Secondary school query - Renata??

[The Nappy Lady]

Someone mentioned that if you like Haberdasher Askes, unless you put it first on your list you don't have a hope of getting in. Is this true? I assumed that as with primary allocations the ranking was not seen by the schools.

Or, is it purely a popularity thing & how you get allocated your school according to preference too. Can you shed any light Renata, or anyone else?

[DenmotherSmith]

Its really not true. The schools do not know the order you have put them in, and I know people who have received places at Askes when it was not their first choice. I think the school has contributed in the past to perpetuating that myth by sending out 'you would have got a place with us if you had put us first' letters, to those it especially wanted to give music scholarships to!

Basically you put down your schools in order of preferences on the form, i.e. the school you loved at number one and the school you could just about accept at six, you send the form to your LEA, they forward your application details to each school, the schools then match your details against their admissions criteria, distance, sibling, faith etc. they then offer or do not offer you a place,this info is sent back to your LEA, they then look at all the offers you have received and accept the one that was highest on your list of preferences. You could in theory be offered from every school on your list but the LEA would accept the one from your first preference, all your other offers would go back into the pot. This is why the whole process takes from november till march to sort out!

[The Nappy Lady]

Ah thank you. I didn't think it could be true but wanted to check! Two schools down & like them both, at this rate it will be hard to work out the order when the time comes! That is NOT a complaint. ;-)

[Curmudgeon]

Haberdashers has a different catchment now. I didn't think those in ed stood much of a chance any more

[Polmoche]

Hi Molly not to hijack your thread but how was Haberdasher's? What did you like about it? Have you been to Harris Girl's?

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Polmoche, I've only seen Harris Girls (which I loved) & Kingsdale (also good but not quite as keen) so far. Seeing others over the next two weeks.

Edited to say, nothing 'bad' about Kingsdale, I just didn't feel such a good connection with the staff. A lot of it is gut instinct I think.

I'm in Nunhead so think we have a bit more chance with Haberdashers than those in ED, should we like it.

We shall see!

[prickle]

Don't forget Prendagast, that's your way and we loved it (a few yrs ago I must admit)

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Molly,

The schools don't know what order you put them down in. You will receive an offer from the school with the highest position on your list that can offer your child a place. Haberdasher's Askes' offers on distance, several children from the Eastern side of Nunhead (Hollydale, Ivydale, Limesford and roads around that area) have got in since the admissions criteria changed to distance. I think you little chance if you live over the 1km mark as it's rare that any band goes over 1km. Some girls have got into Prendergast from this area too. Definitely too far for Charter. The most popular school last year with Ivydale parents was Deptford Green.

Renata