charter school - East Dulwich

[pattythe1st]

Does anyone know the furthest distance for a child to be offered a place under the distance criterion, for....

EAST DULWICH CHARTER ?

many thanks

[JEG1]

Last year it was 954m

[hellosailor]

954m was the first round of offers and others have said that at a recent open day the head said that after the shakedown and people declining places etc, by the time term started the furthest place was about 1500m.

There are currently 6 forms in a year but that is supposed to increase to 8 form entry in a couple of years. Theoretically this should extend the catchment but by then lots of sibling places will come into play so it may make little difference in actuality. Hope this helps a bit xx

[pattythe1st]

great info thanks for the advice....we are in yr 4 at the moment and up on Landells rd, so fingers crossed !

[BellendenBear]

Are you sure they said 1500m? That would be a massive increase from offers day. At the open day we went to the headteacher said that only about a dozen families get a place between initial offers and start of term. I can?t remember what he said the distance increased to, but it was only by a few metres.

[hellosailor]

That?s interesting. I was also surprised to hear that. But having said that I know of a boy a couple of hundred metres up the road from me who got in and we?re about 1.3km away so that would suggest it?s true. Can anyone else tell us more? Xx

[hellosailor]

Renata Could you please help us clarify? Whatever that involves? As the previous threads have mentioned this information seems impossible to clarify. We?re trying to guess on hearsay whether the final distance after the first round only increased from 954m by a few metres or to a much more significant 1500. It really is ludicrous that we?re still going round and round in circles about this information. Frustrating doesn?t cover it. Thank you

[Monkey]

Agree, HelloSailor. It?s impossible to get any reliable information. In addition, banding tests are happening very soon and I?ve still not got my dates. I presume schools expect us to drop everything at once for them. It?s high time these bloody schools got taken down a peg or two.

[hellosailor]

We need clarity and transparency. It?s nuts that lots of local parents are trying to decide whether to make huge decisions like pushing themselves to the financial limit to move house a few roads away and pay stamp duty that will cripple them based on hearsay, gossip and speculation. ?Well fingers crossed because my friend?s neighbour?s daughter got in from Friern Road?....?ah no but I know someone who knows someone who said their place was because they have a statement?...it?s just....madness. We all know that the data from previous years in no way guarantees what will happen in the year we apply but to not even be able to pin down info like whether the final offered distance was not much more than 950 or 1500 after the shakedown is just ludicrous. Please Renata or someone, anyone, properly help with this situation. No more ?the schools don?t publish this information? mantras, just the facts, please?? We can?t know for sure whether our kids will be offered a place even with the data but it is definitely hugely more helpful than desperately casting around for local hearsay. We?re not trying to get our children into Hogwarts here, just trying to work out if they have a realistic chance of being offered ANY local school but even that feels like pulling teeth.

[ed_pete]

Could you try a freedom of information request to the Council or the School ?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hello all.

The Council doesn't have the information. All Southwark Secondaries have their own admissions policies and rank all their applicants according to their criteria. What Southwark does is the number crunching, which of the schools a child applies to is the highest ranked one of their CAF that they fulfill the admissions criteria for.

I have spoken directly with the person who deals with admissions at Charter ED. You are all pretty much correct but for different years! In 2018 the last place offered on distance on offer day was around a km. There was a lot of movement on the waiting list that year and by the start of term it had moved to more than 1.3km. In 2019 the last place offered was at 954m from the school. There was little movement on the waiting list so the places that came up went to children who had moved into the area after 31st October 2018 and lived closer than 954 or had secured a place under other criteria eg an older sibling got a place at the school or they were a previously looked after child or under SEN. The last place offered at the start of the school year in 2019 was approximately 1km, so significantly less than 2018. Something that could inpact this year is that there could be a increase in sibling numbers as the firat intake are currently in year 9 and a 2-3 year gap between siblings is common. The situation will change again in entry for 22 or 23 as the school plans to expand by 2FE then.

