Secondary school places offer day

[landsberger]

Maybe ITV couldn't find enough grumpy parents to run a story ?

[redjam]

Happy family here too - Charter ED and Kingsdale (our 2nd choice after Charter, which realistically we knew we wouldn't get) so we are thrilled. Now a tricky decision between a school with a 360 intake in just one year and another with 120 in the entire school! Daughter is dead keen on Kingsdale though: 'Bring on Big School,' she says...

[RoboR]

redjam Wrote:

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> Happy family here too - Charter ED and Kingsdale

> (our 2nd choice after Charter, which realistically

> we knew we wouldn't get) so we are thrilled. Now a

> tricky decision between a school with a 360 intake

> in just one year and another with 120 in the

> entire school! Daughter is dead keen on Kingsdale

> though: 'Bring on Big School,' she says...

Ditto ! very happy as well but our choice is a little harder, also got Kingsdale but our son is in with a chance of a boys grammer school in kent which is a hour commute each way vs 20 mins..........boys vs co-ed.....hhmmmmm

[LondonMix]

Did you get St Olaves RoboR?

[RoboR]

London Mix it's dartford boys (Did not go for St Olaves as didn't like it during the open day).

[LondonMix]

Congratulations-- its a nice problem to have :)

I'm glad so many parents are happy with the first round of offers received and things are bound to only improve as things start moving on the waiting lists.

[RoboR]

We are really happy to be quite honest, he really liked Kingsdale but after the incident last year with the poor boys we are not so sure as he is quite a wet fish as such and it looks like class sizes will be much bigger this sept. Much to think about.

[Mick Mac]

We were offered our number 1 choice of Sydenham School (girls) which we are happy with.

Its a shame that we still don't have the opportunity to go to a school that is actually in central East Dulwich but there you go. It will be a no 176 bus ride for my daughter. We live on Friern Road and are greater than 100 on the waiting list for Charter ED.... so much for that.

On balance I'd rather my child went to an established school with "only" a good Ofsted rating than a brand new school with no record as yet to rely upon. If we had the choice, which we don't, I think I'd probably still opt for the established school, although I wish CED all the best.

[redjam]

RoboR Wrote:

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> We are really happy to be quite honest, he really

> liked Kingsdale but after the incident last year

> with the poor boys we are not so sure as he is

> quite a wet fish as such and it looks like class

> sizes will be much bigger this sept. Much to think

> about.

Re. Kingsdale: just heard from a friend who rang the school this morning. He was told that class sizes will not be affected in core subjects - will still be 20. There will be 2 heads of year instead of one plus extra teaching staff. And no portacabins as they have the space. So quite reassuring...

See also this article in yesterday's Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/01/rush-titans-supersize-secondary-schools-surging-population

[loveED86]

We were lucky enough to be offered 2 schools (inc charter ED)and have decided to accept Charter ED. Whilst the school is not yet established, no reports etc to go on, its sibling school is an outstanding oversubscribed school and we are confident that Charter ED will be just as good, the school are probably aware that all eyes will be on them for the foreseeable future!

Being a new school the children may actually benefit from this, less children, hopefully more access to teachers, more involvement in the school which the headteacher as already stated etc

I am proud that my daughter will be a founding pupil at Charter ED.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi all, this has been an exceptionally quiet day for me in relation to Secondary school applications. So far not one unhappy parent has contacted me, so I think that outcomes on the whole have been OK for people in the ED/PR/Nunhead area. I'm glad to read that so many of you are happy with your allocated school.

In terms of Kingsdale, they are an academy so they administer their own admissions. Yes, they are effectively bulging by 4 forms this year (they did so by 2 last year). This is likely to greatly increase sibling numbers in future years, probably to a similar level after a primary bulge (usually 2 form goes to a 3 form entry so 50% over pan).

Renata

[Renata Hamvas]

St Thomas the Apostle is a single sex Catholic school. Half the population are immediately ruled out from applying! Non-Catholics have been going to the school for many years. Many parents, wish for their children to attend a mixed school (eg if next sibling is a girl) or they don't want a faith school and hence they have a lower applicant to place ratio. There is also another single sex boys' school in the area too,

Renata

[Belle]

Renata, have you had any feedback on where parents in the Peckham Rye area/East side of ED have been allocated? Presumably most are too far to have been offered Charter ED.

[landsberger]

Probably a bit early to do any form of analysis just yet,to be honest, Belle. Give it a week or two.

[kristymac1]

I know someone just off Lordship Lane, close to Heber junction who didn't get Charter ED in this first round. Saying that I know others who are planning to turn down their Charter ED place in favour of their other offer and so there will be places available at CED that haven't yet been allocated.

Belle Wrote:

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> Renata, have you had any feedback on where parents

> in the Peckham Rye area/East side of ED have been

> allocated? Presumably most are too far to have

> been offered Charter ED.

[Belle]

I wasn't looking for analysis as such as realise it's way too early, particularly with effectively a bonus round in this year's applications - just looking for informal feedback as curious.

Kristymac - yes, have heard similar on both counts.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Belle, as email addresses and correspondence on the ED forum doesn't give addresses, I don't have any idea where applicants live. I only find this out when I'm contacted where people didn't get any of the schools they expected to and are unhappy with the place they have been offered. No-one has contacted me so far this year! (usually the first requests for assistance come in on the evening of the 1st March). I can only speculate (and hope) that outcomes this year have been positive for many.

Renata

[clux]

Renata, could I please clarify something regarding waiting lists? If we received our second choice school is it still possible to stay on the waiting list of our lower preference schools. I emailed all the schools yesterday and one has just replied saying that as I have accepted a higher placed school I am not on their waiting list

Thanks

[loveED86]

Clux, as you got offered one of your higher preferences I think Southwark automatically assume you would not want the school lower down so hence not being on the waiting list.

This has happened to us and I guess all applicants.

clux Wrote:

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> Renata, could I please clarify something regarding

> waiting lists? If we received our second choice

> school is it still possible to stay on the waiting

> list of our lower preference schools. I emailed

> all the schools yesterday and one has just replied

> saying that as I have accepted a higher placed

> school I am not on their waiting list

>

> Thanks

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Clux, you only remain on the waiting list of higher placed schools (ie the first choice school in your case). You could contact Southwark admissions and ask if it would be possible to be added to the waiting list of your lower placed school. Have you changed your mind on your preferences?

Renata

[clux]

Hi Renata. Thanks for your reply. Not changed our mind but we love our third choice but live slightly too far away so knew it wasn't a realistic choice which is why we put them in the order we did. Just wanted to see if we stood a chance on the waiting list.

[LondonMix]

Clux that's not how the system works. You should put the schools you want the most first not the ones that are most realistic.

If you had put your preferred school ahead of the one you got into, in the best case scenario you might have been given that school and in the worst case scenario you would still have been given the school you have now but would be on the waiting list for the school you like better that's further away.

[clux]

I asked for advice not to be lectured. We are very happy with our given school otherwise we wouldn't that've listed it in the order we did. I see no disadvantage in keeping our options open if that is possible.

[LondonMix]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to lecture you just clarify for anyone who might be applying next year and come across this thread. Its a confusing system. I'm glad you are happy with your outcome.

[clux]

And we wouldn't have been given the school as people who live 3 streets nearer didn't get it either