11+ 2025 support thread #3

@Chorizo12Agree Sale to Urmston isn’t far and the bus stop back to Sale is opposite the school.

The school told us they've taken from 65 primary schools this Yr7, 25 children coming on their own. So don’t worry too much if she would be the only one coming from her primary. There are lots of good clubs to help them mix.

Do all 11 plus exams these days not allow written working out?. I was very surprised to hear that the Redbridge exam didn't provide working out paper and frowned upon writing in the answer booklets.

Sorry to hear this. It’s hard when the sibling doesn't get into the same school. We have the same here! Like you say Loreto such a great option and glad she knows a few going.

Thanks for this! Super useful. Especially bus strikes etc Unfortunately we are in Sale so both require some bus travel. Urmston is probably easier for us to get to though and isnt too far away.

I agree with you about distance to school - it's why we chose Stretford for all our children. Makes such a difference when they can walk to school - we have been particularly appreciative of it recently with all the strikes!

@DadsbabeI think you’re on the border with both score and distance. You are right 370 was a top 20 score last year, as my son was a couple of marks off that but we are very local.

All you can do is put down your preferences in order and manage expectations. Is Stretford a potential as well?

@Chorizo12Another parent with a Year 7 child at Urmston. We were choosing between Urmston, Stretford and St Ambrose. I personally found Urmston a bit stuffy at Open Evening, but have been pleasantly surprised at the feel of the school in practice, and teachers/staff have all been approachable and supportive. I have a son with SEN and have been happy with the conversations in that area too.

Ultimately, we chose Urmston so he could walk to school. I think I have uttered a million times since I’m so glad that he can walk to school rather than be on a bus! Homework really ramps up, so I want him to have time to both relax and have time for homework/hobbies, which is so much better being home at 3.30pm instead of 5.00pm. May be less of a concern for your child, but worth thinking about how much chill time they need after school to decompress.

Although St Ambrose isn’t specifically relevant to you, I think both of them are very religious and I would consider that alongside how much you are connected to your faith.

I don’t think you can go too wrong with either, but I’d definitely look at length of day/transport. Bus strikes are ongoing in the area, it’s worth stopping to think how you may cope with 2-3 days of no school bus, if a walk is your alternative.

It's 4pm on the last Friday before half term. No sign of Latymer rank 2 results. Anyone else still waiting for any?

That’s good then, glad there is no upset. My DD passed so she’s happy she can go to the school she wanted.

Yes I did and it was a no for us unfortunately - not massively unexpected so I think we've managed to move on quickly and easily! Luckily DS has a lot of friends who'll go to the same school as him so he's happy about that.

How did you get on?

For Stretford we know someone who didn't get in on review last year with an initial score of 329 (in catchment). I think the last couple of years the numbers of children sitting the test for Stretford have really increased and the school have already upped the admission numbers once in the time we have been parents of children in attendance. Not sure if this impacts on how many children get in on appeal. Fingers crossed for March - it's horrible having to wait so long to hear.

That’s good then. Thank you, I appreciate the info.
Did you have a DC doing the 11+ this time? I think I recognise your name from earlier threads.

That’s good then. Thank you, I appreciate the info.
Did you have a DC doing the 11+ this time? I think I recognise your name from earlier threads.

They let you know if the review was successful around the end of November/early December if I remember correctly. And then if you're in catchment you can be pretty certain you'll get a place on national allocation day - I don't think anyone in a catchment postcode hasn't got a place before.

Thank you, that’s reassuring. I think they will get a place but obviously the parents still feel anxious about it as it’s not a dead cert and yet another wait. Presumably they only let you know your appeal was successful and you got a place on national allocation day?

That is brazen isn't it? Presumably they'd also need a local HT to provide the reference though?

Quite a few in my oldest's year appealed for Stretford, one was definitely the lowest score you could be to appeal (I guess 324) and was convinced their child wouldn't get a place but they did. I think as long as the school can back up that they're consistently greater depth in everything you are pretty safe with the local review - that's always been my impression anyway. I think a large proportion are successful.

I've been amusing myself by reading a thread on the appeals board of ElevenPlusExams in which someone left their spacious owner-occupied family home and, for no obvious reason, moved to a small rented flat on a short-term lease a long commute from both parents' workplaces that just happens to be in the catchment area of a Bucks grammar, arriving literally days before the address cut-off, only for their DD to score 119.

The always-lovely and constructive mods there are trying to be helpful without accusing the OP of clearly dabbling in address fraud, even as they try to claim "my daughter no longer has her own room or space to study since we randomly decided to move to a tiny flat without selling our large house" as an extenuating circumstance.

I think if you're living outside the catchment area for Latymer it would likely be quite a journey to do each day.

If you're moving anyway I'd concentrate on areas with a dead cert good school if I were you. Where will your dc1 go? Is it too late for you to move near a good school now (not before application date obviously but you could be a late applicant somewhere). .

Thank you @Dadsbabe and @slaybell
The child is within catchment and will get a good review from the primary school as they’ve always performed above standard and is a good student. So sounds like they are in with a good chance.

Yes, usually something like the end of the first week in January.

However... @Tea4216 , be aware that admissions policies can change. For your DS's year of entry the consultation period for changes (e.g. bringing forward the hard cut-off date for being in catchment - the OSA isn't keen on random earlier dates such as date of registration to sit the exam, if a challenge is made, but a challenge to e.g. the use of the CAF deadline probably wouldn't be successful) would need to take place for 6+ weeks between 1st October and 31st January when he is in year 5. As of now, the earliest that a major change that would affect him could be implemented from the 2027 intake. You need to keep an eye out for notice of a consultation on the school's website.

As for how soon you could move out of area, having been offered a place - merely moving further away, but still in a catchment postcode wouldn't be a problem, as the allocation is score based and (currently) no postcodes have precedence. Moving out of catchment, trickier - a place obtained fraudulently can be withdrawn even after the child has started at the school and given how insistent Latymer is on only admitting from within catchment, I can't imagine that they wouldn't be suspicious of a move as earlh as during the first term. But there are loads of in-catcment postcodes, so presumably it wouldn't be too difficult to find somewhere 'nicer' than where you are currently, but still within catchment?

He got 332 initially after review it was 334 and got admission. It's all based on distance not at all by marks

Score doesn’t matter provided it is within the local review range.

I don’t know about Stretford but for Urmston last year I know a child who scored 325 and passed local review and a child who scored 333 and didn’t. It’s all in the evidence (mostly teacher/headteacher recommendation letters).

Beat advice would be to put together some strong evidence with good recommendation letters.

Thank you.
With what score, do you know?
Stretford Grammar sent an email saying if your score was 324-333 than you could be considered for local review. This child scored 327 and is within catchment, has always been above target throughout primary reports.
Do the local reviews take the highest scores into account first or distance? I wondered what score was the lowest they accepted on previous years. It’s not actually for us, just trying to help and advise a friend, so thanks for any advice you have for me to pass on.

Actually there's a date by which you need to move in - the Jan after the exams I think.