There are no catchment areas for Southwark schools, so last place distances can vary quite significantly from year to year.

Renata

[Earl Aelfheah]

The whole system is too complicated and frankly, then more complicated it is the more it tends to advantage those with the resources to navigate that complexity. Why not just have a simple system of kids going to their closest / neighbourhood school and then put all that wasted time and energy into making each school the best it can possibly be?

[hpsaucey]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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

> The whole system is too complicated and frankly,

> then more complicated it is the more it tends to

> advantage those with the resources to navigate

> that complexity. Why not just have a simple system

> of kids going to their closest / neighbourhood

> school and then put all that wasted time and

> energy into making each school the best it can

> possibly be?

Yay - this!!!!! Such a waste of time/money/energy.

People with resources to move closer to a preferred school simply chucks some other poor sod's child out of the school's intake. Make it local and make it good!

HP

[pk]

hpsaucey Wrote:

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

> rahrahrah Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > The whole system is too complicated and

> frankly,

> > then more complicated it is the more it tends

> to

> > advantage those with the resources to navigate

> > that complexity. Why not just have a simple

> system

> > of kids going to their closest / neighbourhood

> > school and then put all that wasted time and

> > energy into making each school the best it can

> > possibly be?

>

>

> Yay - this!!!!! Such a waste of time/money/energy.

>

> People with resources to move closer to a

> preferred school simply chucks some other poor

> sod's child out of the school's intake. Make it

> local and make it good!

>

> HP

how does 'making it local' deal with the issue of people moving close to a school in order to get in? surely it does the opposite?

(bearing in mind that schools don't/can't have infinite capacity)

[hpsaucey]

pk Wrote:

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

> hpsaucey Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > rahrahrah Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > The whole system is too complicated and

> > frankly,

> > > then more complicated it is the more it tends

> > to

> > > advantage those with the resources to

> navigate

> > > that complexity. Why not just have a simple

> > system

> > > of kids going to their closest /

> neighbourhood

> > > school and then put all that wasted time and

> > > energy into making each school the best it

> can

> > > possibly be?

> >

> >

> > Yay - this!!!!! Such a waste of

> time/money/energy.

> >

> > People with resources to move closer to a

> > preferred school simply chucks some other poor

> > sod's child out of the school's intake. Make it

> > local and make it good!

> >

> > HP

>

> how does 'making it local' deal with the issue of

> people moving close to a school in order to get

> in? surely it does the opposite?

>

> (bearing in mind that schools don't/can't have

> infinite capacity)

Erm - you make them all good, (the best they can be as rahrahrarh said). Then you minimise the need for people to move for school purposes only. Scrap faith schools and ditto single sex and private. Go to your local co-ed school!

[pk]

hpsaucey Wrote:

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

> pk Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > hpsaucey Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > rahrahrah Wrote:

> > >

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >

> > > -----

> > > > The whole system is too complicated and

> > > frankly,

> > > > then more complicated it is the more it

> tends

> > > to

> > > > advantage those with the resources to

> > navigate

> > > > that complexity. Why not just have a simple

> > > system

> > > > of kids going to their closest /

> > neighbourhood

> > > > school and then put all that wasted time

> and

> > > > energy into making each school the best it

> > can

> > > > possibly be?

> > >

> > >

> > > Yay - this!!!!! Such a waste of

> > time/money/energy.

> > >

> > > People with resources to move closer to a

> > > preferred school simply chucks some other

> poor

> > > sod's child out of the school's intake. Make

> it

> > > local and make it good!

> > >

> > > HP

> >

> > how does 'making it local' deal with the issue

> of

> > people moving close to a school in order to get

> > in? surely it does the opposite?

> >

> > (bearing in mind that schools don't/can't have

> > infinite capacity)

>

> Erm - you make them all good, (the best they can

> be as rahrahrarh said). Then you minimise the need

> for people to move for school purposes only.

