11+ 2025 support thread #3

[Pipsquiggle]

Starting another thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5415616-11-2025-support-thread-2

@ImpatientBlanket congrats! My DD passed too but only a few marks above the pass mark of 104. Can I ask how many marks yours got? I’m debating whether she’ll actually get in as there must be loads who passed but they will only take in 192 top ones.

Anyone know?

That’s great to hear! Some positive things! just out of interest how come DD2 didn’t got to Urmston? Anything out you off?
also for DD1 did she find many children went on their own? My DD is the only one to pass in her class.

Thanks so much for this. We wanted Sale as that where her brother attends. I really liked the vibe at Urmston on the open evening so that and some of the positive comments on here are helping!

By the pass mark do you mean 104?

They give you the previous year's cut off from offer day for getting places from common catchment area: 110.63. What they don't give is the lowest score from waitlist that gets in. From what I understand there is some movement there

My daughter got 114.

I can't edit and I clearly can't read! Long day. Having to catch up work from all the time wasted checking my email for results.

@ImpatientBlanket that’s amazing! You must be so proud. My DD got lower but I’m living in hope 😂

our state school option isn’t so bad actually. I went to look at it last week and I was very pleasantly surprised. So if my DD doesn’t get in to WCHS we have a back up, best wishes to you and your DD x

Tea4216, if you are in Redbridge I think there are lots of good options. I do worry about the social side of WCHS and that it may be a bit too sheltered. So ultimately a different school my serve her better.

For us a lot of the 11 plus journey has been about realising our daughter's school was behind with teaching and getting her up to speed. If your daughter has learnt enough to pass the exam she is going to do well in any good school.

Then again fingers crossed the cut off this year is in your favour!

Thank you for the new thread @Pipsquiggle

Have all my fingers crossed for you @DolphinOnASkateboard

Another one here who needs to get a move on and complete the CAF!

@Chorizo12 I don’t have any experience of Urmston but a fair bit of loreto.
Eldest dd left a couple of years ago has just started the third year of her law degree.
dd2 is in year 10.

On the whole I would say it’s a really good school.

positives would be-
Well rounded. All girls are encouraged to lots of extra curricular stuff. Lunch is an hour because they expect them to do lunch clubs.
Performing arts are amazing the 3 teachers in charge are brilliant .
Very high standards of behaviour expected.
Results are excellent and teaching is very good.
It feel like a community not an exam factory.

Downsides-

Very religious lots of retreats and days in chapel.
Very rigid lots of talk of the loreto way and not particularly progressive. They take pride in how they are still do things the Loreto way and have down since the school began.
They come down very hard on any bad behaviour even silly things.
Communication between send and teachers is zero although this might not be relevant to you.
Sport is atrocious. The girls that get picked for the teams aren’t the best just the ones the teachers like. Annoy one of the PE department and you will never get picked!

That sounds like a lot of negatives on the whole I’ve been pleased but even some teachers have rolled their eyes at me about the loreto way!

@Chorizo12She’s currently in Y6 and unfortunately didn’t pass for Urmston, but did pass Loreto so likely she will be going there. There are a few in her class who are going with her.

Can I get some advice from anyone please: my DD didn’t get in Latymer but I’m thinking ahead for my younger son - he’s only 7! I’m trying to understand the admission policy, we currently live in the catchment for Latymer but by the time he does his test and if he passes would we have to stay in the catchment area? I’m not too happy with where we live right now but if it means he won't be considered then I’m willing to stay put. What do others think? Is there a minimum time after accepting a place you can move out of the area or would it be better if I stay put? Sorry if I’m not making much sense, I’ve been up with my baby most of the night feeding her constantly!

Any Trafford parents know what score Stretford accepted after local review last year or in recent years please? Or know how I can find out? Thanks.

Yes you have to be in catchment when you apply. It is a large area though - maybe there's somewhere within it that would suit you better, or you could move somewhere with a good school you'd be in catchment for without exams? Good luck!

