Kingsdale v's Dunraven

Sorry generalhaig, I didn't know that. I was just stating what I was told by Wandsworth and another parent. He got 99% on the test but tbh I'm not too worried whether he's in upper or extention and I presume it will be one of the two.

I'd be keen to know your views/experience of Graveney and if you have any knowledge of Kingsdale academically. Both seem like very different but great schools and I want my DS to be both happy and challenged.

We are lucky to be in this situation but it doesn't make it any easier.
Thanks for the input.

ermm you don't know which set he'll be in yet - it's not just done on the test results

we know kids who got in on the test who are in upper, not extension and local kids who didn't do so well in the test who are in extension

The sets are determined partly by the test score but mainly on SATS and school reports. The school does its own testing early on in y7 as well

Hi Blu, he'd be in the extension class which is the top set.

Which stream would he be in at Graveney?

I'm new to this so please be gentle. My dilemma is an enviable one but it's thrown my me and my DS into a spin! Kingsdale or Graveney? He's musical and academic and by a twist of me being a confused and sceptical mum, it seems we may have to choose between the two schools. Any thoughts gratefully appreciated

Probably got my percentages in a twist, General!

I think this is the last year that siblings can get in at Graveney.
A current year 6 that I know is going to Graveney from outside the proximity catchment because his brothers are there having got in on the ability test -which she did not.

In that case, how does Graveney manage to select 25% of its intake?? It used to be 30% and siblings of kids who passed the test are no longer given priority, but that's still a lot more than 10/15% ... I'm confused!

One of the experts will know for sure, but I don't think comprehensives are allowed to select more than 10% of their pupils by 'aptitude' for a given subject, e.g. music, sport, technology (how that last one differs from academic ability has never been clear to me).

In the 80s the Tories made it possible for comprehensives to allocate 15% of places by academic ability and some schools took that up. I think Labour changed the law/code so that no new schools could adopt that policy but the ones who were already doing it could continue, and that accounts for Graveney.

I don't understand, therefore, how Kingsdale has been able to adopt a policy giving 15% of its places to children with an aptitude for music, maths or sports.

I love Audrey Hepburn, but am going to see the new one with DD and friends soon

I think the scholarships are for extra-leverage when you have to go to appeal (they are usually attained by committed, well-motivated children from supportive families, IMHO)

It is odd tho that they hand out all those extra scholarships when there is no guarantee of getting in. Why don't they just select 15pc (plus a few more to allow for those not taking up places)? I suppose it gives them an element of selection in the next round via waiting list. Altho I'm still confused as to how that wait list works!

Thanks re my name - I'm a fan of the original, ie Audrey Hepburn!

Last year all the children offered scholarships were told that they were dependent on them getting offered a place throught the "lottery" system. We were told before the application forms whether they had been offered a scholarship, and also that if we put them first, they would stand a better chance of getting in.

DD us a sports scholar and there are loads of others - definitely more than 15%

That said, she is loving it there and making very good progress - we are very pleased she got a place there

They are still only allowed to select 15% though - the scholarships this year are music, sports and maths - I don't know if that's 15% each or 15% for the whole intake.

I do think the scholarships may act as a kind of backdoor selection though - you still keep your scholarship if you aren't part of the original 15% selected but just get in via general admission, so that's an obvious incentive to apply if you have a specialism.

Yes, OP, what did you get? Fingers crossed it was a good outcome.

OP, which one did you get?

[nosy]

My friend's siblings went there back in the day, and it was so terrible that she got sent elsewhere.

I think that last year the scholarships were a way of increasing the numbers of committed and bright kids - they seemed to give out hundreds. But this year there seem to have been less and I know of many children not getting a place despite putting it first.

Great name elizadoo - I guess you're a fan?

apparently the kids had a lucrative sideline selling drugs over the fence to the boys from Dulwich College

arf

Gracious lordy. My friend went there er 35 years ago and it was tairball then.

awww, eliza. A friend of mine is in the same position as you...

when ds went to Kingsdale three years ago, I got the feeling that they were offering the scholarships (which gave a huuuuge amount of free tuition in either sports or music) as an incentive to get kids through the door, as the school was deeply unpopular and had a bad reputation (which was unfair, but pretty widely held)

if they're now using the scholarships to select, like other schools, then that's very sad

It is a comp but as i understand it it is a way of the school being able to be a bit selective - for top 15 pc of pupils who meet schol standard. They are then offered individual or small group tuition as their added benefit. But if u r on the next rung down - ie u meet schol standard but are not in top 15 pc then I don't know but I think it may be a way of the school
being able to select at this oversubscribed stage for the waiting list. All v confusing and distressing tho...

How come there are scholarships at Kingsdale? Isn't it a comp?

So did u get in to Kingsdale?? I'm so disappointed. My DD got a music. Schol there and no place! I'm appealing and praying...

yeah, absolutely

I'm probably a bit huffy at the sudden increase in competition for places because my ds will leave just as my dd goes into Y7, so we won't get in on siblings

...the year my son went into Y7, the Head of Year was delighted that a few parents had actually made it their first or second choice- this had apparently never happened before! I s'pose I just hoped it would stay a nice little secret- but it is a really, really good school, and we're very happy with it. Good luck- tbh I reckon whichever one you get, either Kingsdale or Dunraven, will be great!

my ds is lazy as arseholes academic and sporty (on a good week)

I find Kingsdale good at encouraging, rather than forcing kids to learn. Their pastoral care is great, the teachers are lovely and we haven't had a gripe since ds started there

the only slight reservation I have about the school (and it's very much my personal view) is that it's changing very, very fast now that the middle classes have cottoned onto it (I mean people wouldn't have gone near it a couple of years ago), and whereas before lots of kids from more deprived backgrounds used to get in, got the benefits of the fab facilities and the zeal for learning and achievement, now there's much more competition for places. Ds reckons there's a huge difference between the kids making up Y7 and 8, and 10 and 11. This makes me a bit but I suppose it's inevitable, really