Hi all,
Wondering if you could help out a clueless parent here.
Our son is fairly bright so we're going to give the 11+ a go for a London grammar, competition is fierce and they have to get a score way over the passmark to secure a place. So we're not hedging our bets particularly as he isn't being tutored- we started doing some bond books etc at home within the last few months. He is getting high 80/low90's % in the assessment papers when he does do them, no idea if this is sufficient but we're happy with the 'pressure level' we've got going on now. I've been told of summer hol camps but giving them a wide berth.
The school is single sex so I'm not sure I love it and want him to go anyway so won't be heartbroken if he doesn't get in. The other school I'd like we are just outside the catchment for (we have moved house but not that far- the majority of his friends will be going here). Looking at the data the local authority publish following allocations- in the last 2 years they have taken some out of catchment kids and we fall within the distance the last out of catchment pupil was offered to, iykwim.
How do I put the order of the schools on the application? If I don't put grammar down first then he may not be in the running and if I don't out out of catchment school first then an out of catchment place may not be offered? I'm not sure i've understood it at all. If anyone could idiotproof it for me I'd be v grateful.
The results come out mid october so I suppose if he gets a low mark it wouldn't be worth putting the grammar on there at all. Trouble is there's no passmark this year they've chnged test providers so there's noway of knowing what a decent mark is. In previous years anything over 113 was offered a place.
Thanks for bearing with my ramblings.