Fairlawn - accept the place or not?

[anna_r]

Advice much appreciated. I know we're in a lucky position but would really like to hear anyone's thoughts.

We applied to our six local schools and didn't get any of our choices. We accepted a place at a private school (Sydenham High) that we loved. The finances will be a stretch but do-able. Today we got a call saying a place had come up at Fairlawn (our first choice) and we needed to let them know in ten minutes. We've managed to get an extension to tomorrow.

My daughter has been to the induction at Sydenham High, we've bought the uniform, met the teacher, daughter tells everyone where she'll be going, knows its all girls, all very happy and sorted. This has thrown us into confusion. Does anyone have kids at Fairlawn? Our thinking is we accept, see how she gets on, can always switch later. But its hard because we've now got our head set on Sydenham, met other parents etc. Fairlawn is the second closest school to us by distance and obviously is free.

Need to make a decision quickly. What would you do?

Thankyou x

[oimissus]

I would accept Fairlawn, which is meant to be very good, and put the money aside in case you want to go private for secondary. Hard though, Sydenham girls is meant to be lovely! I guess it depends how much of a stretch it would be, can you afford it when the fees go up (which they will), all the extras. I read somewhere that a rule of thumb should be to have a year's fees sitting in the bank, just in case.

[Hillstop]

Go to Fairlawn. It's free, it's close enough and she'll be able to keep going there even if your financial circumstances change. If you've got more than one child, then they'll get into Fairlawn as well with sibling priority.

[Helen GV]

Your daughter will make friends with kids living close to her too, if you accept the place at Fairlawn. I've never heard a bad word spoken about it..

[Ann]

Fairlawn. Of course Sydenham girls is lovely but it ought to be for the price. It sounds like your private option was your back up as you got nothing from your original application, you have jumped for joy if you had got Fairlawn back in May. At that age friendships are so easily made, she will have forgotten Sydenham from day one!

Definitely save your money for secondary school. As others have said, it's important to have her friends close by.

[snowboarder]

Eeeek! We had a similar dilemma but much earlier in the process when on allocations day we received an offer from a local prep school we had fallen in love with but didn't initially get a place, and got a place at our first choice primary. We went for the local primary - because of so many reasons but I suppose the main one was financial - the prep would have been a HUGE push for us. I'm def happy with our decision - Z will have local friends, he knows some already, we can walk there, be part of the community.....but I still think longingly about the little prep school with it's amazing facilities. All the harder as your daughter is sold on her new school and happy and looking forward to it.

Sorry - not much help!! However I think if we could have relatively comfortably afforded it I would have gone for the prep....

[little_carmine]

You should accept the place and then take a few days to mull it over, and try and visit the school again so you feel you can make an informed decision. We're in exactly the same position -- having got none of our six choices and been allocated a Catholic school (which is a non-starter for us as atheists...) we'd gone for a place at a private primary. At 5.30pm today we got a call to say we've got a place at Fairlawn, despite being 29th on the list.

Does anyone know why so many places might suddenly have come free? I've heard that the superhead who made Fairlawn outstanding has been poached to the Harris Foundation and is taking a large number of staff with him. Has this influenced anyone's decision whether to send their child to the school or not?

Whilst I figure it takes a couple of years for the full effect of a great headteacher's departure to be felt, I can't help wondering if this staff exodus is changing people's minds about the school?

Does anyone know any more about it?

[mrs.lotte]

Sounds like they may have added a bulge class?

[GaryOJ]

Correct. They added a bulge. We are in same position and were 26th on waiting list. We have accepted a place and and pushing to try and get a visit before school breaks up next week. We accepted place a prep school so this is certainly a dilemma. Heard good things re fairlawn but yes concerned head has now left..

[GinaG3]

Fairlawn was my second preference, we are 83 on the waiting list! Its an amazing school, I've never heard anything bad about it. I'd take it a place with ease if offered. Your in a lucky position. Good luck with your decision.

