Support thread for parents of pupils sitting AQE exam in November

facingthefuture

Hello, I understand we will be getting the results on the 5th of February...when do we have to submit the application for their school preference?
Thanks

steveymp

facingthefuture wrote: »

Hello, I understand we will be getting the results on the 5th of February...when do we have to submit the application for their school preference?
Thanks

Our headmaster has arranged a group meeting for the first week in Feb with all the parents to give us all a good run down of the process, at this meeting we will be given individual appointments for the week starting the 7th Feb when we will have to fill out our school pref forms with him. I think all the pupils who chose not to do the tests will have their forms completed and ready to send by that time.

Fingers crossed that everyone gets the required results. Its only 3 weeks on Saturday now:eek:

butterflymum

Good to hear they are ignoring DENI instructions, steve .

Have your school not given you the 2011 Transfer Information and Admissions Criteria for Post Primary Schools book and Transfer 2011 Advice for Parents booklet yet, facingthefuture (and goodness knows how much it must have cost to print all of those)?

Pg 12 of latter confirms form must be signed and returned to school in time to enable school to then forward it to the ELB by 18th February. Pg 16 gives a specimen copy of said form.

steveymp

butterflymum wrote: »

Good to hear they are ignoring DENI instructions, steve .

Have your school not given you the 2011 Transfer Information and Admissions Criteria for Post Primary Schools book and Transfer 2011 Advice for Parents booklet yet, facingthefuture (and goodness knows how much it must have cost to print all of those)?

Pg 12 of latter confirms form must be signed and returned to school in time to enable school to then forward it to the ELB by 18th February. Pg 16 gives a specimen copy of said form.

Yep, DS1 came home with a truck full of information a few days ago, I have only had a quick glance at it to confirm the secondary school open days in my area, our hands are all tied until results day anyway:o

I always find the documentation handy for exploring my zero knowledge of the Irish Language:rotfl: I wonder if anyone prefers to read it in Irish as opposed to English ?

Ah well 3 weeks till the S h 1 t hits the fan, good luck everyone:)

Rach39

Has anyone heard anythin about the proposed changes to free school bus passes?? I'm sure I read somewhere that the Ruan woman is planning to prevent anyone getting one if the child is not going to their nearest school and pass other schools to get to theirs - is this right or did I dream it??? If so, I would say v large proportion of our children will not get a but pass!!

steveymp

Rach39 wrote: »

Has anyone heard anythin about the proposed changes to free school bus passes?? I'm sure I read somewhere that the Ruan woman is planning to prevent anyone getting one if the child is not going to their nearest school and pass other schools to get to theirs - is this right or did I dream it??? If so, I would say v large proportion of our children will not get a but pass!!

Ahhh yes the mad witch is at it again:eek:

I live about 800 yards from a large school, which even if my son scores too low in his tests he will NOT be attending. It was classified as one of the worst performing schools in Norn Iron last year:(

Because we live close to it my son will probably be expected to attend it and not qualify for free transport to any other school we choose, however I will play my trump card of required Integrated education and see Miss Ruan in court;)

leftieM

It's not about going to the nearest school but the nearest equivalent school. So if you pass a voluntary girls' grammar in, say, Carrickfergus to go to one in Larne they won't pay for your bus.
I know of loads of children who are close to grammars in Belfast and choose to go to a completely different part of town for random reasons which have nothing to do with the quality of education they would receive. In fairness, why should the taxpayer cover that?

steveymp

leftieM wrote: »

It's not about going to the nearest school but the nearest equivalent school. So if you pass a voluntary girls' grammar in, say, Carrickfergus to go to one in Larne they won't pay for your bus.
I know of loads of children who are close to grammars in Belfast and choose to go to a completely different part of town for random reasons which have nothing to do with the quality of education they would receive. In fairness, why should the taxpayer cover that?

Recent publications from the department of miseducation have suggested otherwise unfortunately and the witch herself has hinted that free transport will only be to the nearest school regardless of which type of school it is:o She then goes on to rule out free transport for any child living less than 3 miles from the school:o

At the end of the day its down to parents and children where they wish to attend school, we still live in a free society of choice surely:o

Did you get free transport to your school as a child Leftie ? or are you like my parents who had to walk 10 miles with no shoes on carrying a lump of coal for the school fire:rotfl:

Rach39

Any ideas on my situation then?? I live between Lurgan and Aghalee - closest schools Lurgan (Dixon plan totally different system) but I work full time in Lisburn, DS goes to primary school in Lisburn and that's the direction we all set off in the morning!! If I sent him to school in Lurgan he would be going and coming home completely on his own -arriving home to an empty house (ok later on but in first year??). Sooo did AQE and GL tests - DS is v smart and his school expect him to do well in both. Originally was keen on Wallace or Friends but now really fancies Rathmore (into Irish Trad music and more supportive culture there - also not sporty at all!!) I have no idea whether it's the closest Catholic Grammar to our home but no doubt there are equivalents in Lurgan, and any bus pass I get for him would only be needed to bus him there from Lisburn and back to Lisburn (I would drop him at Lisburn bus station in mornings and would meet him to take home - wouldn't be possible time wise to drop and lift from Rathmore and still work full time in Lisburn!!) Do you think he'll be eligible??

JosieJoBelfast

Just a quick message to wish good luck to you all and your sons/daughters getting their results this weekend - we were there last year. xox We were lucky and my daughter got where we wanted for first choice and daughter is thriving and loves it. I know some kids who aren't at their school of first choice and they are all doing well - stick with your first choices, put everything down, you have nothing to lose - hopefully the range of marks and intakes from last year will dispel some of the uncertainty we had last year being the guinea pigs. Good luck all and so glad not going through this again (though nephew is trying for some of the grammars in Lisburn and Banbridge so still a bit nervous) xo