11+ Gloucestershire

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Gloucestershire LA

Mrs Jo Davidson
Executive Director for Education, Gloucestershire County Council, Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2TP
Telephone: 01452 425300
Fax: 01452 425496
Email: jdavidson@gloscc.gov.uk
Website: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk

Gloucestershire Grammar Schools

• The Crypt School
• High School for Girls
• Marling School
• Pate's Grammar School
• Ribston Hall High School
• Sir Thomas Rich's School
• Stroud High School

         "...However, having used BOFA and compared it with a variety of other resources, the motivation of marks and progress measures were really what drove ... I'm more than happy to endorse it!"      Cheltenham Tutoring

Secondary co-ordinated admission scheme for September 2010

This scheme will apply to all admission authorities in the area in relation to children wishing to join the normal year of entry at a maintained secondary-phase school in Gloucestershire from September 2010.

All parents will be invited to state up to a maximum of four ranked preferences on a common application form, regardless of the status of the schools for which they wish to apply. The form will provide an opportunity for parents to give reasons for their preferences. All completed secondary transfer forms should be returned directly to the County Council, even if it includes a preference for a school in another County. Any parent who lives outside Gloucestershire but wants to be considered for a Gloucestershire school must complete a common application form including the school(s) and return it to their home Local Authority by their deadline (this may be different to the Gloucestershire closing date). That Local Authority will then liaise with Gloucestershire County Council to determine whether a place can be offered.

Individual school admission authorities (Voluntary Aided and Foundation) may use separate supplementary forms to collect additional information, but all applicants must complete a Common Application Form. The only additional information obtained by schools should be that referred to in the School Admissions Code of Practice, i.e. that which has a direct bearing on decisions about acceptable oversubscription criteria; for example, asking for a reference from a priest or other religious matter for a faith school. Schools that receive applications in error, will forward them to the home local authority.

Parents, who wish to enter their children for a grammar school, must also complete a separate Standard Grammar Test Registration Form. This should be returned to the school where they wish the test to be taken and indicate whether there are any other grammar schools they are considering applying for. Failure to register for a grammar school by the closing date will render invalid any subsequent preference detailed on the Common Application Form.

Children who wish to be considered for a place at Cleeve School must also contact the school to register for their Fair Banding Test and, if applicable, their Language Aptitude Test. Failure to register for the Fair Banding Test by the School's closing date will render invalid any subsequent preference detailed on the Common Application Form.

Normally, pupils with a statement of Special Educational Needs will be admitted to the school named on their statement. Wherever possible, such allocation will be made before any other places are offered. Once a statement reaches the formal proposed stage, this scheme ceases to apply.

Early secondary transfer

Children may transfer early to a secondary school, only if it can be demonstrated that they display exceptional maturity. Each request will involve consultation with the current school, the school to which the child wishes to transfer and, where appropriate, the admission authority's professional adviser. The application will be considered only if all parties consider it would be appropriate.

Delayed secondary transfer

Children may remain for a further year in a primary-phase school only in exceptional circumstances, where there has been previous involvement with the Special Needs Service and/or Educational Psychology. Each request will involve consultation with the current school, the school to which the child wishes to transfer and, where appropriate, the admission authority's professional adviser. If one or more parties do not agree that the delay would be appropriate, the request will be refused and the child will transfer at the normal time.

Consideration of Applications and Allocation of Places

All preferences will be given equal consideration. Ranking will take effect if more than one preference can be met. In this instance the highest ranked place available will be allocated. If none of the parent's preferences can be met, the County Council will ensure, as far as is reasonably possible, that an offer can be made. The County Council will not release information as to which position on the preference list, a school is placed.

The closing date for the first round of applications is 4 December 2009 and written notification of the outcome of each application will be given via the County Council on 1 March 2010.

The Council will have regard to any offer made by another local authority. If the other local authority can offer a higher ranked school, Gloucestershire will not make an offer.

Late applications or changes of order of preference can be considered as part of the first stage, only in circumstances where the application could not have been made at the appropriate time e.g. in the case of a house move or prolonged illness. The decision as to whether a late application is to be considered as part of the first round will be made by the Director of Children and Young People's Services or her nominated officer.

