....to be unsurprised the BBC called the London Oratory a "prestigious private school" when it isn't?

[doorkeeper]

The London Oratory school is in the news because there's been a minor blaze there (nobody hurt) and a pupil has been taken in for questioning.

I was idly listening to PM on Radio 4, and they described the school as a "prestigious private school". Except it isn't, of course. It's a state-funded school. Except, again, it's functionally a free private school for posh and/or famous people that most ordinary mortals couldn't hope to get their kids into. I found this burst of accidental honesty from the BBC quite refreshing.

I'm sick of the posh London schools that are state-funded but that are effectively free private schools because of the way they massage their admissions. The now-disgraced former head of Holland Park School was taking HPS firmly in that direction, I know that a few other West London schools operate in the same way. I would love to see Ofsted - who were useless re the HPS scandal until it was too late - address this in some way. All children, even the ones whose parents aren't rich or famous, should have equal access to local schools, regardless of income, religion or parental connections.

AIBU to enjoy this bit of accidental honesty from the BBC?

@Pekaboo I don't know for sure. There are also parents who like the school or those who have plans to send a child there and therefore don't like to hear any criticism as it distorts their view. And this is quite common with virtually any random school and not only with this specific one school.
There is a lot of confusion when it comes to school choices. It is hard to distinguish what is reality and what is show off at Open day.

There aren’t any grammars local to sw18 (Wandsworth). The closest are in Kingston and Sutton. There is a selective stream at Graveney in Tooting but Graveney and LOS really aren’t very similar at all

from most of sw18 (Southfields) it is much easier to get to LOS than Sutton Grammar, although one is selective entry and one is by lottery entry. If they are telling you they chose Sutton grammar for logistics reasons they are being polite, but not truthful.

No-one is forced to fill in 5 or 6 names on the CAF (and actually outside of London some don’t allow that number of preferences). It is unwise not to list the maximum number of preferences allowed, though, but that isn’t forcing anyone.

This thread is mad. I give up.

There’s no rule written or unwritten. It is wise to use all preferences allowed but no-one is forced to list 5 or 6.

Yes. The Tiffins and Suttons have very broad catchments

This thread is fucking bonkers and I am unashamedly loving it.

I know some parents who filled only one school. They were sure of their place because they live just by the school and their older kid was already in.

However, not everybody has such luxury and experiences more uncertainty. Therefore, to be on the safer side is better to provide all 6 preferences and include one really safe bet not to end up without any school or a random one.
I know a mum who lives in Hounslow Borough and have put 6 schools but all in Richmond. She ended up with her child being allocated to a random school in Hounslow Borough.
And it is important to remember that there are many kids who are not receiving ANY offer on the National Offer Day. In my borough( Richmond) it was as many as 126 kids who have received no offer and are/were waiting for the lists to move up.

Eh? Does this make sense even to you @Pekaboo ?!
Bonkers...

Sutton grammar, Wallington County and Wilson’s at least have a proportion of places allocated by ranking applicants regardless of postcode so the catchment area isn’t relevant to those criteria.

Sutton grammar, Nonsuch have catchment: SM1-7, KT4, KT17, CR0 4 and CR4. Wilson doesn't have catchment and Wallington does have 110 places reserved for designated postcodes. The rest for "the best in the game"

Re-read my post. I said “have a proportion of places allocated by ranking applicants regardless of postcode so the catchment area isn’t relevant to those criteria”. I did not say ALL places are allocated regardless of catchment so catchment isn’t relevant to ANY criteria. The 3 schools I mentioned do allocate a proportion of places regardless of postcode.

@calmnights Re- read my post,please Did I mentioned anywhere that you said:"ALL places are allocated regardless of catchment so catchment isn’t relevant to ANY criteria". ?
No. I followed with the further detail.

The various incarnations of @Ewrika seem to be using this thread to vent their frustrations on the secondary school application system generally, and specifically in south west London. She/they seem to be annoyed that her friend didn't get her SEN kid in to LOS. I can't remember if she thinks that LOS is extremely snobby and privileged OR full of kids from estates and therefore violence (?!). She does think that Cardinal Vaughan or St Augustine's are better though she doesn't vouchsafe why. Then she segues into a riff on applying for the likes of Tiffin, Sutton Grammar etc. All the while slagging off posters who can't follow her knights' moves and creative use of grammar.

Very odd!

The fact you quoted my post (in which I said a proportion of Sutton grammar’s places were allocated regardless of postcode so catchment wasn’t relevant to those criteria) and said Sutton has a catchment implied I had said all criteria were allocated regardless of postcode so catchment wasn’t relevant to any.

If you were just providing more information about the admission criteria there would have been no need to quote my post.

@calmnights
Please try not to take everything so personally. Thanks

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Ironic since you were the one who originally took offence at my post (that wasn’t even in response to you or aimed at you). Perhaps you should pay attention to your own ‘advice’.

@calmnights Inwill leave you with your remarkable thoughts.thanks

She does think that Cardinal Vaughan or St Augustine's are better though she doesn't vouchsafe why.

It corresponds exactly with what I mentioned earlier. There's considerable confusion surrounding the school application process and the nature of different schools. Therefore, I wouldn't criticise anyone for sharing their negative (or positive!) school experiences, regardless of how skilfully they're expressed in English.