StCecilias, Jonh Bosco College, Southfields College, Ashcroft...

DS is in year 5 and we've been asking around about schools so have heard from the odd parent/child who know some of the schools you mentioned.

I spoke to a teacher who's worked at Southfields and says she wouldn't even consider it for her children, and a couple of parents have echoed that (although you don't know how much is hearsay) and I know one boy who's going to Ashcroft and is really loving it and thriving, although I've also heard it's extremely strict which may or may not suit some kids.

We are, however, looking more at other schools so that's really the limit of what we've found out. Hope your application goes well!

No problem, an Ed Psych report will definately not be a statement but could be useful in getting a statement. As I said you or the school will have to approach the council for one. it used to be easier to get statements but now vast majority of special needs pupils on School Action or School Action +. The advantage of a statement is that the funding is ring fenced. With SA and SA+ you will get an individual education plan (IEP) but I found that often the sessions did not happen due to the school having other priorities.

Re statements - these are legal documents you get from the Council after going through a set process. They are getting harder and harder to get as the statement obliges the school to give your DC a specified amount of extra help. Dyslexia in itself won't mean your DC gets a statement, if you think you DC needs one you should talk to the school and the council.

All schools are meant to be able to cope with dyslexia and will have strategies in place, I suggest you ask the particular schools when you visit on open days etc.

All the schools you mention have mixed reputations, it depends which one you think your child will fit into best. Each school will have its own entry policy, I suggest you look at their websites once your child is in Y3 to see what the position is - no point in relying on hearsay on this.

Also don't be put off by a few rough looking kids outside the school. Unless you go private or to a grammar this is bound to be the case as the schools you mention are comprehensives. A lot will depend on whether you want a single sex environment.

My dc is at St Cs and it is a kind caring environment. Lots of middle class children from Southfields attend the school. Most of them do well, the main thing is how determined and hard they are prepared to work. You will also find that lots of parents pay for private tuition once you get closer to GCSEs. Ashcroft has an excellent and improving reputation - it is more science based and has a zero tolerance attitude to discipline which is not to everyone's liking.

Burntwood has a good reputation. It is a large school and I think it is 60/70 % muslim now due to preference for single sex education. I have friends with children at all these schools and at the end of the day there does not seem an awful lot to chose between them.

The only school I know nothing about is Southfields. This school was perceived as being mainly for non English speaking children and I have never been aware of any children with English as a first language going there. It does not appear to be marketing itself for English as a first language children but I may be wrong about this and schools change.

Fingers crossed for you

No. Her chances will be based on the extent to which you meet the admissions criteria.

To be honest I'm surprised you describe SW18/19 as deprived - we have recently moved there (right on the border) and it's leafy, green, and the people are delightful. From what you have said on this thread I am imagining your dd's school is on a main road which connects SW18 to SW17. If you are walking distance from the cofe school, you would have got in with the appropriate church attendance. You probably still could as that school loses pupils to the indies from year 2 onwards. Yet your daughter is happy where she is but you aren't. Only you can sort out what you want and what your dd needs and you really need to start focussing on that.

You need to see the schools and need to work out what it is you want. Having read your comment on another thread that all locals are truly awful, I'm interested to know why you think this.

I'm not sure that you are being open-minded and have nothing tangible to base your comments on. My DS is at one of the schools you mention - you actually have some very good schools in the area - so don't write them off and go and look around, even if it's very early for you to be doing so.

You have lots of time to do your own research and make up your mind.

Admissions procedures change annually. They are all on-line. Your church needs to be under the anglican umbrella for LMS but greycoat will look at baptist and methodist I think. Greycoat was five years attendance fortnightly plus a points system for things like being on rotas, sunday school, etc up to a total of 10 - expect to achieve at least 9 points.

LMS I think only requires three years fortnightly attendance and bands according to ability. The open places - non church are very close to the school.

It all changes so you have to keep on top of admissions. You have years ahead of you if your dd is in y5 and reputations/heads change all the time. A good marker is to sit outside the schools at home time and watch the behavour of what comes out.