The Crypt School

TRANSFER TO SECONDARY EDUCATION IN SEPTEMBER 2009 (2010 to follow)

How do I register to sit for entry for Crypt?
You must complete the Registration Form.  This form must be returned to the Admissions Officer at The Crypt School by 4.00 p.m. on Friday, 17th October, 2008 at the latest. This provides the information we need to organise the Admissions Test, and tosend you further information.
By 5th December, 2008 you must complete the LA’s Preference Form, which is available from your child’s primary school or from the LA. This form asks you to state your ranked preferences for up to 4 secondary schools. The Crypt must be included as one of those preferences if your child is to be considered for admission to The Crypt School.

Which children will qualify for entry to The Crypt?
Places have always been offered to the boys achieving the highest scores in the Admission Test.

Taking the Admission Test in November
The Crypt Admission Test will take place, at the school, on the morning on Saturday, 8th November, 2008 beginning at 9.00 a.m. Our Entrance Test is the same as that being taken at Pate’s Grammar School in Cheltenham, Sir Thomas Rich’s School in Gloucester and Marling School in Stroud and is being held on the same day. Scores will then be passed to the other school(s) you have indicated on your registration form.
The Entrance Test involves two verbal reasoning tests. The answers are completed on separate sheets which are marked by computer. On the day of the test all children have some practice questions first, under the guidance of experienced staff at The Crypt School.
There will be a break between the two tests.

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Summary of Dates and Deadlines (tbc)

High School for Girls

 BOFA is awaiting details from the school, as at 0930 16th September 2009.

Marling School

 Admission to Year 7 in 2010

Boys in their correct chronological cohort for Year 6, will be eligible for testing for entry. Tests will be taken on 7 November 2009 at Marling School and will consist of two verbal reasoning papers.

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Parents who wish their sons to be considered for entry must register this fact by 17 October, by completion of a Registration Form which is available from the School or from Gloucestershire County Council (it will also be necessary to declare Marling School as one of the choices on the LA Preference Form). Only boys who attain a standardised score of 216 or above (for the two papers added together) in the entrance tests, will be eligible to be considered for admission to the School. Based upon the results of the Admission Test, parents will be advised whether the candidate has reached the required standard prior to the closing date for submission of the LA Preference Form. PLEASE NOTE: this will not be an offer of a place and will not be a guarantee that a place will be offered at any future time.

Places at Marling will be offered first (by the LA), on March 2 (letters will be posted on that date) to any Looked After Child who achieves 216 or above and then to the highest scoring eligible candidates to fill the 120 places. Where there are a number of pupils with an equal qualifying score, the following criteria will be used to determine those who shall be offered places.

A potential pupil having a brother or sister who is a current pupil at Marling or Stroud High School.

Shortest distance by road from the place of residence to the main school gates on Cainscross Road.

Where there are more qualified candidates than the 120 places available, they will be placed on a waiting list and will be drawn upon in rank order should places become available. This waiting list will be closed at the start of the academic year.

There is a system of appeals against non-admission, and details of how to process applications will be received with the test result notification. It is the School's policy to accept only one appeal application for each student in an academic year unless there is a significant change of circumstances relevant to the application

Prospective parents and pupils are invited to visit the School during normal working hours at Open Days. Other opportunities are available throughout the year - please see schedule on the reverse of this sheet. The Lead Tutor for Year 7 and the Primary School Liaison Officer, maintain contact with our feeder schools.

APPLICATION FOR ENTRY TO YEAR 7 IN SEPTEMBER 2010

Pate's Grammar School

 Admissions into Year 7

Pate's is a free grammar school: we do not charge fees and children applying to enter Pate's do not have to live within any particular catchment area. Pupils normally join the School at one of two stages, though applications for admission can be made to the Admissions Officer for intermediate entry.

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Year 7: there are 120 places available each year. Admission is competitive and the Entrance Examination will be held at Pate's on Saturday morning 7th November 2009 for entry the following September. If parents wish their children to take the tests, they must fill in the special Registration Form and return it to the Admissions Officer (by 16 October 2009 at the latest) and also make a separate application to Gloucestershire LEA, using the LEA's normal application form by 4th December 2009. There will be a meeting for parents and pupils of the new Year 7 (i.e. those who have been offered a place in the first year at Pate's) in June 2010.Further details

 Download the Year 7 admissions registration form

Download the Y7 Admissions Practice Questions

Parents are warmly invited to attend one of our Special Information Evenings to be held on 15th and 16th September 2009 from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm. The meetings will take place in the main School Hall, entrance off Oldbury Road.

