FAQS

ENTRANCE TESTS

Does every child have to take the entrance test?

No, this is only necessary if you wish your child to be considered under the Academic and/or Music criterion.

When are the entrance tests held?

The entrance tests take place in the September of Year 6.   The Academic Test for Secondary Transfer 2025 will be on Saturday 7 September 2024.  The Music Test will be on Monday 9 September 2024.

How do we register to take the entrance tests?

Parents who wish their child to take the entrance tests must register with the SW Herts Consortium between 8 April 24 and 14 June 24 when their child is in Year 5.  Details of the registration process are available on the SW Herts Consortium website:  https://www.swhertsschools.org.uk/

What should I do if my child is ill on the day of the Test?

If a student is ill and unable to attend the Academic Test, parents should notify the allocated test centre as soon as possible.  A medical certificate will be required for the student to be entered for the Reserve Test.

What happens if my child later complains that they felt ill during their test?

Parents must be aware that no adjustment to marks can be made once a child has taken the Academic or Music Test.

ENTRANCE TEST SCORES

When will I receive my child's test score?

Test scores were available on the SW Herts Consortium Parents Portal from Noon on Wednesday 16 October 2024.    Parents should log on to the parent portal using the email and secure password used at registration at:  http://www.swhertsschools.org.uk.  

I have received my child's test score and want to know whether he/she is likely to be offered a place at Parmiter's School.

We are not able to assess whether a child with a particular test score will or will not achieve a place for Secondary Transfer.  The lowest scores of a child allocated a place under the Academic and Music criteria can be viewed in the Cut Off Scores and Distances section of the website.  The cut-off scores for 2024 entry will not be known until National Allocation Day on 1 March 2024.  Each year is different, and the information should be used as a benchmark to make a decision about applying to the school. 

If my child does not do very well in the Academic test, will this affect the application under other criteria ie Music?

No, each criterion is considered on its own merit and the Academic result will not affect the Music result and vice versa.

What happens if two or more children have the same test score?

Children with the same test scores are ranked in order of their distance from the school.

VISITING PARMITER'S SCHOOL

I am thinking of applying to Parmiter's School, can I arrange to have a look round?

Due to staffing availability we are unable to provide ad hoc visits to the school during the academic year. We will hold our Open Day on 27 June 2024 and additional open mornings (dates to be confirmed.) 

When is the Sixth Form Open Evening?

Our Sixth Form Open Evening will be held in the Autumn term (date to be confirmed.) Please note you do not need to book for this event. 

Please email 6thformadmissions@parmiters.herts.sch.uk if you require further information. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

How do I make an application for Parmiter's School?

Parents who wish to apply to Parmiter's School for Secondary Transfer in 2025 must complete their Local Authority online application from September 2024.  For Hertfordshire residents, please use the following link:  https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/school-admissions-and-transport.aspx.  The deadline for applications is 31 October 2024.

Do I need to make a direct application to Parmiter's School?

We ask parents to complete the online supplementary information form which will be available on the school website from September.  

What happens if I do not submit a Common Application Form (CAF) to my Local Authority?

Places can only be offered to applicants who have applied via the Local Authority.  

What happens if I want to apply under the Academic or Music criterion but my child missed the SW Herts Consortium tests?

If an applicant has not taken the admission tests prior to applying for a place at the school, then it will not be possible for the application to be considered under aptitude and academic testing.  However, the application can still be considered under the Proximity/Distance criterion.

ADDRESSES AND WHERE YOU CAN APPLY FROM

Do I have to live in a catchment area to apply for a place at Parmiter's School?

No, you do not have to live in the Priority Postcode (Catchment) Area to apply.   Up to 95% of the places allocated under Criterion 6 (Academic) and Criterion 7 (Music) are allocated to applicants from the following postcodes:   WD3 to WD25 inclusive, AL1, AL2, AL3, HP1, HP2, HP3 and HA6.  This equates to up to 49 Academic and 19 Music places.

My postcode is not one of the priority postcodes (as listed above).  Can I still apply?

Yes, up to 5% of places under Criterion 6 and 7 are allocated from outside the Priority Postcode (Catchment) area.  This equates to up to  3 Academic and 1 Music place.

I live outside Hertfordshire, do I still need to submit an application to Hertfordshire County Council?

No, you should apply to your own Local Authority.  

How near to the school do I have to live to qualify under the Proximity criterion?

This will vary from year to year depending on who is applying and where they live. To find out the furthest distance of a child allocated a place under Proximity/Distance click, please check the Cut-off scores  and Distances document on the school website.

Can I find out which roads or postcodes would qualify for a place under Criterion 2: Proximity or Criterion 8: Distance?

No it is not possible to give information on the roads or postcodes of students allocated a place under Criterion 2: Proximity/Criterion 8: Distance.

What happens if I move during the admissions process?

You should notify your Local Authority and Parmiter's School straight away. Parmiter's School is an autonomous admitting authority and as such will make the decision as to whether or not to accept a change of address during the secondary transfer process.

If I know that I am going to move after I apply, what address should I put on the application form?

The address that you put on your application form must be your permanent home address at the time of application, ie the address that the child is actually living at.

Is there a deadline for my new address to be taken into account for allocation?

The decision to accept a change of address during the secondary transfer process will be at the discretion of the Governing Body.

How is the distance from my house to Parmiter's School measured?

Hertfordshire County Council's "straight line" distance measurement system is used for all home to school distance measurements.  Distances are measured using a computerised mapping system to two decimal places.  The measurement is taken from the AddressBase Premium address point of your child's house to the address point of the school.  AddressBase Premium data is a nationally recognised method of identifying the location of schools and individual residences. 

Can I find out what distance my child's house is from the school?

Yes, you can find the distance from your home to your nearest school via the Local Authority website. 

I have looked up my distance measurement from home to school and it was less than the cut-off distance for previous years, do I need to take the entrance test?

The cut-off distances vary from year to year and there is no guarantee that a distance measurement that would have gained a place one year will do so another year.   The figures can be affected by other factors such as the number of siblings in an intake.  For example, a high number of siblings would mean there are less places distance places left at the end of the allocations.  If your child takes the Academic test, it would mean that the application will be considered under Proximity/Distance and Academic.

What is the difference between Criterion 2 (Proximity) and Criterion 8 (Distance)?

The distances of ALL applicants are measured and placed in order. Criterion 2 is the initial 10% of places that are offered. Criterion 8 Distance places are offered if there are any places left at the end of the allocations. We simply return to the distance list and continue to work down it.

GENERAL

Is there a school bus from near my home address?

Please refer to the section on School Transport which is available in the Parents Section of the school website.

My child is good at sport.  Will this help with the application to Parmiter's School?

No.  We can only consider applications strictly in accordance with our admissions policy.  We cannot take account of any sporting or other ability.