Watford Grammar for Girls

[Dad007]

Hello all,
Does anyone have a feedback on Watford Grammar for Girls since they changed to an academy status? Its part selective part catchment driven so how is the overall focus on grades and extra curricular activities?

Many thanks!

Does Watford Grammar admit as far as Hemel?

@Delectable No way. You have to live very close to the school and it’s not part of the admissions area.

www.watfordgrammarschoolforgirls.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HISTORICAL-INFORMATION-2022-uploaded-010322.pdf

www.watfordgrammarschoolforgirls.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/CRITERIA-Entry-in-2023-YEAR-7-SIXTH-FORM-IN-YEAR.pdf

@BookwormButNoTime @Delectable

That’s not quite the case that you have to live very close. The admission rules have provision for people who live in the Watford area, but also has places reserved for the “rest of admission area” and when you look at those postcodes, that includes places like Harrow (although not Hemel). However, these places are for girls who get in on the music or academic test. To get in purely on distance you do have to live very close.

The rules say:

“ Watford area:

The school will reserve 44 specialist places (60% of the total specialist places) for girls whose normal home address lies within the Watford area. Of these places, 13 are reserved for musical aptitude and 31 are reserved for academic ability. In the event of more than 44 such applications, places will be offered strictly in descending order of candidates’ test scores.

Rest of the admission area:

The school will reserve 29 specialist places (40% of the total specialist places) for girls whose normal home address lies within the ‘rest of the admission area.’ Of these places, 8 are reserved for musical aptitude and 21 are reserved for academic ability.”

Yes, but Hemel is not in the admissions area……

@Dad007

All the grammars in Bucks are academies. It’s made no difference whatsoever. It just means they don’t get all their services from Bucks CC and make their own decisions. Would anyone ever know they are academies if you didn’t read it? No. It’s not detrimental to anyone. I would think Watford Grammar is operating in exactly the same way. I haven’t checked but I doubt these schools are part of Trusts with multiple schools and an over arching executive. They will always maintain their high quality.,

Thanks @TizerorFizz

Yes, what I mean is admission under academic places. Wondered if Hemel residents are admissible with the right marks.

@Delectable Please read the document links I sent you. It makes it very clear that living in Hemel will not gain you admittance. There’s more than enough girls within the admissions area to fill places.

@BookwormButNoTime thanks. Just that I messaged a lady who said her daughter got I to Chesham Grammar from Boxmoor in Hemel recently.

Yes. That’s possible but not always. In previous years somewhere around the 3 mile mark out of catchment might have got you a place. Remember that for Bucks you just have to get a score of 121 is all you need and then it’s proximity to the school. Getting a ridiculously high score in the test won’t make a blind bit of difference. Proximity to the school matters immensely. You would stand a much higher chance of getting a grammar place in Bovingdon than Hemel

Watford Grammar you can forget.

Move to Bucks! You can look at the Bucks CC web site for data on admissions to schools. It gives all the data for each admission criteria. So you can see if Hertfordshire DC get in on a regular basis. You could look at the 3 Aylesbury grammars too in respect of Tring.

@BookwormButNoTime thanks. Shall revisit Bovingdon. I understand many from Berkhampstead get into Chesham Grammar too.
@TizerorFizz where in Bucks is my dilemma. Tring is a bit of a distance from London but if it gives a good chance to get into an Aylesbury grammar then perhaps but there're plans for so many estates in Aylesbury I fear by the time we're ready Tring won't get any places.

@Delectable That’s not always true. Last year so few children from Berkhamsted got into Chesham Grammar that they had to put on an extra class at Ashlyns to accommodate them.

It seems like you are trying to find a town to live in with reasonable house prices where you can guarantee a grammar place if your DC pass. There’s a reason why house prices are more ££££ in Bucks towns close to the grammars.

I fear you are looking for a bit of a unicorn. The only way to be certain of a Bucks grammar place is to suck up the house prices and live there.

They are not ££££ in Aylesbury!

However you can look at Bucks villages around Tring to be certain of a place in Bucks. New estates don’t always provide grammar students.

@TizerorFizz these villages you refer to they're in Bucks but the closest station is Tring? If you recall their names please share.

Aston Clinton. Marsworth. Wiggjngton. Cholesbiry. St Leonard’s. Halton. Weston Turville. Drayton Beauchsmp, Buckland. Long Marston (I think that’s Bucks). Some are more desirable and expensive than others.

@TizerorFizz thanks shall look.

Can anyone help me. This might be a silly qn but does that mean if you live in the watford postcodes listed as catchment you need to just pass the 11 plus rather than get a very high mark and still get a place at WGGS?

@Hantsmum123 - no, that's not correct. Being in a Watford postcode is absolutely no guarantee of a place. There is no "pass mark" as such with the academic entrance test for the SW Herts consortium - the minimum mark required to gain a place at any of the consortium schools varies each year, depending on the cohort entering the exam.

The different schools in the consortium also have quite different marks required for entry - even though the exact minimum mark (or the pass mark) varies each year at each individual school, the order of the schools more or less doesn't. Parmiters, WBGS and WGGS have the highest pass marks. Then Queens and then I can't remember the rest.

You can find out historic information as to what the minimum academic test mark was for entry into each school on the Admissions pages of the each school's website. Plus info on the minimum mark needed for those in the inner and outer postcodes.