Secondary school allocation

[DaveR]

"...schools are no longer accountable to the LA and can do whatever the hell they like with their admissions"

Obviously not

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389388/School_Admissions_Code_2014_-_19_Dec.pdf

[tomskip]

Obviously, I didn't mean literally whatever they like.

However, schools seem to be able to operate their own admissions systems without reference to surrounding schools and general need in the area.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Uncleglen, Academies set their own admissions policy, so they can operate a random allocation/lottery system if they wish, following consultation.

Hi Wonderwoman, parents are notified of their application outcome by email only.

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/secondary-admissions/offer-of-a-secondary-school-place

Bill is correct, if you move your elder son and the school has a sibling category as part of it's admissions process, then your younger son will have that criteria applied to their waiting list position. You'll need to make sure Southwark knows that they are siblings!

Sorry Shaggy and Kristy, this has been running for a couple of years. Kingsdale do this too, banding plus random allocation. It's a bit odd that the point that is used to allocate the places on distance isn't on the school premises but is at the junction of Shelbury and Colyton.

Renata

[bodsier]

How do you accept a school place offered and when is the deadline?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Bodsier, you automatically get accepted for your allocated school unless you have an alternative offer.

Renata

[bodsier]

Thank you for your speedy reply

[samstopit]

Hi bodsier and Renata

I assumed I didn't need to do anything in terms of accepting my son's school place as he got his first choice. But then I got a letter from the school (Kingsdale) saying that I needed to fill out a form accepting or rejecting his place by the 15th March, otherwise his place would be offered to the next child on the waiting list. It's a good job we opened the letter (I often assume letters are just marketing and they get shelved) as we didn't get this information by email and we could have lost his place.

I thought I'd share this because it contradicts the information in the email from Southwark which says you don't have to do anything. Don't want to panic anyone. Renata can you advise if it's just Kingsdale which expects this?

To everyone who isn't in our lucky position, hold tight and I'm sure the waiting lists will move soon. Good luck.

[flocker spotter]

The most useful piece of advice that I was given by my kids' primary head was that most public opinion of secondary schools is at least 5 years out of date! Old reps take time to fade. You should look at every school with fresh eyes and eager ears.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Sam, the normal practice is that it's automatic, on the Southwark system it is automatic and they are curators of all the lists until September 1st. This must be a Kingsdale thing! My only though on why they may be doing this is parents who are planning to go private and are holding both a state and private place for their child.

I agree Flocker Spotter!

[bodsier]

Of course you do need to go to the school with child benefit letter, birth certificate so I guess this is a form of acceptance. If you don't I'm not sure that the place is held.

[comomum]

I have another question about the Kingsdale waiting list systems, as my child is on both the banded and scholarship lists. I assume the system with the music scholarship is one-in-one-out, so for every child that declines a place, the next child on the list gets offered a place (irrespective of banding?).

With the banded waiting list, is it one list made up from children across all of the bands, or are there separate lists for each of the bands? Or is there one list, but a child of the same band has to decline for your child to get offered a place. I hope that makes sense. I guess I'm asking if the number he is on the list, the number of children who have to decline, or if it becomes more complicated than that or indeed if there are multiple lists, then many more need to leave to account for all the bands.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Bodsier, you do, but this is much later on.

Hi Comomum. Yes it's one in one out for music. It's also one in one out for each of the three random allocation bands, they each have their own waiting list.

Renata

[comomum]

Thank you Renata, that's good to know so we can keep our expectations in check!

[bodsier]

Thanks, Renata,

Just to remind parents you have to produce a child benefit letter which can take up to two weeks to arrive. Some schools only provide 3 dates when you can produce the id, and the timings can be tight between receiving the letter and the dates that you have to produce them.

[samstopit]

what do you do if you've opted out of child benefit?

[bodsier]

It should say on the letter...

[Angelina]

I would call the Child Benefit Office and ask them for a letter that says you opt out - or call the school and ask them.

There may not be much time to get the documentation in order so I'd call them first thing on Monday.

If anyone has concrete evidence as they absolutely know, then hopefully they can reply but failing that I would get on it

[redjam]

Phone HMRC on 0300 200 3100. Explain you need an up-to-date letter confirming you've opted out (I had an old one but I contacted Charter ED and apparently you need one from this year). I got mine within 48 hours of phoning, though they said it might take up to 2 weeks.

[Wildcherry]

Hi my daughter is in the 40s on one of the 3 bands waiting lists for Kingsdale Foundation- I've emailed the school to ask how many kids got offered a place on the waiting lists last year but no reply yet. I'm trying to manage expectations here- Houseoflego mentions being 65th on a waiting list last year and being offered a place the last day of the summer hols- was this from a waiting lists for scholarships? My daughter didn't get offered one of these. Thanks for any help. My daughter is not keen on the 5th choice she got offered- I'm sure it could be fine as a lot of good friends are going but she's still upset. I don't want to give her false hope. We don't have any grounds for an appeal. Any advice, information gratefully received.

[hpsaucey]

A couple of years ago for us, but I managed my son?s expectations by making sure he knew the schools on our list were preferences not choices. The online form uses ?preferences?. We talked through the six we listed to make sure he understood that he could end up at any of them, them crossed our fingers and hoped ...

[Wildcherry]

That's a good point hpsaucey about them being preferences rather than choices. I've afraid I've fallen into thinking it was a choice. As a friend says this is ' a first world' problem i.e. having a number of good enough, 'free' schools all relatively nearby. We put down no.5 which we've now been offered more as a space filler than a full hearted preference as we were running out of schools we felt enthusiastic about. I'm still left wondering if it's worth waiting it out for Kingsdale being in the 40s on a banded waiting list (no scholarship).....

[hpsaucey]

Good luck Wildcherry with the places shakedown! You?re right about the local schools. I remember feeling hearteningly positive about most of the ones we looked at. Like you we did space filling rather than risk unknown schools.

HP

[Houseoflego]

Hi wildcherry,

We were on the normal list, not a scholarship list.

Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi my daughter is in the 40s on one of the 3 bands

> waiting lists for Kingsdale Foundation- I've

> emailed the school to ask how many kids got

> offered a place on the waiting lists last year but

> no reply yet. I'm trying to manage expectations

> here- Houseoflego mentions being 65th on a waiting

> list last year and being offered a place the last

> day of the summer hols- was this from a waiting

> lists for scholarships? My daughter didn't get

> offered one of these. Thanks for any help. My

> daughter is not keen on the 5th choice she got

> offered- I'm sure it could be fine as a lot of

> good friends are going but she's still upset. I

> don't want to give her false hope. We don't have

> any grounds for an appeal. Any advice, information

> gratefully received.

[savage]

Hi Wildcherry,

My son was number 100 within his band last year on offer day & was offered a place on the second day of school starting. Between offer day & the start of the summer holidays he moved up the list by about 20 places. By the middle of the holidays he was around 50. Kingsdale wrote to everybody on the list in August asking if we wanted to remain. Once the results of the mailing were confirmed, my son was at number 7 (day before school started) & the rest is history.

I know that each year is different, but I think you will have a very good chance of getting in.

Good luck!

[flocker spotter]

How sensible of Kingsdale to write to the waiting list. I am sure that was really reassuring for you to know how close your child was to the top of the list once those no longer requiring a place were wheedled out.