " against us" if we have placed the other 2 grammar schools in the area on our preference? (1 we liked the other is a higher selection than the one we really like and we are wondering if that then becomes a "wasted" choice)


(ohh roll on next week when results are out)

[Frikadellen]

Thank you Tiggy tape (This was so much easier for the girls who didn't pass or take the 11+ )

Our dead cert is pretty easy thankfully as He liked the non grammar (non Kent - we live RIGHT on the border) school his older 2 sisters are in and that school has sibling priority. We are discussing how to place them all and the dead cert will likely go down as 4th choice.
We are going to go and look at Hayesbrook tomorrow - Last school to look at..

The school we feel is so suitable for him is Skinners in Tunbridge Wells. We preferred it to Judd for him as he is so incredibly into Math and science and their STEM had him wide eyed and unwilling to leave the area for 30 mins. (I got to admit likely not helped by the 2 boys who showed us around who eagerly helped him with all the tasks both clearly enjoying themselves) Add to that they have a all year cricket team and honestly I think he was ready to move in laughs.

We liked TWGSB and whilst we really liked Judd we are of the opinion that Skinners would be far better suited for our son. This has got the question up do we want to add Judd at all and if so where on the list? Or should we seek to see what other non Grammar schools there is he may like? Hence the above question.

[Frikadellen]

Skinners is the preference and Judd usually takes the highest 2% then Skinners the next few 5 and TWGSB goes for the last lot (until full off course) all 3 schools are over subscribed.

thankfully we get the results prior to having to fill in the forms so we don't have to worry about not having passed the test. & can safely chose knowing what ones to pick

[Frikadellen]

ty again tiggytape

Toughasoldboots of all the schools we have looked around. ((7 in total now)) Skinners was the one where I thought YES I can see DS here. He was just enthralled with the entire school and the 2 boys who showed us around were so adorable I wanted to take them both home..

On being asked what was the best about the school they were both almost in competition to tell us what was great on being asked " whats not so good" there was a stunned silence then one went " oh the lessons" and the other sort of looked to him and grinned and went "ohh yes the lessons" and you could so clearly see neither of them meant it and really enjoyed themselves at school.

I liked Judd but simply prefer Skinners I feel it is far more the sort of ethos my son will get behind. being right on the border to Surrey and E Sussex we are more in dificulty with the places we can go for so I am hoping for a high score on the 11+ (roll on Wednesday when we know - next week) But ty for taking the time to tell me as it just confirms to me what I felt about the school.

(also the only HT speech that didn't bore me to tears why do most of them try to pretend to be your friend? - I want a HT not a friend)

[clam]

Slightly off-topic, I know, but doesn't distance have anything to do with it nowadays? I only ask because I grew up in TW (db went to Skinners, I was at TWGGS) yet my mother told me recently that we quite likely wouldn't get in nowadays from Broadwater Down. But I often hear about people as far out as, say, Sevenoaks, applying.
How does it work then? Is a high score relevant?

[clam]

Hmm, I see.
TWBGS is the "old" Technical High, I take it?

[Frikadellen]

TWBGS has slightly changed their admission policy and now have a 3 mile inner circle that fills first. Then they go for boys in named parishes and finally boys outside. As they are oversubscribed they are unlikely to get to the outside. The parish circles are not set so TWBGS is in the middle so for us (who are right on the eastern border to Surrey/ESussex - though still in Kent) it has actually become slightly easier to get into TWBGS where as those due south not within the 3 miles will find it harder.