Concerned about RC state school options (South London)

Out of interest - I'm not in London so can't help with the real question - does Qld still start primary and secondary about a year older than NSW? I remember a friend who moved from Qld and ended up a year behind me at school despite being several months older, as she was kept with the year she was in in Qld.

If there is still that disparity, well probably regardless actually, I would be looking at curricula to work out if there were any areas to catch up a bit prior to the move. Though some areas your son may be ahead of course!

But even though each sub category is further sub categorised by proximity, the degree of ''RC-ness' is always the most important thing. So, according to the admissions policy linked to above, even if you live miles away, baptism on or before your first birthday and having attended mass on every available occasion for at least three years will always trump living on the doorstep but having lackadaisical parents who didn't get you baptised until the day after you turned one, however often they have taken you to church since..

It surprises me DC are coming from so far afield PatriciaHolm - I would have thought they'd fill their quotas virtually entirely from Merton schools (with possibly a few just over the border into Kingston and Wandsworth boroughs). Sure the local non faith secondaries have tighter catchments than that?

Nearer 7km, I meant...

WC went out to 4.5km for cat 5 (catholic boys who do not attend mass) in 2017, which would put out much of clapham....

it was nearer 6km for those who attend mass every sunday and holy day, but as OP says they are not "hardcore" I suspect that may not be the case!

It does have a exceptional social needs category, but the bare fact that you have moved will not be sufficient (loads of people move). You will need to demonstrate exceptional circumstances surrounding the move and - crucially - demonstrate why this school is uniquely able to meet his needs. You will need evidence from a suitable professional as evidence to back this up.

The criteria specify that Armed Forces DC wouid fall into that category (they have special treatment in the Admissions Code) together with other crown servants, and that refugees/asylum seekers might if they can demonstrate a need for this school rather than any other. I can't be sure, but extending that to include other mobile families might simply recognise that you cannot always pre-define 'exceptional'

All the Catholic secondaries are very over-subscribed, particularly with the large influx of families originating from Eastern European countries (particularly Poland) settling in SW London.

You should be able to discover the greatest distance offered in the last round. But as they had 850 applicants for 199 places for 2017 admission (don't know if 2018 data has been published yet) and as tiebreak for whichever category they reach is siblings by distance, children of staff by distance, others by distance, I think you need to be realistic about the chances of being offered a place from that far away.

Here's the admissions policy
www.johnfisherschool.org/Admissions-and-Appeals-Prospective-Parents

Don't think they do interviews/exam any more.

Re the interview, one hopes not, since that has been contrary to the Admissions Code for many years now

OP, I think your DH will probably find that quite a lot has changed since his school days with regard to admissions, nearly all of it a major improvement. If being interviewed to make sure that the child / parent is the right sort for a school is something which appeals, I'm afraid that you will have to go private. State schools are only allowed to request information which is pertinent to their published admissions policy- for instance, having a contact for a child is necessary, more is not, so whether that contact has a partner or not, or what their marital status is, is totally irrelevant to any school admission.

I think john fisher did interviews and exams in the 90s and selected on ability and how "naice" the family were. Eg. I remember a post about it on mumsnet where someone said they were rejected because their mum was a single mum
Don't think they do interviews/exam any more. Just select on faith

You won’t get into Cardinal Vaughan or the Oratory on a late application. They’re hugely oversubscribed and there’s virtually no movement once the places are taken up.

Although i suppose RC schools aren't non selective

There's a website where you can check the proportion of able pupils. www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk
There are only 4 boys' grammars in the whole of South London i think, none in Surrey, so there are still loads of able pupils in non selective schools.

And you may need a Certifucate of Catholic Practice for oversubscribed schools:

www.catholiceducation.org.uk/guidance-for-schools/admissions

You need to find out in advance if the school/s you are interested in require one, in order to prioritise applicants, and what happens to families who have moved house during any qualifying period.

If he is 10 now (as you posted yesterday) he will be 11 next summer and therefore be going in to Y7 in September 2019. Unless he has a birthday before 1 September, in which case it is Y8 in Sept 2019.

When is it you will need him to start in the English school system?

It sounds likely you'll be making what is called an 'in year application' (ie one outside the main allocation rounds), where you can only be offered a place at a school which has a vacancy at the time you apply. You can however appeal for a place at a school you have been rejected from (that wouid be a whole other thread, though).

Also Wimbledon College.

I think many Catholic families don't even consider the localish super-selective grammars because the local church secondary school provision is good. Particularly true for girls, with Ursuline and St Phil's both local.

From there your son could get to LO and Cardinal Vaughan which are both highly regarded and sought after.

Presumably he will start y7 in 2019 though so the deadline will still be 31 October this year?

If you're only going to be here for 2 years can you afford private if you wanted to do that. Not because the schools are necessarily better but there is less pressure on where to live, admissions stress etc etc. Less of a lottery although have to do exams etc...

Sorry - got that rather badly round my neck, didn't I!? Glad there are people who corrected things.

Some RC schools have very good reputations and are highly sought after. Other do not, and some are actively swerved.

OP: I was wondering, do you particularly want an RC school? Or are you using 'faith school' as a proxy for 'good school' (something which might not be true)

And which English school year will you be seeking a place for, and when you you arrive? The applications round for Year 7 in 2019 will be opening in about a month and national deadline is 31 October. Applications are not normally accepted from children before they are resident in UK, so would you need to apply outside the main round?

Yes Wimbledon College is Catholic.