Good luck - 11 transfer Northern Ireland

butterflymum

Hoepfully that call goes well for you and things work out for the best, whatever may be.

It does highlight, though, the importance of being sure, in advance, about each choice that is put down on the transfer form, regardless of whether it is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th, and will hopefully serve as a warning to families in coming year to be very careful and do research in advance where possible.

cheesypuff

Oh Johanna
I feel for you thats awful news. I was panicing that my daughter was going to get allocated a school called Movilla High if everything wass exhausted. I suspect it to is a failing school. Luckily we were given Bangor Academy which was our 5TH choice but seems to be a good high school and has a 6th form. Can you not appeal the decision? Am keeping my fingers crossed for you with the other school.x

2gorgeousgirls

I have followed this thread with interest as my daughter is also moving on in September.

Reading the stories on here of children who are so disappointed and upset at not getting the school of their choice and also friendships which will be broken due to going to different schools is heartbreaking. The whole transfer procedure needs to be addressed urgently.

We are in a different position from all of you in that my daughter goes to a primary school which is a feeder school for a combined high/grammar.

She did not have to sit a transfer test. She did tests throughout P6 and P7 which will be used by the High/Grammar to determine whether she will go down the High or Grammar route at the school.

The beauty of it is that:

there's no transfer test;

99% of her classmates are transferring to the same school so friendships she has had from nursery school will continue; and

throughout her PS school life she has mixed with pupils from the High/Grammar as the schools (and the nursery) are on the same site and many of the pupils at the High/Grammar have continued to be involved with the PS through volunteering/projects/work experience etc and at various points the PS pupils have been to the High/Grammar.

The combined school has a very high number of pupils who go on to 3rd level, and every year has pupils gaining places at Oxford and Cambridge, so an excellent school.

She forged friendships at the nursery at age 3 which I hope she will carry on throughout the next stage of her education and beyond.

She is so confident and happy about moving on which is how I feel all children should be.

I hope for all of you, your children's experience at whichever school they attend will be happy.

For those of you whose children didn't get the school of their choice, I hope that they will be pleasantly surprised at their new school and make the most of the experience.

facingthefuture

Lumen Christi cut off was 242 and only one child got in at this mark (under sibling criteria). There was a late surge in applications and as a result where the school was expecting the cut off to be 238 on open day, it jumped dramatically. This was unprecedented.

Pmum

Do you think we can compare the cut off scores we are hearing for this year with the "lowest admitted" scores published by the schools for last year?

Surely they would have included children with special circumstances and so they can't really be compared with the scores that schools are accepting this year under "normal" circumstances, which is what I would suspect most of us are hearing about on the grapevine?

Doggies

The lowest score for Hunter House is 93, up from 91 last year. I'm not sure though if 93 is lowest with special circumstances. I suspect not as I've heard of an 89 getting in and also a 91 who is a twin who's sibling got 97. So the lowest scores that were in the Telegraph last year, where they the cut off scores or lowest including special circumstances?

I've confused myself! !

Flower-power22

Just spoke with the principle of Dunclug and it was bad news. They are full with appeals . She told me to contact County Hall and speak to someone in transfers and tell them my dilemma.
I rang county hall and told the lady my situation. She said that I can change my preference of schools to any that may have spaces but bear in mind that I won't be entitled to free transport!!!!!!!!. I don't care about transport, i just want my child to have a good education. So she confirmed that Cullybackey High or Parkhall High both have vacancies at the moment. So all I need to do now is send an email which they will forward on to the school we choose and they will get back to me with a decision. God this is such hard work. I wish now that we had done our homework last year! I won't be making this mistake again.

butterflymum

johanna12349 wrote: »

Just spoke with the principle of Dunclug and it was bad news. They are full with appeals . She told me to contact County Hall and speak to someone in transfers and tell them my dilemma.

Oh dear, did she not even suggest that you could still apply for your child to be added to the list of those appealing to get into Dunclug ? If that is not possible, do read the reports on both alternative schools and try not to rush your decision, albeit time does seem limited for getting things sorted (compared to the huge length of time you had to wait for an initial placement in first place).

Flower-power22

butterflymum wrote: »

Oh dear, did she not even suggest that you could still apply for your child to be added to the list of those appealing to get into Dunclug ? If that is not possible, do read the reports on both alternative schools and try not to rush your decision, albeit time does seem limited for getting things sorted (compared to the huge length of time you had to wait for an initial placement in first place).

She was very nice and confirmed my fears about our original school. She has suggested that I be placed on the waiting list and contact them every month to see if a place has become available. Thats if I don't mind changing schools mid term or years.

YNWA-J96

Johanna, i really feel for you, it sounds like a nightmare. I hope it all works out for you and your child and all isn't as bad as you fear. I have heard of 2 kids who haven't secured a place at any local school as yet and that was my worst nightmare when choosing schools for my DS. We didn't get any of our top 4 choices but did get our fifth so thats a bonus, lol, though it didn't feel that way on Sat morning....and to be honest I was urged to put 5t grammar schools down on the form and if I had of listened then we would be without a place as my baby got 92...hope it all works out for you and the stress eases over the summer months.