Why is it only Southfields Academy with spaces in Wandsworth?

Here's my experience. We moved my stepson to Southfields Academy mid-year 10 last year and I've now moved my son. Stepson has dyslexia and he'd been at previous school for over 2 years with no diagnosis. At SA he was identified and tested in a week and now has support. My son (one year below) moved this term and found the classes are much better controlled (much less low-level disruption) than at his previous school. I was a bit wary because of Southfield Academy's 'reputation' but I'm really impressed - both for their handling of SEN and my son, who's identified 'gifted & talented'. He just got his first English essay returned to him and the feedback was so thorough it could have been marked in a top independent school. Of course nowhere is perfect - he has a couple of dud teachers (they're new to the school this year) but he had dud teachers at his old school too. But overall, I'm really impressed and the head seems to be a good mix of strict plus caring about students.

And, while the ebacc may not have a high score they have a good percentage passing 5 including English and maths - which are the ones that really count in terms of moving on to further education.

www.schoolguide.co.uk/schools/southfields-academy-wandsworth

I'd take a look at this (and take from it whatever you want). Yes the ebacc results are low, but they're dealing with an incredibly high portion of students who speak English as a second language and are on free school meals. For many of those the ebacc just wouldn't be feasible - imagine writing history essays in a foreign langauge or learning Italian in french!

Lower than average satisfaction ratings so you might want to check out why that is, but as others have pointed out a strong progress 8 score and there's also a good teacher/pupil ratio.

If your daughter isn't the most academic then it certainly looks like they know how to cater for that - the pupils are clearly getting good grades in their qualifications, whatever those happen to be.

As others have said though - definitely go and look around before making your decision. Best of luck!

I didn't say the Ebac was the be all and end all. I was just pointing out that it doesn't look like an academic school, its probably a good school for a vocational student. However I would worry a lot about having twice as many boys there as girls.

Please op, just visit the school on open day. Also get a personal tour and interview if you can.
I sigh at the blinkeredness off some on this thread... Ebacc is not the sodding b all and end all. Some parents want their kids to go through exam sausage machines....

On the basis described here and Level 8 progress it doesn't seem to be operating as a co.prehensive school, ie, meeting the needs of all ablities. Is that really possible though and should we accept that all children are different and one size of school doesn't suit or meet the needs if all children. Perhaps that's an argument for another day?

Out of interest I drove through Southfields at 4pm today. The Ashcroft children all looked very well turned out and well behaved. St Cecilia's were a rather mixed bag.

Would The European Computer Driving Licence GCSE be one of the three additional approved qualifications? It is currently an approved GCSE equivalent. School near me uses it to get good Progress 8. But it is being taken off the approved list next year.

They dont let any children do triple science or a language and they make them do a lot of very easy dodgy subjects like The European Computer Driving Licence GCSE. So they make good progress but dont learn very much. You can recognize this by very low Ebac.*

Progress 8 score: This score shows how much progress pupils at this school made between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. This is based on results in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications.

Would The European Computer Driving Licence GCSE be one of the three additional approved qualifications?

RE: the positive progress 8 results. Less academic schools can play the system to get this sorted.

They dont let any children do triple science or a language and they make them do a lot of very easy dodgy subjects like The European Computer Driving Licence GCSE. So they make good progress but dont learn very much. You can recognize this by very low Ebac.

I see that SA has very low Ebac and does a lot of vocational qualifications. Its attainment 8 is below LA average and its English and Maths are below LA average. Also its attendance is lower than national average and it has approx twice as many boys as girls on the roll (that by itself would put me off).

On paper not a school I would recommend.

OhTheRoses - As a minimum every child should do English, Maths, Science, a language and a humanity.

Some schools encourage DCs to do what they are good at and enjoy.

The EBacc is only relevant if the learning requirement is suited to that DC.

OhThe Yes there is.

1. RE is a humanity but doesn't count for EBacc

2. For some children an MFL seems entirely pointless. They may never have been abroad, and see no likelihood in doing so. Why should they continue with an MFL and do poorly versus what to them seems like a more useful and achievable subject.

3. My DD1 has dyspraxia. She ended up dropping History after mocks as it became clear she just couldn't answer the questions, despite how interesting she found the subject. She would have had similar trouble with Geography. (She did get 2 Bs for her 2 MFLs though.)

