Secondary school applications

[Chickenkeev]

My head is melted with them. Send help!!!

I'm jealous of people who have a choice to be honest. Our local school is rated Good by Ofsted, but you hear stories of all the fighting and bullying that happens there and it's upsetting that my DD has to go there. The only other schools nearby (but out of catchment area) are religious and oversubscribed, so without a Christening certificate she won't get in.

We are similar, mostly cathlolic schools and not baptised here either. It's just so irksome that i was lumped into a catholic school (of its time etc) but now that's the only one we have an advantage. Rage!

My only suggestion would be to go to all the open evenings and get a good feel for the schools. My 2 DC moved from an Educate Together primary to a CEIST (Catholic) secondary, it's a great school and they're very happy there. The school itself is big on pastoral duties, but also very supportive of things such as debating society, Young Scientists, sports, music.... lots of things.
I got a good feeling from the very first open day as the students already there were really engaged and engaging, the staff similarly so - but overall it was a gut feeling. The fact it is a Catholic school is a minor thing in the grand scheme of things.
I know it's such a tough decision, best of luck with it!

They're all oversubscribed though! I'm like Mrs Bennett with the smelling salts at this stage! It would be so much easier if i put her name down for my old school, but i couldn't do it to her.

I feel your pain. We've started the open nights and have been shocked by the one that's impressed us most

Oh waiting it out is tough! Do you have one dead cert? When I was unsure I remember someone saying to me... it's not the end of the world if it doesn't work out, you can move them after JC
(in fact my friend moved her DS in 3rd year, it was needed because of bullying at a very well "respected" school).
I hope she's happy with whatever school she gets, they all do get in somewhere (despite the panic feeling right now, I remember it's horrible).

Tuirse, no dead certs at all. Squeaky bum altogether. It just annoys the fck outta me that we planned our housing for primary around ET, across 2 counties, and now we're fcked! Rage!!!!

@TaTuirseOrm I'm pissing myself here at dead cert 🤣🤣🤣
Goodluck to you, hope you get your choice. This will be me next year pls God.

How long is it since you left? I'd check out your old school if it has a new head, it's amazing how schools can change.

I'm sure the old head is long gone, it's more that my old school was quite wealthy. And we are very much not! I don't want the feeling of being 'the poor relation' for my daughter. And really, i don't want her in an all girls either.