For further information, please contact: The Admissions Officer, Pate's Grammar School, Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, GL51 0HG. Tel: (01242) 253778, email: admissions@pates.gloucs.sch.uk

Ribston Hall High School

TRANSFER TO SECONDARY EDUCATION IN SEPTEMBER 2009

Ribston Hall High School is a free, state-funded foundation selective school. We have our own selection procedures which are explained in this leaflet. We do not have a specific catchment area – it is up to you to decide whether the journey your daughter would undertake is acceptable. (The school cannot take responsibility for organising transport). For entry in September 2009 Gloucestershire will be operating the co-ordinated admissions scheme. If you wish to be considered for a place at Ribston Hall your daughter must take the Admission Test and complete a Registration Form. The test takes place on Saturday, 8th November and you will be informed of whether your daughter has achieved the required standard before you complete the LA Common Application Form. All parents must complete the LA (Local Authority) Common Application Form, which is available from your daughter’s Primary School or from the LA and return it by 5th December to Shire Hall, Gloucester. This form asks you to state your ranked preferences for up to four Secondary Schools.
VISITING RIBSTON HALL
To find out more about Ribston Hall High School you are warmly invited to attend our Open Evening on Wednesday 24th September between 5.00 pm – 8.00 pm or to visit the school during the working day from Monday, 29th September to Friday, 3rd October. Please telephone for an appointment if you wish to visit the school on a working day. Copies of the prospectus will be available from the 24th September.
APPLYING FOR ENTRY
To apply for entry you must complete the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Central Registration Form so that your daughter can sit the entrance examination which will be held on Saturday 8th November at 8.30 am. A copy of the Registration Form is enclosed and further copies are available from the school. The form must be received in the School Office by 4.00 pm on Friday 17th October. We must stress that it is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that the school receives the Registration Form before the deadline. If you would, therefore, like receipt of this form to be acknowledged, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.
NOTIFICATION OF A SCHOOL PLACE
Letters will be sent to parents on Friday, 21st November. They will indicate how girls have performed in the tests. Please note these letters will not be offers of places. The LA will notify you of the place offered to your child in a letter, which you will receive on or near 1st March, 2009. It will only be possible to request an appeal once offers have been made by the LA. At that time they will offer your daughter a place at one school. This will be the highest ranked of your four preferences for which your daughter qualified.
Please read this information carefully and keep it safe for reference
THE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION
There will be two Verbal Reasoning Tests. The tests are set and standardised by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). The answers are completed on separate sheets which are marked by computer. On the day of the exam, girls have some practice questions first, under the guidance of experienced Ribston Hall staff. There is a break where biscuits and a drink will be available between the two tests. The girls sit the exams in classrooms with about 25 girls in each group – girls from the same primary schools are placed together, where possible.

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Sir Thomas Rich's School

All parents of children in Year 6 should receive, early in September, an information leaflet and a summary of secondary schools' Open Evenings. The County Council also produces a book detailing admissions procedures for all schools and a separate Transfer to Secondary School booklet - these booklets are available online  and copies are in all primary schools, secondary schools, children's centres, libraries and in Shire Hall. They give full details of the process of transfer, how to apply, each secondary school's admission criteria, etc..

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You will also see that the Calendar of Open Evenings, the grammar registration forms for Sir Thomas Rich's and a Q&A leaflet for the grammar test are on that website available for parents to download. Parents who wish to consider Sir Thomas Rich's will need to complete a Grammar Registration form. This is available on the above site or can obtained from the Access to Education Team (0-16), Shire Hall, Gloucester GL1 2TP (telephone 01452 425407) or it can be downloaded.

The form must be returned to them by Friday 16 October 2009. This ensures that children are registered for the admissions tests and parents will then be sent all relevant information about the tests.  The tests will be held in the grammar schools on the morning of Saturday 7 November 2009. Children will take the tests in the grammar school to which they are likely to apply or, if application to more than one grammar school is possible, at the grammar school which is likely to be placed as the highest preference. Parents are not obliged to apply for a grammar school, but DO need to complete a Grammar Registration Form if they wish their child to take the test.

Parents will be informed of the result shortly after the tests have been taken (around 20 November), and before the Common Application Form needs to be submitted.

All parents of Y6 children must submit a Common Application Form to the Access to Education Team (0-16) at Shire Hall by Friday 4 December 2009. Application may be made online - parents are given a UPN and may use this to register.

The Council encourages parents to use this system, an e-mail reply will be sent to confirm the application has been received.