[BeccaL]

Don't worry too much about how used your daughter is to the idea of going to Sydenham - we were in a similar position a few years ago - daughter due to be going to Rye Oak until Goodrich had a bulge class. The only comment we ever get from her about this is regret that Goodrich's uniform is blue not purple like Rye Oak's is!!

[prm]

I don't have any first hand experience but I have heard the new head is good and has actually improved on some areas - this particular parent said communication between school and parents is now a lot better than before and parents are really happy with the new head. Would love to hear more feedback as I would like to send my children there when the time comes in 2 years (Sadly I don't think the bulge this year will be good for us as there will be lots more places going to sibilings then)

All the best with your decision Anna, it's a tough one but whatever u choose your children will be going to an excellent school so congratulations!

x

[newgirl]

We were 14th on the waiting list when I asked back in May. I telephoned Lewisham today and was told a letter had been posted to us but they could not confirm or deny whether it was an offer.

We have not had a telephone call, however. Anyone know how places are being allocated? We had accepted our 2nd choice but asked to stay on the waiting list. Is it possible that children who were offered none of their 6 are being offered places first?

Thanks for any info

[number 2]

New girl, I don't think they're allowed to deviate from the standard admissions procedures. Am happy to shot down about this though......

[little_carmine]

@newgirl - I think you're right, feels like that's why we were offered a place. Our first choice was Horniman which turned out to be a non-starter because they didn't do a bulge class this year in the end and 20/30 places were given to siblings. Fairlawn was our second choice.

I've got to say the system is ridiculous and misleads parents into thinking they have some choice in where their child goes to school. And whilst there are 1000s of kids to allocate, it's massively frustrating that positions on the list 'can go up as well as down' (like bloody repayments!) and it's all a mystery how it really works.

@anna_r - I phoned Fairlawn this morning to see whether it'd be possible to visit the school before the end of term but they said there's no chance because they're so busy with Year 6 leavers and getting the extra classroom ready for the Reception bulge class.

[AliceApple]

Hi there x we are in exactly the same position , my daughter has just been offered a spot at fairlawn! She was going to st dunstans which we loved , and was happy at the settling in day ,but fairlawn was our first pick ! We r thrilled she can walk around the corner and go to school with the kids on our street. If any of the newbie fairlawn kids want to meet up in aug at the horniman or something like that send me a message :-) it will interesting to see what information we will get before end of school and if we get to know who their teacher is x

[Renata Hamvas]

Dear all, when a school bulges, places are offered in accordance with the school's admissions criteria. This means that those who were allocated a school are at no advantage over those offered one of their choices. Those who have places at Fairlawn who had places elsewhere would be freeing places at those schools.

Renata

[BB100]

Only time will tell if the new Exec Head will make a difference. However with a catchment of lawyers, artists and other profs it is doubtful it can slip very far down the hill without a lot of protest.

[sglanzer]

We walk to Fairlawn every day and feel a bit sorry for the few kids in posh private school blazers whom we see being shipped away by car, never having the opportunity to get to know the cheery, plainclothes throng of local kids whom we'll always meet up with on the way to school. Fairlawn is at the centre of a very congenial community, which seems to us to be worth a lot. Things are still settling following the arrival of the new Exec Head and head of school, but it seems very likely to remain a very strong school, and may well get still better.

[Carbonara]

"Is it possible that children who were offered none of their 6 are being offered places first? "

No.

Waiting lists operate on exactly the same admissions criteria as the initial application rounds.

Little Carmine - There are some complicated aspects to the admissions process, but it isn't really a mystery. You can go down the waiting list as well as up because once the waiting lists are opened to late applicants anyone can put themselves on any waiting list, and those who most meet the criteria will enter it higher up. Lots of people move house in the summer, or will have moved house since the application date. Families who moved into S London may have gained an in-year place for an older child as a family moves away, and then shoot straight up the waiting list for a younger sibling.

Remember that probably everyone on the waiting list is on several other lists, too, so each time one person gains a place they may come of 4 or 5 waiting lists!