4. My DD2 struggles enough with English spelling and grammar. Not surprisingly, she is finding French about as clear as mud.

So, although I agree that EBacc shows a wide base, and should be encouraged for a rounded education, for those less able it may well just be setting them up to fail. So no, I don't believe every child 'should' do EBacc subjects for GCSE.

As a minimum every child should do English, Maths, Science, a language and a humanity. Surely there is no argument about that.

OhTheRoses In terms of the EBacc:

Chestnut Grove School:

Progress 8 score and confidence interval by subject area: English Baccalaureate slots: -0.18

Attainment 8 score by subject area: English Baccalaureate slots: 13.7

Southfields Academy

Progress 8 score and confidence interval by subject area: English Baccalaureate slots: 0.14

Attainment 8 score by subject area: English Baccalaureate slots: 13.4

How's Bolingbroke doing with the EBacc?

Personally, I didn't even think to look at the EBacc results as I had no idea what subjects my DC would be choosing for GCSEs.

Not getting into the debate about the school as I know nothing about it.

But re Ebacc.

Some schools get high Ebacc because they force (through option blocking) everyone / almost everyone to do EBacc qualifying subject combinations, which may or may not be to the benefit of the individual pupil.

Other schools are more flexible and won't make it hard to not to History/Geog or an MFL.

So you do need to look behind the EBacc figures (which is why I think that Progress8 is better).

There was a stabbing (in the leg - child okay) in 2015 hence the local reputation of the school.

Results look fine, best to visit, and make up your own mind. Once bad incident doesn't define a school but you might want to be sure that measures have been put into place following that incident.

...... and their progress for English Baccalaureate? Ahem.

imoverlyengaged There are places at Southfields because it is a school which performs poorly.

OP I think it might be worth looking here:

(bear in mind the provisional performance figures for 2017 should be out shortly)

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/138682?tab=secondary

Their progess 8 for GCSEs is average.
Their progress 8 for A level is above average.

Also look under the Absence and pupil population tab.

However, if the school is undersubscribed, funding may be an issue.

I would advise going to look at the school and speaking to parents with children in the school, if possible.

@ justabout

There are places at Southfields because it is a school which performs poorly. Locals know this and do not want to send their children there.

Academy chains are good at improving Ofsted ratings - it does not mean the underlying problems change. Harris Battersea and ? Ark Putney (ex Eliot) also get good ratings now but still have issues.

A huge proportion of Wandsworth secondary students are educated outside the system - either privately or at denominational schools outside the borough. Some travel to the grammars.

Applying for an in year transfer puts you in a strong position as there is a lot of movement. In your circumstances I would keep your dd where she is and travel and put her on the waiting list for preferred schools: Graveney, Bolingbroke, Chestnut Grove etc. St Cecilia's is still way better than Southfields. Lots of denominational schools within easy reach if you want/could accept them. Greycoat Hospital is a top choice for MPs of all parties.

Transport links to Clapham Junction are great so you have a lot of choice - Wimbledon, Croydon etc as well as Central London.

I know my kind of attitude makes it more difficult for struggling schools. But who wants their child to be in the vanguard of a social experiment.

SW18 Poster you write a very good and very knowledgeable post. However as a resident of the Borough of Wandsworth from 1982 until 2013, having educated two children whilst living in Wandsworth, and having been a governor of both a primary and secondary school in the borough, 25 years ago in 1992, Southfields Community College was most certainly not the local school of choice. The local schools of choice were then and are now, with the exception of St Cecilia's which has not lived up to expectations to the extent locals might have hoped, outside the borough of Wandsworth.

Our own dd did secondary transfer in 2009 and not one Wandsworth school (Graveny was not a reasonable journey) met our criteria for a place on the common application form. Only two schools met that criteria: one in H&F and one in Westminster - further afield Sutton or Kingston but ludicrous journeys so not included. The criteria were very simple triple science taught as three sciences and good MFL with a classical language also.

Would you perhaps care to confirm how many pupils Southfields sent to Oxbridge or med school in 1992?

NC as I’m an insider and a Southfields local so can comment authoritatively but don’t wish to out myself.

