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Central Cambridge secondaries 2018

11 replies

marmee · 16/10/2017 20:46

Does anybody have any inside info/stats/projections for secondary school numbers in central Cambridge? Like, how many kids are likely to be trying to get into Parkside's four classes? Is Chesterton going to have their extra places by 2018 or not until 2019? Are Coleridge and Trumpington likely to be full? So many variables!

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grumpysquash3 · 16/10/2017 20:56

Have you had a look at the application stats for last year? I know it's not absolute, but it'll give you an idea of whether there are generally spaces.

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marmee · 16/10/2017 21:02

thanks grumpy, yes and they're very useful. We're decided and all the schools are good so i'm really just after unsubstantiated rumour and gossip because we're coming up to the bulge year intake and I'm curious!

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grumpysquash3 · 16/10/2017 22:17

I'm interested too!

Mine went/go to Sawston. Five years ago they dropped a class as the intake fell to 210 from 240. Now it's completely full with a waiting list, I believe.

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BringOnTheScience · 16/10/2017 22:56

The whole area is growing and growing. Can't envisage the intake dropping at any of them!

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SweetLemon · 17/10/2017 13:53

If Chesterton is your preferred choice, I would definetely try. The PAN is supposedly 180 but for the last three years they actually admitted 210, no idea why the list of PANs on the LA website hasn't been updated. Chesterton is expanding and I think they plan to increase the intake even further to 240 but I don't know when this is going to happen. Too soon for me to worry about secondaries yet but I like to keep an eye on things as I will be in the same boat in a few years.
Trumpington and Coleridge are too far for us but I know Trumpington is full this year and wasn't last year. Coleridge wasn't full by the second round of admissions this year but could have filled up by now.
There's a fair amout of movement in Cambridge schools, academics coming and going, people going private and not taking up their places etc. your chances with Trumpington, Chesterton or Parkside may actually be better than you think

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katb1973 · 17/10/2017 14:50

This is the first year of admission to Parkside with St Matthew's having the first triple form intake. It may have a slight impact on admissions as 90 children from St Matthew's + 30 St Pauls+ 15 Park St+ 30 Newnham Croft more than fills up the PAN for Parkside. Of course, some will apply to go private and some to other schools. Difficult to know.

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SweetLemon · 17/10/2017 15:21

I didn't know that katb!!! Less chances then

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mastertomsmum · 20/10/2017 23:26

Catchment areas will be stuck to fairly tightly as the baby boom kicks in, I suspect . This year I know 2 kids out of catchment for Parkside but who went to St Matthews for primary that got places. I also know 4 who live close to Coleridge and went to other primaries who also got places.

In 2016 4 people from our locality (Romsey) went to Trumpington. One of them switched last minute after disliking Coleridge on transitions day visit in July. This year several parents at our primary placed Trumpington top of the 3 and none of them were offered a place for their child.

I think being in catchment will be of greatest importance as the baby boom kicks into the equation. So if there are children who live out of catchment but attend St Mathews they will probably be less likely to be offered a place this year.

So, how good are certain schools or how good are they perceived as being?? Coleridge still has an image problem as does North Cambridge Academy. Netherhall seems on the up in the popularity stakes as far as parents in Romsey as concerned. But, as was said earlier, central Cambridge doesn't really have any schools that are really so problematic.

I may be a case in point myself. As I reached secondary age, grammar schools went out and we found ourselves with the choice of Manor (North Cambridge Academy site) or Chesterton. Way back then one only contemplated Chesterton if ones parents went there. Times change, reviews and Ofsteds change and throughout this schools deliver to kids who want to learn. By the time I went to 6th Form College on the premises where I might previously have received a grammar school education, there were just as many kids from Manor as Chesterton.

Basically, just try to chill about it and check out the local school where ever local turns out to be.

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NewbyCambs · 21/10/2017 07:39

‘Baby boom kicks in?’ What does this mean?

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mastertomsmum · 21/10/2017 10:01

'Baby boom kicks in' means the same as 'because we're coming up to the bulge year intake' (the latter written by another poster).

There was a baby boom in the early 2000s. Next year's Yr 7s are part of a big Yr 6 this year. I think that's one reason we have several threads about secondary school admissions, that and the time of year