West London Free School Secondary staff

Having checked, I see that WLFS uses random allocation as a tie breaker in several categories. That means they can't tell you your position on the list. You don't have one. You are simply on the list.

making every parent phone them directly to ask where they are on the list

That's how it works for most schools in the country. Because you can go down the list as well as up it some schools/LAs don't like telling parents where they are on the list. And if allocations involve a lottery all they can tell you is that you are on the list - no-one knows your position.

No you are wrong because even if you don't phone them they will still offer you a place if you get to the top of the list. The reason they didn't write like the other schools did is it was too much work for them (they told me). Anyway it is a small point.

@W6parent

I am not sure the policy you describe - of making parents phone them - is not the outcome of a planned strategy. This way only the more motivated parents, ie those keen on WLFS, will get in touch with them, because it involves more effort on the part of parents.

Oh by the way sinclair, I assume your child is at Hammersmith Academy ? Would be interested to hear you view on that.

Just as a reply to the above:

"How would WLFS know who had applied and not got a place? Isn't is a blind admissions system?"

If (say) you put WLFS first choice and got rejected then you automatically go on their waiting list - they know your name and contact details and where you are on that list but not where you ranked them originally. In the past this waiting list was managed centrally by the local authority but free schools and academies can manage their own, in the case of WLFS this involves making every parent phone them directly to ask where they are on the list. Other schools in the borough manage it better.

Lots of staff turnover is a cause for concern, especially in a new school if people are leaving mid-year.

I think teachers leaving mid year sets alarms ringing. One of my children goes to a well established grammar school and they have very low turnover. On the other hand I have a DD at Holland Park and they have extremely high turnover - unusual to leave mid year though - in my experience they either hate it so much they cannot take another minute or get the push.

My children got letters from all the schools that had rejected them on offer day or the day after. The only school we didn't get a letter from was one offering a place at a Holland Park. I had to ring the LEA to get details of the band and art aptitude place.

How would WLFS know who had applied and not got a place? Isn't is a blind admissions system? AFAIK you don't send any supporting statements/priests' letters to the school directly when you apply for a place (prepared to be corrected, didn't apply to this school)

OP, do you mean you have had staff turnover since Sept? Hirings and firings in the 2 and a half years since it opened would not be unusual - I believe there is a new Head for starters - as long as the net effect is positive ie better teaching now than in 2011 that wouldn't worry me, but if your child's teachers are already changing 6 months in that would ring alarm bells for me.

We are at the other new school locally and there was more obvious churn in the first year (partly as a small staff so you knew them all) but that has settled down as the school has found its feet and staff seems very stable now. Inevitably people move on but mid-year is a shame for the kids I think.

Just a small comment on WLFS. They seem understaffed on the admin side also. Parents who failed to get a place at some other schools in the area who WLFS aspire to match and who had similar numbers of applicants per place (Cardinal Vaughan, Oratory etc.) got letters within 1-2 days of the allocation date explaining where they were placed on the waiting list and the procedure that was being followed. WLFS didn't bother to do this and parents have to phone them directly. Just a small thing but it creates a bad impression.

Hi...I have posted before about WLFS. Going to pm you.