There is a huge amount of snobbery involved. Twenty five years ago Southfields Academy was the local school of choice to go to, but as the area has changed and demographics with it, it has been overlooked. There are also a lot of myths, some of which I see being perpetuated here.

Not sure I agree with OTR about Wandsworth schools “sadly aren’t great”. We have some great schools in the borough, and some not so great. The SA intake, like many schools such as Ashcroft, Burntwood, Ernest Bevin, St Cecilias, Ark Putney etc, is very mixed – we are, after all, in a very multicultural place. In my experience, the children at SA behave no differently at the end of the day than children at the schools mentioned above. Stand at West Hill or at Southfields tube to witness going home time at Ashcroft and St Cecilia’s, for example.

Inside the Academy, there is a strong emphasis on discipline, which students largely comply with. There are clear boundaries and if these are broken, sanctions are used. I have to say, and again from experience, that this is done in a warmer, more humane way than at a school such as Ashcroft. Behaviour was poor under a previous leadership team but that has changed and disruption in classes is now few and far between.

There is a very strong desire here to see each child as an individual, academically and personally and to bring out the best in them. Our GCSE students last year came in each breakfast time and stayed for late afternoon booster classes, all because they know their results are so important. And their results bear this out – we rank above a number of schools many would consider to be better academically – and we are non-selective which makes this even more of an achievement.

Unlike an increasing number of local schools, we won't kick a student out at 6th Form because they aren't making the grade. We take a large number of students from local schools who do this and these students go on to achieve excellent results here and go on to great universities, including Oxford and others in the Russell group. For info, some of these students are achieving Bs and they're still not good enough for the other school's 6th Forms - not great for a teenager's self esteem.

In terms of teaching, it is excellent. Proof of this is the school being third in the borough for Progress 8 – the measure a child makes during their time at secondary school. Disregard Harris’s results, as they removed a number of students who weren’t making the grade – google or ask them for more on this.

The leadership team at Southfields is very impressive with a vast amount of experience. It is a very stable team and the whole academy has a real, warm community feel to it. Pastoral care is very good, much better than others I have experience of.

In terms of the website, this has just been relaunched, so maybe you looked when it was still the old one or it was in transition? Do have another look.

I believe that we are the only school in Wandsworth to offer a personal tour at any time of the school day as we have nothing to hide. We give access to the whole site and prospective parents can speak to any student, not just those wheeled out who won't put their foot wrong. We have had a lot of parents through at recent and previous open events and they are amazed at our facilities in comparison with other schools. We have open events next week so perhaps come along to one of those, and then maybe book a personal tour where you can talk to the SEN team etc?

We are one of several SEN bases in Wandsworth and again, in my experience, the best one as we are equipped and willing to deal with children with a wide range of learning difficulties. I know some schools aren’t keen, increasingly, to take SEN students as they are under great pressure to achieve good exam results but the view here is, why should any child be denied equal access to a good education?

In conclusion, and sorry for the essay but I feel very passionate about this, you really should come and have a look so that you can see for yourself and make a decision based on that - not just what's being said here. And I extend a warm invitation to all the other posters on this thread so that you can see first-hand how good what we have on offer really is and maybe change some of those opinions, many of which are unfair and out-dated.

"When did it become acceptable to brand middle class people as 'naice', with the obvious implication being they are snobs and to be disregarded. When a school is viewed as being quite rough, it is because it usually is. "

Perhaps round about the time it became OK to brand those who live in social housing as 'rough' and automatically disruptive.

My DC went to / go to a school thought to be rough by many, in an area dismissed as 'rough' by many MNers. It has good discipline and excellent results.

Talk about hypocrisy and double standards in challenging stereotypes.

If you are moving close to Southfields it is worth also looking at neighbouring boroughs that are very easy to get to. Hammersmith & Fulham and Merton. Ricards although beset with a poor reputation for years has been on an upward trajectory now for about 7/8 years and the girls I saw in Wimbledon at going home time were impeccable yesterday.

Southfields Community College has a very poor reputation locally. It did a while ago have a v good head who made improvements but I think she's gone now.

Wandsworth secondary schools sadly aren't great at all which is extraordinary compared to the primaries.

Having said all that places do come up, people move, especially in the younger years.