Good luck - 11 transfer Northern Ireland

ni-mum

Red_rag wrote: »

Hi

I was just wondering if anyone had any info on the cut off marks? My dd didn't get into grosvenor, her first choice school, with a score of 101! We were all a little shocked as last year the cut off was 92!
She has got her second choice and is taking it all quite well, but is clearly disappointed.
The only cutoff I know is strathearn which I think was 94 (it's on their website)

Last year people thought their score wasn't good enough so didn't put Grosvenor as their top choice which meant lower scores, who were given good advice, did.

Red_rag

ni-mum, I knew that had happened last year I just wasn't expecting such a leap in the cut off. Last year the highest cut off mark of all the AQE schools was 103 (dalriada) followed by 101 (friends,Wallace, carrickfergus and regent) then 100 (methody), most of the others were between the 90-96! Oh well not that it matters now, maybe just not meant to be!

snowJo

cheesypuff wrote: »

Oh right we live in Ards and my daughter wanted Glenlola, Bloomfield or Strathearn but has ended up with Bangor Academy. My cousin lives in Ballyclare and her daughter didnt get into Ballyclare High either with 92, she was very disppointed but she is going to LArne Grammer but the only thing is no-one else from her school is going so she will be on her own.

At the headmaster interview back in February he did suggest putting down Larne and Antrim Grammar schools on the list. However, we didn't want him travelling too far as he is highly likely to get himself involved in after-school activities and we didn't want him arriving home at 5pm then having a pile of homework to do. We stuck to putting down the local schools rather than him travelling half the day. We know his mark of 93 would have assured him a grammar school place elsewhere had we been willing to let him travel afar, but weighing all things up, opted for local schools. Anyhow, with hard work over next five years, am sure he will pull through GCSE's. Yikes........more worry ahead with GCSE's!!!!

snowJo

YNWA-J96 wrote: »

Cheesy puff, my dd is from the same area as yours and got her fifth choice Bangor Academy .... she is very disapointed but we are determined to make the best of it, my eldest attends and is a top band class so I know what the school can achieve with the pupils who want to work but you must keep on top of them ...you dd will do well just keep an eye on the homework etc and if you feel your child needs more and is getting bored just give them a ring. Its not the end of the world and is as good as you both make it. Hope it all works out well for you both ..xx

Totally agree with you there. My daughter is in the middle of sitting her GCSE's after 5 years at the local high school. She sat the old 11plus exam and didn't pass it. She has excelled at the high school and is expected to do fairly well with a few A grades in the pipeline. You are right about keeping on top of the work though. In order to succeed children need to get into the top classes and away from the "messers" who would pull them down. My daughter has attended extra GCSE classes after school and asked various teachers for extra work to do at home. Hopefully, it will all conclude with decent GCSE results in August. My son will be attending the same school in September, so he knows the score. I have already told him that the pressure will be on from September to get into and stay in the top classes. And so it continues...............Saturday's result in just another step on the path to GCSE's, A levels, uni, jobs.........

snowJo

Red_rag wrote: »

ni-mum, I knew that had happened last year I just wasn't expecting such a leap in the cut off. Last year the highest cut off mark of all the AQE schools was 103 (dalriada) followed by 101 (friends,Wallace, carrickfergus and regent) then 100 (methody), most of the others were between the 90-96! Oh well not that it matters now, maybe just not meant to be!

I look forward to seeing a list of cut off points for schools to compare with last year. We lived in hope that our son would make it through on 93 to a grammar, alas, not to be this year. Goes to show you can never guess the outcome. Never mind, life moves on, so heading our today to purchase a few items for September!!

Doggies

Red_rag wrote: »

ni-mum, I knew that had happened last year I just wasn't expecting such a leap in the cut off. Last year the highest cut off mark of all the AQE schools was 103 (dalriada) followed by 101 (friends,Wallace, carrickfergus and regent) then 100 (methody), most of the others were between the 90-96! Oh well not that it matters now, maybe just not meant to be!

That cut of of 101 for Friends/Wallace is with applying the criteria. Cut off before that was 105 or 106 I think. The criteria thing is unfair as well. If someones parent went to the school they get in with a score of 101 and someone with no criteria with 104 doesn't. It seems unjustified to me, but hey ho thats the way they work.

Red_rag

Doggies, I know what you mean it is so unfair. Fortunately that wasn't the case with us! Just called grosvenor this morning and found out the cut off was 104 and they only apply criteria if pupils are on the same score! Also found out a few more cut off marks wellington was 94 ( up one point) and methody, who split the scores into bands, took down to band 7( which wasAQE scores between 95-99) with criteria applied!
Snowjo we did the same on saturday and got the tie, though dd was ready to get the whole uniform! Just check with the shop as I know some of them are doing 10% off uniforms in June and July!

Doggies

Hi Red Rag, we were lucky to. We got third choice, but was really her first choice. Had to put it third to get a bus pass. Goodness 104 is seems like a high cut off. Not that I know much about the scores. Be good to know if the scores/cut offs are higher than last year and compare them.

I know of someone going to Hunter House with an 89. The lowest last year was 92 I think. 89 may be special circumstances or something, seems very low.

Yes we have a voucher for Lisburn Road for 10% off in June and they will hold the uniform until August if you pay a small deposit. Will need a mortgage to cover it all and the fees!

Pmum

Surely if there were fewer kids doing the tests this year but the same number of Grammar School places, the "cut offs" will be slightly lower overall with some local variation?

I know some schools used to see almost biannual oscilations of applications as people looked at the previous year's intake and were either encouraged to "give it a go" or discouraged depending on the intake from the previous year.

I suspect that may have been the difference with Grosvenor. Last year people were reluctant to apply with scores they felt were "low" but this year I would think more people would have applied given the low cut off last year. That plus the lovely new build which would also have attracted folks.

You would expect there to be less of a swing in rural areas where there may be less choice.

I wonder if the schools could be encouraged to publish better information about their intake this time which would help the parents of next years applicants?

ie: Lowest score accepted without Special Circumstances etc.

Flower-power22

My DD didn't get her first choice - Slemish College in Ballymena. She is gutted and so are we!!. I have just been told that the school she has been excepted for is a failing school - Ballee High?? What do I do now? Do I let her go or wait and see if I can get a space somewhere else?