Secondary school places

[DadOf4]

very surprised not to see a thread here on who did/did not get their kids into the secondary school of their choice

So I'm creating one !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31698086

I've heard that kids within 1100 metres only got into the charter this year

[BeccaL]

It's in the Family room discussion...

[othello]

What a joke, preferences!, a large group of the children from a popular ed primary did not even get 1 school out their preferred list!.

[landsberger]

>I've heard that kids within 1100 metres only got into the charter this year

Who controls the admissions to Charter ? The Governors at Charter.

[bbenb]

We are on the waiting list at Charter, in the "teens" in terms of place. I wondered if anyone knew of the reasons why places come up/ the lists move. All the local private schools (JAGS, Alleyns, Dulwich College)offered their places in February, so I can't think why there would be much more movement, but Charter admissions suggested contacting them again after Easter.

I'm just wondering whether to hold on to some hope or to accept that our child is going to school we have been offered.

Cheers.

[keane]

I'm sure if you are in the teens you will be ok in terms of movement, we live just 1,600 metres away & our next door neighbour got in on the first round last year but the catchment area has shrunk so much this year that we have not got a place at what is our nearest local school that we hoped our child would go to - we are actually 78th on the waiting list even though we live so near so no hope of getting in to our local secondary.

[landsberger]

Hard to say - bear in mind that late applicants do not come further down the waiting list as yourselves - they are assessed in the same way as you and will receive the same or higher priority if they are nearer or have siblings/medical priority, so it's not a 'waiting list' as such. I would not be setting your heart on a place, although it's perfectly possible children will move away/find another school that's not in ED/etc.

[newboots]

keane Wrote:

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

> I'm sure if you are in the teens you will be ok in

> terms of movement, we live just 1,600 metres away

> & our next door neighbour got in on the first

> round last year but the catchment area has shrunk

> so much this year that we have not got a place at

> what is our nearest local school that we hoped our

> child would go to - we are actually 78th on the

> waiting list even though we live so near so no

> hope of getting in to our local secondary.

It's amazing that the catchment can have changed so much in just one year!? I just don't understand how that can be. I know there is more pressure across the board on secondary places this year, but for you to be 78 on the waiting list when your ndn got a first round place last year is just extraordinary.

[keane]

I know! That's exactly what we are feeling. The admissions officer said there were 70 siblings this year & the bad luck for us is that the catchment area has shrunk so much that whereas we would have been in last year, this year we are very far down the list. It's hard to imagine that there are 76 children between our house & the school ahead of us in the queue! K

[landsberger]

18 is marginal for getting a place, 76 is extremely unlikely. I would look elsewhere, to be honest

[keane]

I know that's exactly what we are feeling! We've been told that there were 70 sibling places this year & the catchment has shrunk dramatically. It's hard to believe there are 77 children in front of us on the waiting list when we were well within catchment last year but the really annoying thing is that despite living so close we have no chance of getting in when we are that far down the list - people keep saying the list moves but it's not going to move by 77 children! K

[keane]

Yes Landsberger - we are aware of that - thankyou.

[landsberger]

And be aware latecomers/late applicants (by law) need to be treated as if they had made an on time application. This is why the list goes down as well as up. People set their heart on a school, and refuse to consider alternatives, that's what I find so perplexing, personally.

I have even known people try to blackmail the LA, by saying they will refuse to send their child to school, unless given a place at a particular school. As if the LA cared about this (clue: they don't, infact you're actually making their job easier by withdrawing). Every year, the Evening Standard/SLP/local press runs an "O Why, O Why?" piece about admissions usually with a no-hope parent applying and being refused. About 5% of the cases actually have any merit.