Ernest Bevin

[IrisApfelRocks]

My son has been offered a place at Ernest Bevin. This school wasn't our choice, simply because it's an all boys school and as he has just been diagnosed (after the application process) with autism and Aspergers and he isn't comfortable with boys as they are too intimidating for him, all his friends so far have been girls, I don't feel it's the right environment for him. We ve appealed to get him into the school of our choice but have just found out that our appeal has been unsuccessful. Pupil services have told me to apply again to different schools with all the supporting medical information. Also any thoughts on Ernest Bevin? It has an outstanding foster report but I have heard they it has a reputation for having gangs culture? Does anyone have a child at this school and can reassure me?

[IrisApfelRocks]

Please excuse all the typos, I am a little upset right now and worried about getting him into the school that will be right for him and can meet all his needs

[AveEldon]

Maybe try the local facebook forums if you don't find anyone here

I don't know anyone at the school but the pupils seem better behaved when out and about than those from Chestnut Grove

Are you on waitlists for any other schools?

[noitsnotteatimeyet]

It’s improved immensely in the last few years and the days of police cars arriving en masse to sort out brawling gangs in the playground are in the past. I know someone whose child was on the waiting list for Graveney and eventually got offered a place there but by that time was very happy with EB so decided not to take up the Graveney place. I don’t know what its SEN provision is like but it can’t be worse than Graveney.... does your ds have an EHCP?

[IrisApfelRocks]

@AveEldon I don't have a Facebook so I don't know if I can access the groups without an account.

Chestnut Grove was one of the schools were had an appeal with. He is now on the waiting list.


@noitsnotteatimeyet thank you that's reassuring.

He doesn't have a health plan. His school were going to apply for one but he has improved so much and now working on less than a year behind his peers so they don't think it will get approved. My worry is that in the wrong environment all the hard work he and his school have put in will be undone. The whole boys thing worries me too. He was bullied quiet badly in his previous school so we are really worried about how he will cope.

[AveEldon]

Have pupil services told you where you are on the waitlists?
If you can provide medical evidence then that may improve your position

[IrisApfelRocks]

@AveEldon we ve provided medical evidence but the appeal still was unsuccessful as they are saying that they are oversubscribed. We have moved since the application process too and now leave further away from the school which means he is number 68 on the waiting list.

I am going to have a look at schools in Lambeth which is our current borough. I have heard good things about Platanos College but they are full atm too, and I have been told to apply with all the supporting documents and see what happens. This is so stressful. We have got the diagnosis quiet late so it has messed up our application.

[AveEldon]

Are you anywhere near Dumraven? Seems to have a good rep

[IrisApfelRocks]

@AveEldon unfortunately not. It will take 3 buses for him to get there. He has dyspraxia and zero awareness and I couldn't trust him to make a journey alone without getting run over along the way. As he is getting older he is desperate for more independence but anything other than most straight forward of journeys are out of the question. We are in Oval so Chestnut Grove is just one straight forward journey on the bus and so is Platanos. You can walk to Platanos, so depending on their senco department I think it might be our best bet. Their ofsted report is good. The kids do seem a bit rowdy though at home time. I don't think I can let him go to EB so I will look into other schools around our way

[marytuda]

You are very local to me Iris, and speaking as a mum who went through this last year - I loved the staff at Platanos, seemed to me they did brilliant job with challenging intake and stretched resources. I also loved the kids I met at Lilian Baylis (didn't get chance to meet staff). People say great, inclusive-type things about (newish school) Oasis too, but as it's fairly small and now popular its catchment area is tiny, so would depend on exactly where along Kennington Road you are. The same is true of Pimlico Academy, also a friendly, inclusive but quite high achieving school. My immediate neighbours went in there previous years, but I'm not sure they would get in now; you have to be v close to Vauxhall.
One school I think still easy to get into is Lambeth Academy; another neighbour goes there and it is a friendly, inclusive place I believe, but I didn't actually visit so don't quote me on that; but check it out.
If you look at Lambeth Council website you can already see how places were allocated on March 1st . . . all except for Platanos, which apparently is still sorting it out!
www.lambeth.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/how-offers-were-made-for-lambeth-secondary-schools-on-0

I ruled out Ernest Bevin on distance grounds . ..
Best of luck.

[IrisApfelRocks]

@marytuda We are by Vauxhall Park so I ll look into the Pimlico Academy and if we are in their catchment area. Thank you very much, that's very helpful.

[FunkyHeroCat]

Where are you on the lists for your various schools? They move a lot between now and September, you'll probably find you get into at least one of the others.

I've got 2 kids on the spectrum, we did look at EB but to be honest weren't massively keen - very sporty school, and our kids really weren't, and the SEN people we spoke to seemed very fixed on the negatives of DSs ASD with no provision for his strengths - alarm bells started ringing for us I'm afraid.

[windmill26]

My son is at EB and we are very happy with the school and his progress.We found the staff to be dedicated,inclusive and approachable.It is an all boys school and some of them are a bit boisterous but I am not aware of any serious issues like they had in the past (gangs etc) .I would recommend to get an appointment with the school and ask as many questions as possible to put your mind at ease.

[IrisApfelRocks]

@FunkyHeroCat That's my concern too. He is not into sports, we tried karate clubs etc and his dyspraxia means even though he is keen on table tennis he isn't very good at it and I wasn't impressed by their SENCO. I am very concerned about putting him into the environment where he will be wide open to ridicule as he is different to his peers

@windmill26 thank you, that's reassuring that your son hasn't encountered any problems and is enjoying EB. That's a good suggestion, I will make an appointment to go in next week and raise my concerns with them.

I am also considering Kingsdale School. I went there and the teaching was very good then, and I see that it's Outstanding now. I see that my old headteacher and deputy are still there so I ll email them too and see what their admission policy and SEN department are like.

Thank you for all the replies. It's been very helpful.

[YesThisIsMe]

Have you looked at Lilian Baylis?. We were very attracted to it and its SEN team when we were at your stage although it was three years ago and the then SENCO has now retired.
Definitely look at Pimlico though.

[IrisApfelRocks]

@YesThisIsMe It's been mentioned earlier so it's one of the schools we ll be applying to now as it's very close to us too. Thank you for the recommendation