Out of catchment grammar experience - Worcestershire

[GrammarConfused]

Looking for some advice as DD is currently in year 3 and considering moving house if necessary to be in with a chance of getting into a grammar school.
I really love my house and it’s location so I’d rather not move, but our catchment secondary school is dire.

I am resident in Worcestershire. Worcestershire LA does not have any grammar schools and frustratingly, also has a mixture of 2 tier primary/secondary schools and 3 tier first/middle/high schools. This reduces the pool of schools available to us at the end of year six, as we’re out of catchment for the middle schools.

Our neighbouring LAs are Birmingham and Warwickshire, both of which have grammar schools. My understanding is that you can share the 11+ result with both and apply for schools in either LA.

As the crow flies, we are about a mile outside the southern Warwickshire priority circle for Alcester Grammar and Stratford Girls and about 400 metres outside of the catchment boundary for King Edwards Five Ways.

Has anybody been successful in obtaining a grammar place from outside the catchment areas at any of these schools? DD is a really bright kid, it’s not a question of ability.

I don’t know, but have you tried the elevenplusexams forum. It has regional boards and people in the areas you are looking at may know. Alternatively are any reasonably close grammar schools super selective with no catchment? Gloucestershire have this system but may be too far for you.

Yes, people will get in from out of catchment, but for Warwickshire I think it would likely be from the waiting list rather than on Offers Day itself, as they seem to set the Automatic Qualifying School to initially fill with children in the priority circle. Here are the 2023 Warwickshire grammar school offer breakdowns: api.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/WCCC-1990003847-3524 but of course, this is before waiting list movement. As a PP said, the 11+ forum will probably be useful.

King Edwards Five Ways is probably the hardest of the Birmingham grammars to get an out of catchment place for, though it isn't unheard of. You needed a very high score of 256 to get in on Offers Day out of catchment this year though. Here is the offers information for this year: www.birminghamgrammarschools.org/content/results-and-offers.

I know they'll be the wrong side of Birmingham for you, but King Edwards Handsworth Girls is often far easier to gain an out of catchment place for than Five Ways, and Sutton Coldfield Grammar for Girls (a school I can highly recommend) has no catchment at all at the moment and offers purely on score, regardless of where you live.

Also, I really do mean this nicely but be aware that the grammar tests are one test on one day, and every year extremely bright children who would have been expected to get in easily do not, as anyone can not do as well as expected on one test. There is nothing to lose by trying of course, and I really hope your DD gains a place, but I was just a bit concerned by you saying that it wasn't a question of ability.

It will be extremely difficult to get into the grammars (Birmingham). Remember they have a huge number of applicants within catchment. The only family that I know (from Worcester) who managed to get their dds to one of the grammars moved from Worcester to Birmingham for the schools. The only king Edward I know children travel to from Worcestershire is the independent one.

How long would the journey take your dc? Would you consider moving closer?

My experience is that the KE grammar is very hard to get in to. Friend’s son is exceptional and scored v highly in 11plus, but didn’t get in (The right side of Bromsgrove)
Not sure about the Warks ones, but I know that some kids from our village go to Alcester (we’re right on the edge of the catchment area)
We also have girls who go to Sutton too (I know because I’ve caught the same train)

Absolutely would consider moving, which is in my OP.
Without wanting to sound like a braggy twat, we currently live in a sizeable detached house, in a nice area and the only downside to where we live is the catchment secondary is not great.
We also have the option of releasing some equity to go private for the DCs schooling which is why I’m weighing up whether to move, or not. I’m trying to ascertain the likelihood of getting into grammar from out of catchment.

Alcester Grammar is 16 miles from where I live and yet bizarrely is actually the easiest journey. DD could catch a bus that goes from the end of our road which goes to the school gates.

Thank you for signposting the 11+ forum, I will take a look

We're just outside catchment for Alcester too with a pretty decent score, trying to decide whether to hold out for AGS or try for Sutton C. I wonder if there's away to find out how many get into AGS out of priority area?

There is this document which unfortunately shows that AGS made no offers outside of the priority area last year at the initial allocation: https://api.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/WCCC-1990003847-3524

You should list the schools in your genuine order of preference. It won’t impact your chances of getting Sutton (fab school btw 😉) if you put AGS first and Sutton second but don’t get AGS.

Sorry, just realised that I already posted that link and vouched for Sutton earlier in the thread!

Thank you, we're going to view Sutton this week 😀
I just wondered how many from out of AGS catchment get in after the initial offers, I do know of 2 that got in last year so it's definitely possible. It's just a waiting game now I guess.

Both the private schools in Worcester city centre are academically selective. You have plenty of time to do the open day circuit for both state grammar and private schools. I would find out what the best fit is for your child.
You will probably need a tutor for state 11+ just so your DD is familiar with the test and can practice. It is a highly competitive environment and even the brightest children can have an off day.
Enter her into state and private admission tests.
From experience (DS went through one of the Worcester Private schools) it can be a big step up when starting at 11+ in a selective school. They are no longer the brightest child, and for some the work rate is a shock. DS was already working at yr8 level in languages in their last year of primary, the primary school also starts streaming maths and English in yr5. Streaming for all subjects is in place by yr9.
Selective academic schools are very competitive, not so much the pupils , it’s the parents that can be a nightmare.
I don’t regret going down this route, DS would probably have done as well in the state system, although he is a bright student who coasts because he can achieve decent marks without working hard, so maybe the higher pressure and competitive environment helped.
The only drawback is that friends are spread far and wide, this would have been the case for our local very rural state. It can be very isolating socially as they get older. I regularly had drive 40mins to pick him up after a night out or party. Now they all drive it’s much easier.