> Scrap faith schools and ditto single sex and

> private. Go to your local co-ed school!

that's a bit oversimplistic/naive tho isn't it?

[Earl Aelfheah]

No system is perfect. But the simpler it is the better. The more complex you make it, the more you create opportunities for (primarily those with resources) to game the system.

[hpsaucey]

pk Wrote:

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

> hpsaucey Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > pk Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > hpsaucey Wrote:

> > >

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >

> > > -----

> > > > rahrahrah Wrote:

> > > >

> > >

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >

> > >

> > > > -----

> > > > > The whole system is too complicated and

> > > > frankly,

> > > > > then more complicated it is the more it

> > tends

> > > > to

> > > > > advantage those with the resources to

> > > navigate

> > > > > that complexity. Why not just have a

> simple

> > > > system

> > > > > of kids going to their closest /

> > > neighbourhood

> > > > > school and then put all that wasted time

> > and

> > > > > energy into making each school the best

> it

> > > can

> > > > > possibly be?

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Yay - this!!!!! Such a waste of

> > > time/money/energy.

> > > >

> > > > People with resources to move closer to a

> > > > preferred school simply chucks some other

> > poor

> > > > sod's child out of the school's intake.

> Make

> > it

> > > > local and make it good!

> > > >

> > > > HP

> > >

> > > how does 'making it local' deal with the

> issue

> > of

> > > people moving close to a school in order to

> get

> > > in? surely it does the opposite?

> > >

> > > (bearing in mind that schools don't/can't

> have

> > > infinite capacity)

> >

> > Erm - you make them all good, (the best they

> can

> > be as rahrahrarh said). Then you minimise the

> need

> > for people to move for school purposes only.

> > Scrap faith schools and ditto single sex and

> > private. Go to your local co-ed school!

>

>

> that's a bit oversimplistic/naive tho isn't it?

Nope = just ambitious and non-cynical. We can all dream...

Pretty much how it worked where I went to school give or take. No faith schools; very few single sex and none near by. Ditto private schools. So you went to your local school end of.

[Earl Aelfheah]

That's how it used to work for most. The introduciton of fake 'choice' has done nothing to make the system fairer, it's just wasted a lot of energy and increase anxiety for all involved.

[hpsaucey]

Yeah - on the school application form its 'preference' but most people view it as 'choice'.

HP

[pk]

I don't remember all schools being equal and all schools being good ever

because they weren't and never will be (not least 'cause not all parents/pupils would define 'good' in the same way, and neither should they)

[hpsaucey]

pk Wrote:

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

> I don't remember all schools being equal and all

> schools being good ever

>

> because they weren't and never will be (not least

> 'cause not all parents/pupils would define 'good'

> in the same way, and neither should they)

Of course not, and of course people have varying definitions of good; especially so for schools when, as is the case now, so much is expected of them that they could not possibly be 'good' at everything. But as rahrahrah says, the simpler the better.

[pk]

hpsaucey Wrote:

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

> pk Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> But as rahrahrah says, the simpler the

> better.

I don?t agree

[worldwiser]

I think this is a rather problematic attitude because this assumes that all children require the exact same education wherever they live, whatever their parents' aspirations, whatever their inclinations, dispositions or backgrounds happen to be. All children are not the same and nor they should they be treated as such. Some arrive with great disadvantage, some with particular ability, some with disability and so on and so on. The kinds of innovation that some Free Schools have been able to bring in over recent years have absolutely blown my mind - keeping the individual child at the centre and customising their education according to need and yielding brilliant results.

Education should be as nimble, flexible and varied as the children it's offered to. The current arrangements, at least in ambition, recognise this fact.

[Renata Hamvas]

The issue in Southwark is that no Secondary schools are under Local Authority control. If all the Secondaries were,there would be the same admissions system for all the schools, making it easier and more transparent for local parents.

Renata