How many choices Bucks secondary

[BoyMeetsWorld]

Hi, do you get 3 or 6 choices for Bucks secondary and do grammar and comp choices all go in together?

Bit worried if it's only 3 and you have to hedge your bets on whether they'll pass the 11+ or not!

[LIZS]

6 according to the website, but you should know 11+ result beforehand and be able to assess likelihood of success for a grammar place.

[HPFA]

According to the Bucks CC websit you get six choices. From their timeline you find out whther they've passed or failed the 11+ before you have to make the application.

www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/education/school-admissions/moving-up-to-secondary-school/timeline-for-entry-in-2019/

I had always understood that if you passed the 11+ you were guaranteed a grammar school offer but it appears this may not be the case (see below)so perhaps wise to put a secondary modern on the form just in case? Perhaps someone who knows the Bucks system could confirm?

If we can’t offer any of your preferences, we try to offer a place at the nearest Buckinghamshire school. This may not be your catchment school. If your child is qualified for grammar school, we will try to offer a place at the nearest Buckinghamshire grammar school. However, in recent years this has not been possible as all grammar schools have been full on 1 March. This is why it is sensible to not just include Buckinghamshire grammar schools on your application.

Also, if your child fails the test you can still apply to a grammar school if you are intending to appeal:

If your child does not qualify for a grammar school, but your preferred school is still a grammar school, then in order to continue pursuing this option, you must include a grammar school preference on your application. You may then request a Selection Review or, from 1 March 2019 (National Offer Day) onwards, an admission appeal. When completing your application, it is best to put any grammar school preference above any upper/all-ability school preference.

At the time secondary school places are allocated on 1 March 2019, if your child has not qualified for a grammar school and you have included grammar school preferences on your application, we will automatically refuse them. However, you will be entitled to appeal this refusal. If you have not included a grammar school preference on your application then you will not be able to appeal for that school, as it is the refusal of this school allocation on 1 March that triggers the right of appeal.

Hope this all makes sense!

[Gileswithachainsaw]

You get 6.

Put them in the order you want them and that includes the grammar schools. They will ignore the grammar if you don't get the qualifying score.

The results were due out a couple of weeks ago. The deadline for the school is tomorrow. Did you take it late or has there been a problem getting the results?

[BubblesBuddy]

The deadline for Bucks residents is 31st at 3 pm. Not for those moving into the county and are late applicants.

Three grammar schools, as far as I can tell, didn’t allocate all qualified children living in the catchment area a place: Dr Challoners Grammar, Sir William Borlase’s Grammar and The Royal Grammar, High Wycombe. What isn’t possible to deduce is whether the majority of those children who were not offered a place at those schools were offered a grammar elsewhere. One could see boys wanting DCG getting into Chesham Grammar and RGS catchment boys getting John Hampden Grammar. This could leave the Marlow children in catchment for SWB at a disadvantage for Wycombe due to distance and the fact there is only one girls’ grammar in High Wycombe. It’s a shame the Bucks statement on the non offer of a grammar place for qualified children isn’t explicit.

Bucks also consider the so called “all ability schools” such as Sir Thomas Freemantle the same as a grammar school which is, of course, not the case in reality. It’s not clear if this policy has affected recruitment to RLS in Buckingham in that Sir Thomas Freemantle has no catchment area at all.

[HPFA]

It’s a shame the Bucks statement on the non offer of a grammar place for qualified children isn’t explicit.

I'm glad it wasn't just me who found it unclear! I guess the advice would be the same as to those of us in comprehensive counties - make sure that your "banker" grammar school i.e the one you're most likely to get into, is somewhere on the form even if that's not your first choice?

[BubblesBuddy]

How you play the “banker” secondary school on your preferences, when you have qualified for a Grammar, is the big problem! Some secondaries are very good but they are not the same. Others are still needing to improve.