S W Herts consortium: cut-off scores 2014

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

I don't have a child applying to secondary this year (one last year, two next year) but have been hearing rumours that the cut-off scores for both academic and music places at the schools in the S W Herts consortium (Watford Boys, Watford Girls, Parmiter's etc) are significantly higher than the cut-offs in previous years.

Can anyone confirm or shed any light on this?

All the schools within the consortium have the information of what they consider inner or outer areas. If you have a child that has taken the SW Herts test really you should know all about this, don't mean to be harsh but really???

BTW I am a WD postcode and get peeved about outer area allowances so I am biased sorry

The postcodes that make up the inner and outer areas are listed in the admissions arrangements which are available on each school's website.

WBGS:
Academic (inner area) 255
Academic (outer area) 260
Distance 224m

WGGS:
Academic (inner area) 252
Academic (outer area) 259
Distance 250m

I suspect the big increase in the score at WGBS this year is down to the v negative rumours about QE Boys that have flooded the 11+ site this year. The two schools attract v similar boys ie those who want an academic, single-sex school. But acc to the threads I saw, QE 'culls' any boys it thinks aren't guaranteed top grades and won't let them stay on for A Level or only to do 'easy' subjects. But it hides this fact from parents. Lots of angry QE parents posting this year may have made many parents of year 6s decide to go for WGBS instead - no cull, supposedly 'easier' to get into (maybe not this year!) and siblings of both genders then get free places too!

But no idea why the jump in scores at the girls' school too!

The jump in scores is apparent in all schools.

Lordy, those are considerably higher than expected, aren't they?!

Yes not predicted to be that much higher. Queens was up 8pts from last yr too!

Although there isn't a 'cull' at WBGS, boys in Y11 still need to meet certain requirements if they want to study A-levels in the sixth form (e.g. A at Maths GCSE if you want to do Maths A-level, A* at Maths GCSE if you want to do Further Maths A-level). This is probably the case in many similar schools.

hey voddie, I am also wd and think the idea of giving people who have to drive their kids to school places over those who live near by is really annoying. We have only lived here just over a year so I'm not clued up on the system like some people seem to be and was only interested in our two local schools, one out of consortium and queens.

Someone mentioned the inner and outer today and on the queens site there are a set of postcodes listed, some have two asterisks I'm wondering if that means they are outer but I can't see an explanation. possibly I missed it.

I might be wrong, but I don't think Queens has an inner and outer area for its academic places. The cut-off for Queens was 226 if that helps.

goldie81 - no, don't think that's true. QE Boys' scores don't seem any higher at all.

nope I'm just being dumb. The double asterisks are to indicate more specific postcodes ie HA3 3** so I can't find anything on the queens site about inner and outer areas within their admissions criteria.

Is this just a watford girls/boys thing and not applicable to queens?

thanks threebeeonegee, cross posted. Dd was 218 so I thought Id be higher up the list based on previous years. we are 69th on the waiting list. Thanks for the score, I hadn't realised it had gone up so much more compared to last year till I read this thread. Where did that come from? woman in admissions was really helpful and gave me our waiting list number but didn't tell me the cut off. Haven't had my letter yet so maybe it's in there.

In fact the cut-off score for QE is lower. So I think the bad publicity has put some parents off. And will explain why WGBS' scores have gone up more than the others.

Don't forget, for every active poster on there (or here) there are dozens of lurkers. Rumour is passed on as gospel in the school playground. Forms are often the only source of info parents have when choosing schools, esp if they don't live locally.

I think goldie81 meant that cut-off scores seem to be higher in all of the consortium schools this year.

manechanger with regards to Queens just had a look at their admission policy. They do not have an outer catchment unless in the highly unlikely event that all places are not filled by the third and fourth criteria. It is explained under criteria seven.

Thanks Voddikeepsmesane.

It was a watford girls parent who told me about inner and outer, so that makes sense. Thought Id missed a whole set of rules I should have known about.

We are only just outside the distance catchment so I think we may have a chance. Dd is worried she'll have to wait till the last minute to know which school she's going to and wants to settle for 2nd choice, i prefer a larger school. We;ll see what happens I guess. Are you waiting this year? and can I assume from your earlier post that you didn't get the school you wanted?

If "those" threads on the 11+ forum regarding QEB are to be believed - and I have no way of knowing if the complaints are valid or not - then even getting an A in your chosen subject at GCSE does not mean you will be permitted to take that subject at A level. IF* that is true, then it is something that I've never come across in any other school. Most schools will obviously advise that you need to have performed well in your chosen subject at GCSE in order to study it at A level, but the complaints regarding QEB go further than that.

That being said, I have no idea whether that would influence any decision by a parent as to joining QEB compared to any other school.

No manechanger we are on the road as such with year 5 DS. It just seems to be getter harder and harder every year for the children. This time next year I will be sitting waiting and this huge jump in scores needed to get the "good" schools has frightened the living daylights out of me.

Shred - it would put me off!!

We briefly considered QEB but we were put off by the fact that it is single sex and also the journey time for us would be grim. No doubting though that it does what it says on the tin, until perhaps you are in the unfortunate position of having to look for another school post-GCSE.

I hadn't realised when I typed my message above that the QEB debate was continuing even on mn on other current threads .....

voddie, to be honest all the schools we saw seemed lovely to me and we weren't looking at the high-end consortium schools. I know everyone has their requirements in a school and wont think the ones we saw were fine but I know my dd will achieve what she wants wherever she goes. just wouldn't mind a sibling link to a school which might suit all 4

Even if it's true, it could change by the time it comes round.

In case anyone is searching for information on Parmiters, the cut off (within catchment) was 255 this year.

And for out of catchment (3 places I think?).....279. Given the maximum is 282, and you can lose three marks on a single maths question, that's as near a perfect score as I've ever heard of.

Blimey, just reading a post on the 11+ forum from somebody whose son scored 251 and lives less than 300 metres from WGSB. Didn't get in on distance or an academic place.

I was looking on the Parmiters website last night and there is a consultation document on there regarding admissions and address issues, specifically a provision relating to renting for less than 12 months. I've seen this in Bucks schools too, and hard as it is, I can see why it seems necessary when the flats overlooking WGSB appear to be used for very short term rental purposes .