Winchester schools waiting lists

[Claracracksthenut]

Does anyone have any info on how long the Winchester secondary schools waiting lists are and if normally much movement?
Out of catchment for K and WG and DS rather desperate to get in.
He has a place at HB catchment school. I don’t want to get his hopes up we are approx 6.5 miles from WG.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Hi. No info on waiting lists but a comment which will act as a bump.
But I do know 2 DC from different families who recently went through HB and both families were happy with it. (As were the ones who went through WG. The K families I knew both moved out of area.)

[TeenTimesTwo]

They all end up at PS anyway.

[typoqueen]

if you have applied and did not get a place at the school/s and are on the waiting lists you can phone the LEA after the 15th march to check position as thats the final date for acceptance and declines

[Happydove]

In 50’s on westgate list kings list not out yet

[TalkinPaece]

HB is the weakest of the three schools in Winchester
which still makes it better than many, many, many schools in the country
Any as Teen says, they all end up at Symonds anyway

[Lemonsole]

According to the offer day list on the HCC website, WG have taken nobody from out-of-catchment, and only three children from out-of-catchment who attend linked schools. Last year at this stage they had taken more from linked schools and three out-of-catchment (unlinked) children. K last place offered was 1.96 miles, of 50 out-of-catchment places.

I think you'd be lucky to get a place from that far away and no linked primary this year, tbh.

Most Winchester kids are now going to their catchment schools. WG primary section, with its 60 kids, all guaranteed a place in Yr 7, has its first cohort hitting Yr 7 in two years time - and when that happens, don't expect any out of catchment siblings to get in, even if your eldest child ends up with a place.

[Happydove]

I know a child from Andover who has got in as siblings are at school including a reception sibling. Yes got into reception from Andover because siblings in the secondary school. So 2 siblings in secondary and one in infants meant he got offered a year 7 place from Andover.
Basically sibling one got in then that moved and all others have followed.
How is that fair?

[Lemonsole]

It's not fair, basically. It's created a big loophole, whereby the usually-fair Hampshire policy of prioritising in-catchment children over remotely-living siblings, has been overturned and will be gamed by one and all.

Personally, I think that WG Yr 7 admissions should be separated from its primary school - as is already the precedent set by non-federated infant and junior schools. In a couple of years time, WG won't have room for children in Yr 7 from all of its children in catchment - which is unheard of, abc will cause a huge stink.

[dolphin50]

I went to westgate school myself and I was seriously bullied and the school did nothing about it. It has a reputation for sweeping a lot under the carpet and say they don't come across much bullying but on the inside it is known to just not deal with it. I went from 2006 - 2011 and it was brutal. some kids were thrown against lockers, I had chewing gum put in my hair in class etc. I didn't turn up for 6 weeks in a row in year 11 and they didn't do anything about it as they don't want the school to get a bad rep. They just brought my mum in and she said she won't go in to school because of the bullying and my head of year mrs merlock said we won't do anything about the bullying and therefore never reported my lack of attendance which was a lot because the reason was severe bullying which they wouldn't discipline. The only thing is my english teacher Mrs dean was amazing with me and she is now the head and so I don't want anything to reflect poorly on her but when you get severe bullying you think it is in a school that is poor when in reality it can be a school that people recommend because they hide a lot of the issues. Bullying made me go into depression, anxiety which they refused to do anything about and the head was awful. They told a boy in my year that he was a lost cause. No 16 year old should be told that leaving school but Mrs Dean said to me recently that she remembers me still really well - she really helped me. I will never forget how other teachers treated me. The geography teacher Mr copland used to call some kids fat and when some kids ruined my powerpoint presentation with rude things I just walked out because the teacher laughed with the kids and I ran out crying and no teacher came after me and I just walked out of school to home. They saw me leave and were like fine. My head of year Mrs merlock said to me I wouldn't ever be able to do A levels. I saw her not long ago and let it be known about my english degree and the fact that I am currently working in the west end theatre. she looked so pissed off lol. I think your child will be just fine with HB. I was desperate not to go there as they said it wasn't as good but it couldn't of been worse than westgate. When I went everyone said they are really good about bullying and have great pastoral care so its hard to believe what they say. Mrs Dean is lovely though.

[Hedgehogblues]

Christ on a bike @dolphin50
I left Westgate in 1994 and it sounds like nothing has changed.

[Happydove]

That is horrendous. Maybe HB will be ok after all?
Nobody talks about that side of the schools it’s basically which gets the best results and WG is a few % higher.

[Lemonsole]

My friends' kids are distributed around all three of the schools - generally they are all a good choice, children seem to happy at all three, and they're all back together again at PSC anyway. If you have younger children, and having all three at the same school is important to you, I'd be wary of taking a waiting list place for an out-of-catchment child, because the additional 60 children from the primary section in two years time, and each year after that, will radically reduce the number of other children who get in.

[dolphin50]

when i went to westgate, westgate was known to be the middle of the road one. Kings was was seen as the best, very competitive and very sporty and henry beaufort was seen as rougher. My aunt nearly sent her son to kings instead of canford boarding school because she was impressed by the lessons and facilities which is saying something. I went to westgate because kings seemed too overwhelming. It was the biggest school and I was coming from a small primary and they put everyones work that week from best to last to encourage competition. I was scared about being bottom and everyone knowing that and Henry Beaufort was known to have had serious issues but westgate wasn't great for me either. I knew someone who did really well at perrins as well

[SnowdropsiUnderTrees]

I would second having a look at Perins. It's a fantastic school and plenty of children from Winchester go there.
I have a friend who last year removed their child from WG because of bullying.

[Sedlescombe]

What are the sixth form options like in Winchester? Thinking of moving there so would not be moving from a feeder school. Also think it’s possible DS will not pass Maths GCSE which I have noticed restricts access to some colleges around the country. Any advice appreciated

[onyourway]

Hampshire schools go up to Year 11, so sixth form colleges like Peter Symonds or Alton are the norm.

[Lemonsole]

You can retake GCSE Maths and English at Peter Symonds. Whether this is part of an A-level, BTEC or Level 2 programme depends on the studebt's goals and other results. Go to an open evening. Around 100 resit each every year: it's very common, and PSC has a good record of getting them through it.

[TeenPlusTwenties]

Your other options if you live in / near Winchester are to travel to Eastleigh to Barton Peveril (an A level college, with good performing arts) and next door to BP, Eastleigh College for BTECs.

Alternate options are Richard Taunton College in Southampton, and Sparsholt Agricultural college.

PS takes around 2000 each year.