@DolphinOnASkateboard well done for getting the form off and everything crossed for you. Try to put it out of your mind as best you can.

Well done Trafford people - sounds like some string results.

Is anyone still waiting? Latymer round 2 and St Michael's I think. Anyone else? Maybe today is the day as it's then half term.

Hi, one of my friends child got admission after review in Stratford even on OOC

Actually there's a date by which you need to move in - the Jan after the exams I think.

Thank you.
With what score, do you know?
Stretford Grammar sent an email saying if your score was 324-333 than you could be considered for local review. This child scored 327 and is within catchment, has always been above target throughout primary reports.
Do the local reviews take the highest scores into account first or distance? I wondered what score was the lowest they accepted on previous years. It’s not actually for us, just trying to help and advise a friend, so thanks for any advice you have for me to pass on.

Score doesn’t matter provided it is within the local review range.

I don’t know about Stretford but for Urmston last year I know a child who scored 325 and passed local review and a child who scored 333 and didn’t. It’s all in the evidence (mostly teacher/headteacher recommendation letters).

Beat advice would be to put together some strong evidence with good recommendation letters.

He got 332 initially after review it was 334 and got admission. It's all based on distance not at all by marks

Yes, usually something like the end of the first week in January.

However... @Tea4216 , be aware that admissions policies can change. For your DS's year of entry the consultation period for changes (e.g. bringing forward the hard cut-off date for being in catchment - the OSA isn't keen on random earlier dates such as date of registration to sit the exam, if a challenge is made, but a challenge to e.g. the use of the CAF deadline probably wouldn't be successful) would need to take place for 6+ weeks between 1st October and 31st January when he is in year 5. As of now, the earliest that a major change that would affect him could be implemented from the 2027 intake. You need to keep an eye out for notice of a consultation on the school's website.

As for how soon you could move out of area, having been offered a place - merely moving further away, but still in a catchment postcode wouldn't be a problem, as the allocation is score based and (currently) no postcodes have precedence. Moving out of catchment, trickier - a place obtained fraudulently can be withdrawn even after the child has started at the school and given how insistent Latymer is on only admitting from within catchment, I can't imagine that they wouldn't be suspicious of a move as earlh as during the first term. But there are loads of in-catcment postcodes, so presumably it wouldn't be too difficult to find somewhere 'nicer' than where you are currently, but still within catchment?

Thank you @Dadsbabe and @slaybell
The child is within catchment and will get a good review from the primary school as they’ve always performed above standard and is a good student. So sounds like they are in with a good chance.

I think if you're living outside the catchment area for Latymer it would likely be quite a journey to do each day.

If you're moving anyway I'd concentrate on areas with a dead cert good school if I were you. Where will your dc1 go? Is it too late for you to move near a good school now (not before application date obviously but you could be a late applicant somewhere). .

I've been amusing myself by reading a thread on the appeals board of ElevenPlusExams in which someone left their spacious owner-occupied family home and, for no obvious reason, moved to a small rented flat on a short-term lease a long commute from both parents' workplaces that just happens to be in the catchment area of a Bucks grammar, arriving literally days before the address cut-off, only for their DD to score 119.

The always-lovely and constructive mods there are trying to be helpful without accusing the OP of clearly dabbling in address fraud, even as they try to claim "my daughter no longer has her own room or space to study since we randomly decided to move to a tiny flat without selling our large house" as an extenuating circumstance.

Quite a few in my oldest's year appealed for Stretford, one was definitely the lowest score you could be to appeal (I guess 324) and was convinced their child wouldn't get a place but they did. I think as long as the school can back up that they're consistently greater depth in everything you are pretty safe with the local review - that's always been my impression anyway. I think a large proportion are successful.

That is brazen isn't it? Presumably they'd also need a local HT to provide the reference though?

Thank you, that’s reassuring. I think they will get a place but obviously the parents still feel anxious about it as it’s not a dead cert and yet another wait. Presumably they only let you know your appeal was successful and you got a place on national allocation day?