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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

So who else is anxiously awaiting letters this week with offers of secondary school places?

64 replies

MummyPenguin · 28/02/2007 09:53

Letters here go out tomorrow, so we should have them by Friday. It seems a long time ago since we were filling out our preference forms in September. These last few days, waiting for news, are the worst.

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mitbap · 05/03/2007 16:55

Mine also sat for 7 (independents). Didn't seem to be a problem to her.

Lucycat · 05/03/2007 14:39

It's really interesting reading this thread. My dd is only 6 but when she leaves Year 6, there is the choice of the local comprehensive which is ok, or applying for an independent, which we can't afford. We have no 11+ so no Grammar Schools, no single sex schools either and all the schools within 10 miles are either the same as our local one or not as academically good.

So much for parental choice when you don't have one - not sure whether that makes life easier or not?

MoreTeaVicar · 05/03/2007 14:29

I see your point GameGirly. Perhaps, and I hope I am not just being naive here, but DD is a really laid back person and doesn't sweat about ANYTHING!, maybe she would cope with 3 or 4 exams and its just me being anxious for her. Thanks.

GameGirly · 05/03/2007 14:26

Well done everyone! MoreTeaVicar - my DD1 sat for 7, both ind and state, and coped really well. She says she's learnt lots from the experience and that exams will never worry her too much again! (Fortunately for me because, let's face it, it could have gone the other say and she could have had a breakdown!)

kookaburra · 05/03/2007 14:23

If you have offers from several - how do you choose? I know someone who is in dispute with her DP because he wants the DD to go to the only free grammar locally(horrendously difficult to get into - but DD managed it!) whereas she prefers the independent that DD got a part scholarship to. just to make it more interesting the girl herself prefers an independent she got into but would require full fees...
Any similar dilemmas - how do you resolve them,???

MoreTeaVicar · 05/03/2007 14:12

Congratulations to all of you, what a nerve racking experience. I am going to have sit DD for 3 or 4 ind schls, do any of you think this is too much to ask of her. Am doing so as the competition is so fierce and the places so few.

Freckle · 05/03/2007 13:42

Well done to all. Such a relief to have it all out of the way - for the time being anyway. I have to go through this again in 2 years' time.

Berries · 05/03/2007 13:40

DD got offers at all the independants she sat for - I'm really proud of her.

Well done to all those dcs who passed the 11+ and good luck to all in September.

MummyPenguin · 02/03/2007 16:44

Thank you

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Pimmpom · 02/03/2007 15:04

Ah, well done to your DD Mummypenguin!

MummyPenguin · 02/03/2007 14:29

Going to pick DC up now, and tell DD what a clever girl she is. Will look in again later.

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MummyPenguin · 02/03/2007 14:27

I'm in Bournemouth. Yes, they're changing it here too now. (Too late for us) what's going to happen now - apparently - is that kids can sit the 11 plus, and get their results of that, before they make their other choices. That way, if they fail the 11 plus, they can still get into the good secondaries, (Not that there are many of them round here. There's the Catholic one, and you have to be churchgoers and baptised catholic and the one that my friend missed out on, but we're out of catchment for that.)

So they will get both bites of the cherry, as my DH puts it. We'll be in a better situation then for DS's, currently in year 3 and year 2.

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Freckle · 02/03/2007 14:22

Mummypenguin, whereabouts are you? We used to have that system where, if you sat the 11+ and didn't pass, the good high school wouldn't take you. However, there was a recent ruling which meant that each school that you apply to does not know to which other schools you have applied, so they have no idea if your child sits the 11+ or not.

MummyPenguin · 02/03/2007 14:16

Oh, yes, I opened the letter - couldn't stand it any longer! I had told DD that I would, and luckily for me, she's very understanding

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MummyPenguin · 02/03/2007 14:15

Hi all!! DD passed her 11 plus. That's great news, although she won't automatically go to the Grammar as we didn't put them as our first preference due to the lack of other good secondaries. Our first preference was a good Catholic secondary which most of the kids from DD's school go to. DD has been offered a place there.

At the time of making choices, we felt that we had to secure her place at the Catholic secondary, as if the 11 plus hadn't gone our way, she would have had to go to our catchment secondary which is a bad all girls school, and DD really didn't want that to happen, and said that she would have felt under too much pressure had we put the Grammar first.

So it's good news in as much that she's got our first preference and passed her 11 plus. She'll go on the waiting list now for the Grammar, and may well be offered a place there to start in September. If that happens, we won't know until early April.

DH phoned the Grammar this morning to confirm what's happened. They wouldn't give him DD's results, but did say that had we put them first choice she would have been offered a place, however, they are aware of the situation here, that you only get one offer, and if she hadn't passed the exam, the Catholic secondary wouldn't have taken her, so they advised us to accept our offer at first preference, and they said that if offers are made to girls on the waiting list, it is ranked according to how well they scored, and they indicated that DD has passed well, so hopefully, there's more good news to come.

Sorry for keeping you in suspenders

Well done and congratulations to all who got good news today.

I have a friend who put her first prefernce at a school that's good, but they are out of catchment. She took a chance. Her DD hasn't got in, her other two preferences were the Grammar (her DD wasn't successful in the exam) and the Catholic secondary, but they have turned them down too. So my Friend's DD has been given the all girl catchment school by the LEA (the one that I didn't want). My poor friend is very
So I'm happy that my DD got our first preference at a good secondary, and we're still in with a chance with the Grammar.

Phew! What a morning!

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sarflondon · 02/03/2007 14:11

we got in to our preferred school. good luck hope everyone has the news they are waiting for

princesscc · 02/03/2007 13:45

Where's Mummypenguin? Did the post not arrive or is she still on the phone to all her family and friends. Don't forget us, we want to know!!

happystory · 02/03/2007 13:35

Whoohoo, dd got into the girls all ability we wanted. Gonna stick the envelope back up so she can open it later !

DumbledoresGirl · 02/03/2007 13:18

Not waiting anxiously as such as I always knew ds1 would get into the school of his choice - it is only the local comp - but yes, received confirmation last night that he has got in. He is pleased but I feel a bit sad as I so wish we had had the opportunity to get him into a really prestigious school. Those of you with grammar schools or affordable private schools or specialist schools of any sort, I really envy you and hope you all get the news you want.

Pimmpom · 02/03/2007 13:03

yes, good news here

Freckle · 02/03/2007 12:54
Grin
cat64 · 02/03/2007 12:53

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Freckle · 02/03/2007 12:50

Any news, ladies??

princesscc · 02/03/2007 10:02

will you open it then Mummypenguim or will you wait for the child concerned to come home from school?

MummyPenguin · 02/03/2007 09:44

My Postman usually comes at around 11.00 a.m. The last couple of days, he's been turning up at lunchtime! I've got two choices - I can either clean the house until the mail comes or stay on MN. Eiter way, keep myself busy!! I did think of phoning the schools and asking, but they may not tell me, and anyway, they're probably getting loads of that this morning, so I think I'll just sit it out.

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