Buckinghamshire grammars allocation rounds and offers

[Priyavk1]

Hi

I'm currently on the WL for 4 Bucks grammars (WL 13, 15, 36 & 40) for my DC to start in September 2023

Today was one of the allocation rounds but we didn't get any offers

Did anyone get any offer?

Is it quite hopeless given we are at near end of the academic year?

We have accepted offer at non selective in Maidenhead

Appreciate any comments

Many thanks

It really depends on the school. If the schools you've got haven't gone past WL 10 then yes it's very unlikely you'll get an offer. If they have offered past your WL number in the last couple of years then there's still hope.

One thing to note is that most WL are kept to December of the current year (some do keep them to the end of the academic year) so you may get an offer but it may be after September once the school year has started.

Did your child pass the 11 +? Do you live within bucks?

Very much depends on how many are holding Grammar places whilst considering going private .., I knew several when my child started year 7 ! I also know a few kids who got a place in years 8 and 9 so persistence can pay off .

If you were top 5 on any waiting list then I would say there’s a glimmer of hope, but we are now mid June. Anyone holding an independent place is now liable for the first term fees so unless they are prepared to lose that money then it’s unlikely they will opt for the grammar place instead. You might have the odd one or two who don’t turn up on day one, but it’s unrealistic that 12 won’t turn up.

Bucks grammars are highly sought after and people move into catchment just for them. Very few in year places also arise - children tend to stay there once they have got in.

I would be extremely surprised if you get a place.

I wonder if there might be a bit of movement after transition day on 4th July.
The other chance, i think, is just before/as they start in September. If one person withdraws then (or simply doesn't turn up), the person at the top of the list might say "no" because they are now emotionally invested in the school they have got, have bought uniform, sorted out school runs & those sorts of things

Many thanks for all your comments.

So yes DC passed 11+ but live in Slough.
Frustratingly we are 2.421 miles away from our preferred GS.
The strange way the catchment works is children living a greater distance say in Iver or Wexham, have still been offered places as they are Bucks.
I am aware of a family living in Manor Park area (just round corner from us) whose DC was WL position 9 in August and got a call the Friday before 1st week of school.
We are prepared to wait but at same time are speaking positively about school offered
Thank you again

Sorry just to add we will find out our final WL position on 3 July and who knows it could have gone even higher :(

It is possible but unlikely and depends a lot on which the schools are.

From Slough I assume Burnham is your closest and that’s the #13?

Realistically though any other Bucks schools would be a massive journey so you would need to consider carefully if going to a grammar is really worth the journey - how much time will your dc spend travelling, what opportunities will they be unable to take up because of the distance from school, the realities of living that far away from friends etc. Don’t underestimate these problems and the negative effect on your dc. Or alternatively would you move house?

Many thanks

The problem is the school we have been allocated is in Maidenhead and in peak traffic will take at least 40mins so it's far from ideal

Moving house is very difficult in this time

Yes the nearest school is WL position 13, we can see the beginning of Bucks border from our home, just seems so unfair. But that's the situation and I'm sure we aren't alone

@Priyavk1 We are in a similar situation location wise but on the other side of Bucks (we live in Herts). As the crow flies then the grammar is our closest secondary school. Children do get places from our village but every year the number of Bucks children goes up and the number from Herts goes down.

So access to your closest secondary school is prevented due to some arbitrary county line.

The difference is though that we know that the chances of a place aren’t high and we aren’t prepared to move down the road just to be in Bucks. I feel like we are, perhaps, looking at it from a different perspective - we are expecting to NOT get a place and then if we do it’s a nice surprise.

Thank you DibbleDooDah yes sounds like we are sailing in similar boats

Do you know your WL position?

Hope it's a low number 🤞

We are applying next year. I meant we are in a similar position from a location perspective.

I fully expect my DC to not get a place (assuming they pass). Acceptance of the odds of getting in is important.

Ok yes all the best

In our case we looked at previous allocation rounds and BGS have gone out to 2.421 and even further. Yes I know each year it's different too

But this year it was 1.9753 miles OOC and then coupled with WL position 13 has now confirmed our chances are next to zero

But I will stay on the WL and see how it goes and as you say expect not to get a place.

This penny is sadly slowly sinking in

Thanks all

When you say waiting list, is it after 2nd round allocation of 1st and reround allocation. I am asking as I am out of catchment but I could move in bucks if there are chances to be considered in 2nd round allocation. Do you have any idea?

Hi the above situation hasn't changed and we were not allocated a place. There has just been no movement on the WL for us.
Hope you have better luck

Bizarrely we DID get a place from Hertfordshire in the first round of allocations. We were totally not expecting it.

Just goes to show that birth rates and general local population statistics can result in massive swings in allocation distances (including going out of county).