Schools admission criteria......

[LookingforMaryPoppins]

So, my youngest has her heart set on the same grammar school as her sister. She has worked hard and successfully passed the 11 plus. Really proud off her, she is dyslexic so no mean feat.... having just checked the admission criteria, having a sibling at the school makes no difference. Passing the 11 plus is the first criteria followed by children in care, pupil premium and then distance - she is bottom of the pile. If she doesn't get a place, which with that criteria is likely., the option is a sink failing school..... how is that fair?

Won’t she have the same chance of getting in as her sister did?

I’m confused. If she passed then she’s surely in Category 1?

I don’t think you can be that surprised that a selective entry school… selects?

Presumably her sister got in on distance before her, or have you moved since? Grammars often don’t use sibling criteria.

Is it fair on anyone going to a sink school?

But she passed the 11 plus so she is in category 1 isn't she? And her sister presumably got in on passing and distance. Have you moved?

It’s not unfair - she is in exactly the same situation as her sister before her. I can see it’s worrying, but that doesn’t make it unfair…

Have you moved?

If she passed the 11+ and her sister got in on distance what’s the problem?

Also, do you think it’s fair that all the other children who don’t get into grammar have to go to the other school?

Do you mean that passing the 11+ is a pre-condition to all those criteria, and then in that order?

That is fairly normal though to get in on distance? You pass and then it is on where you live. It is the main criteria for most admissions

and I don’t think grammar should or do have sibling rules

Every child deserves to go to a decent school. If someone has no siblings or siblibgs are much older or not as academic so chose to go elsewhere, why should that child be penalised?

I’ve read the OP three times now and I still don’t understand why you think it’s unfair.

Feels like there's big chunks of missing information here

Why didnt you check all the criteria before assuming?

Fewer and fewer schools have sibling priority now. Too many people abused it to live near by and get DC1 in, then relied on sibling priority for subsequent kids while living miles away. Did you move op? The birthrate has dropped the past couple of years so if you still live in the same property you'd expect to have a better chance at a place

In hindsite I suspect her sister benefited from covid - cosequence being the catchment for non children in care / pupil premium widened.

no she isn't category one, any child in care or pupil premium comes ahead of her.....

Yes

her sister did however the criteria as changed - any child that isn't in care or pupil premium is on a back foot. If the non selective alternative were decent it wouldn't feel so unfair however it's a school where less that 20% of children come out with a pass in Maths and English! Why should families that work hard and value education end up with their children being the least likely to get a decent school. 🤷‍♂️

No! 100% not however with the addition of VAT on independent school fees any choice has been removed for the majority.

No, we live in the same place.

Not with the change in admission criteria.

I feel like if you have a sibling already attending the school, then the distance thing shouldn't apply if the academics are there. Can you make an appeal to their decision if your daughter doesn't get in? Or can you send a letter with her application asking them to overlook distance since your other daughter was admitted due to exterminating circumstances that covid caused?

Otherwise, I would pull both girls out if older sibling was okay with it and put them in a different school together. Or, they attend different schools altogether if older wants to stay where she is. Life isn't fair and this is a good learning lesson.

No, we live in the same place. The school is a 12 min train ride away..... the difference is the admission criteria meaning that any child that is not in care / pupil premium is bottom of the pile.

not unfair that hardworking families are lowest priority?