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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Wandsworth Test Results 2014-2015 - enough for Graveney?

78 replies

Pasteurella · 02/02/2015 13:35

Just got DS's test results for the WT, and he's got 247. I know it's going to be borderline, but does anyone have any idea what the lowest score to be accepted for Graveney last year was?

OP posts:

LittleFluffyMoo · 10/03/2015 21:45

DS is on the waiting list and his position has gone up by 1, so they are starting to move. Good luck, 16th is a good position, I think your DD will probably get in soon!

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 10/03/2015 22:05

Littlefluffymoo thanks for that information and for being positive. I feel we will be lucky with our position if we get in on the waiting list. Hope the best for your DS.

LittleFluffyMoo · 10/03/2015 22:29

I know of at least two more with selective offers who are leaving the list for independent schools, and a further two for who Graveney isn't their first choice and who are waiting on other waiting lists, so I think you're about to see a lot more movement!

LittleFluffyMoo · 10/03/2015 22:31

Sorry - that's four, all of who are holding firm selective (ability) offers at the moment, not on the waiting list.

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 11/03/2015 16:52

One can continue to hope. Many thanks.

tiggytape · 11/03/2015 18:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 11/03/2015 21:21

Thanks for all the information. DD is my eldest so it is my first time through this process. She is still happy with the school she was given (3rd choice) as am I, but if it happens then we would probably take it.

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 21/03/2015 14:45

Little fluffy Moo. The list has started to move. We got a Graveney offer for the extension off the wait list this morning. I'm sort of shocked as didn't expect it that quickly. Just wrapped our mind around going to Grey Coats after letting JAGS go. Anyone else out there?

LittleFluffyMoo · 21/03/2015 15:49

It has Notenoughsleepmumof3! We're nearly there on the waiting list, and hoping to be in any day. I was expecting it to take a lot longer too, but there seem to have been some big jumps lately.

Good luck, and maybe we'll meet in RL . Have anyone else's DC made it in yet?

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 22/03/2015 12:19

We very well may meet. We have until the 1st to decide, but I think we are going to switch as it is higher on her choice and I don't think she will be bored in the extension from the start. They don't set at GC until year 8 and that has been a worry for us as she is completely bored in year 6 at primary. Anyone else with a similar dilemma? Both excellent schools, just with different things to offer.

basildonbond · 22/03/2015 18:27

Just a note of caution - it doesn't automatically mean that your dd is in extension just because she got in on the test. There are several children in upper who got in via the test and conversely several siblings or local children in extension who wouldn't have been offered a place purely on their test score. The streaming decisions seem to be made using a number of criteria including but not limited to the test score

I hope your dd is happy there

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 22/03/2015 21:03

Yes basildon I believe they get in on their score, but then they still have to do well on their SATS. Is that right? We are a bit confused as we like both schools and know children who are going to both. Do you know how they go through the wait list? I would think we would only be in the extension band as that is the only way we would get a place at this time. We aren't close enough to the school for the other 3 bands. It seems like at least 1/3 of the extension places were rejected. We were 16th on the extension list on national offer day and something like 660 on the other list.

GoldenBeagle · 22/03/2015 21:19

Yes, you will have got in on the basis of the waiting list for the selective place (and well done to your DD!).

What BasildonBond is saying is that once all the places are allocated all the kids are mixed together and set according to score, SATS, any other tests they do - it isn't automatic that all the people admitted for selective places on the test scores end up in the extension classes. Though obviously most do. Bt there are siblings and distance admissions that may well outscore the selective intake.

What is your / dd's preference- girls or co-ed?

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 22/03/2015 22:45

Co-ed. Graveney was her 1st choice. GC was 3rd. We have 2 more DS's to come and I know they are often reviewing the sibling policy, but it would be nice to have that option for our boys as well. When we started this process last fall she was adamant that she didn't want to go to a girls school. But, you wrap your mind around the options put before you. I have only heard really good things about Graveney from families who have kids there currently and have been there in the last 10 years. It seems like the better option for us.

basildonbond · 22/03/2015 23:06

There are 63 places given out as a result of the Wandsworth test but there are 90 children in extension . All you know at the moment is that she's got one of those 63 selective places (which is a fantastic achievement), not which stream she'll be in. The streams are allocated on a combination of predicted SATS, recommendations from a child's primary head and test score. We know children who got in on the test and who aren't in extension and children (inc my ds) who got a fairly rubbish test score but did get put in extension - and who are flying academically. There's a little bit of shuffling at the beginning of Y7 after CAT tests and aptitude tests but not much - a couple of children moved into ds's class from upper but no one went down

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 22/03/2015 23:28

Thanks basildon! It is good to hear from someone so in the know. You are obviously there and happy with it from the sound of it?

The heads there seem really with it from what I can remember.

basildonbond · 23/03/2015 06:46

Well my ds is happy there which is what's important

Obviously no school is perfect - the good things about Graveney IME are the quality of the teaching, the concentration of very bright children in the top stream - I know streaming is frowned on here but it suits my socially awkward, very bright ds, plus he can walk to school

IME the downsides are it's not very well organised, communication from school is fairly sporadic, parents evenings are a chaotic bunfight, extra-curricular opportunities are few although of high quality. There's only one play for Y7-11, they're not fielding A, B, C teams for sports etc so your child has to be quite pushy to get the most out of it

For ds the pros vey much outweighed the cons but my other two dc haven't gone there as it wouldn't have been right for them

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 23/03/2015 07:52

Thank you Basildon. We are weighing it all up. I've heard from other people about it being chaotic. She wants to be challenged and have other kids like her and smarter than her so that she isn't always the odd one out. She is fine socially, but recognises that it is hard always knowing the answers or working by herself. She wants a peer group of kids more like her. The trips at Graveney don't compare to GC which are as good as any private school. But I think the teaching, knowing she won't be the brightest and doing work that challenges and stretches her is a plus. I know people criticise streaming and I am of two minds. IME not having her streamed has made me have to really seek other things to keep her stimulated. I had to get her a tutor in the end, but not for the test prep. The brief was to just keep her excited about learning because there was a point in primary where that was lost because it was either too easy or she was isolated and by herself. She's been beyond bored.

basildonbond · 23/03/2015 08:15

In that case it sounds perfect for her! Ds was miserable at primary school and I was very worried about how he'd cope in such a huge school but he found his niche of like-minded, geeky boys in the first week and has been happy ever since

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 24/03/2015 14:13

We've accepted Graveney and feel really great about it. She is so excited now. What a whirlwind this whole process has been. I hope the best for other DC's out there.

Harleyjosh · 13/04/2015 11:51

We have accepted Graveney too. DD was very undecided over Easter but finally decided on Friday that she was going for it. Funny to think we might meet each other in RL some day.

LittleFluffyMoo · 13/04/2015 12:49

We're number four on the waiting list still but hopeful! :)

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 13/04/2015 22:56

Little fluffy moo that seems very hopeful this early on. Fingers crossed for you. And yes Harley josh we very well may meet. Congrats!

LittleFluffyMoo · 12/05/2015 13:27

Just thought I'd let you know - I just checked and DS is number 1 on the list!

Notenoughsleepmumof3 · 13/05/2015 00:15

That looks good. We still have the summer. I'm certain you will get in by September. Good luck. Where is he going at the moment?

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