Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

Kings School, Winchester - Waiting list success

50 replies

Harriebabe · 03/03/2014 11:57

We're out of catchment, no sibling and we didn't get a place Sad
Now waiting to hear where we are on the waiting list.

Anyone out there with encouraging stories of getting in to their first choice school after a time on the waiting list please?

Or advice on how long to wait? It's such an unsettling time as I know that they will all be chatting at school but DS is unable to be certain about where he's going.

Thank you

OP posts:
lainiekazan · 03/03/2014 12:31

I believe there is quite a lot of movement at Kings: at least I know a few people who have moved kids in and kids out.

That being said, it depends how far away you are.

natadaw · 03/03/2014 12:56

Same here, have to wait until the 18th to find out where on the waiting list... How far from catchment are you?

FiscalCliffRocksThisTown · 03/03/2014 14:39

are you far out of catchment?

I have heard people all the way from Basingstoke to Romsey getting in in previous years!

And it's a low birth rate year. You may well be very high up on the list?

TalkinPeace · 03/03/2014 15:01

as Fiscal says, it REALLY depends on birth rate / year

Kings is such a huge school that it is very fluid until the appeals are over

which side of Winohester do you live as scarily that seems to make a difference (possibly because of their bus routes)

Original poster
Harriebabe · 03/03/2014 15:59

Thanks everyone (sorry, did reply earlier but then had to scoot off).

I was under the impression that it was a low birth rate year so thought as the school was so huge we would have a fairly good chance. I know children in the next road to ours who attend.

We're in Eastleigh, but at the Winchester end (rather than Southampton) and about 2 mins walk from a bus route to the school.

natadaw - where are you?

OP posts:
lainiekazan · 03/03/2014 17:16

That seems bad luck.

Dd reports today that people from her class out of catchment for a popular local school (near Kings) have got in, and usually if you're out of catchment you've no chance.

natadaw · 03/03/2014 17:20

2 mins from the bus stop too!
I think our children go to the same school! From what I have heard today none of the kids from our school that have applied for Kings got in, except from the ones that have a sibling there! Looked at the appeal rates... last year 1 win out of 7 appeals.. 2 or 3 years back 3 won out of 33 appeals...
May have to have another look at Quilley as my daughter refuses to go to Crestwood(allocated school).

Original poster
Harriebabe · 03/03/2014 18:38

Hmmm... my ds has come home and reported the same thing natadaw, although I'm not sure many from his class applied. One child has a sibling there and she's been given a place which I'm taking as a good sign as they're out of catchment too.

Not sure we are at the same school - we're at Shakespeare?

I did look at Quilley as it's our catchment and actually I quite took to the joint heads there (sadly I can't say the same for the Crestwood head).

We've been allocated Crestwood. Our own fault for putting Crestwood as 2nd choice. If he can't get into Kings, DS would rather go where his friends are going, which is Crestwood but I think on the whole I'd prefer Quilley! Ho hum. Horrid.

Not sure how I would be able to make a compelling argument for Kings in an appeal, so I really really hope we're close to the top of the waiting list!

OP posts:
natadaw · 03/03/2014 19:01

Shakespeare indeed!

We had Kings first, Thornden second but no 3rd choice as my daughter only wanted Kings. We've been allocated Crestwood as it is our catchment school but dd is adamant she doesn't want to go to Crestwood. I must admit I don't like the head there, and we have also issues with the level of teaching of languages. I am French and don't want my children to be taught one of their main languages wrong!

We are going to phone Quilley and ask for another school tour, and might apply if it is possible, just in case dd doesn't get in Kings by September!

Original poster
Harriebabe · 03/03/2014 19:11

Ah, well hello! For some reason, I assumed you were at The Crescent :)

I'm taking it for granted that we'll be able to get into Quilley, even if we apply on 31st August! It's so undersubscribed the children are rattling around there! Although their facilities aren't "top notch", I think there is a real advantage to it being so small as it's cosy and familiar. I know a few who have attended with good and bad results but they all say that the teachers all know everyone, parents and pupils alike!

We'll have to go through all this again in 4 years time when my youngest gets to Year 5 - just waiting to find out about the junior school for him.

OP posts:
natadaw · 06/03/2014 12:30

Hello Harriebabe, after receiving a letter from Crestwood about transition morning I decided to call Quilley to check if they have it the same morning. They don't, but have confirmed what we thought... they aren't oversubscribed and we could still register our dd later in june or even july and it wouldn't be a problem. Someone suggested to have a look a Toynbee, have you considered it?
Pffff... what a stressful thing this is!!!

Original poster
Harriebabe · 06/03/2014 13:35

natadaw - A friend of mine has been allocated Toynbee (she wanted Kings and was unsuccessful and Toynbee is her catchment) but she hasn't visited. I have briefly studied the results etc but I believe it and Quilley are much of a muchness really. Plus it would mean a longer walk on that busy road! I don't think we'll consider it....

I haven't had a letter about Crestwood transition morning though?! When is it? Did it come home with the children? If so, it's probably lounging at the bottom of my son's bag ... what will you do? Do we send them anyway? Aahhh, you're right, nightmare!

We visited Wyvern when we did the rounds, which is a nice school but that would be oversubscribed too I guess...? Have you considered it?

OP posts:
natadaw · 17/03/2014 09:18

I have called the Admission team this morning, my dd is 24th on the waiting list. I don't know if it's good or not. Crestwood transition morning is on the 20th of March, you probably could give them a call to see if they fit in your ds. When I called Quilley they said both them and Crestwood were able to accept new applicants until late in July...
Still feel so stressed about it all:-(

Original poster
Harriebabe · 17/03/2014 09:57

Lucky you natadaw - we're 44th on the list :( :( - living that bit further away I guess... the list is 149 long. Yes, DS will go to the transition morning as I think Crestwood is where he'll end up if we don't get into Kings.

Absolutely hated hearing that this morning. I had a chat with the admissions person at the school last week who was very helpful, so Im going to ring her back and chat it through with her, see if she can glean any silver lining ...

OP posts:
Original poster
Harriebabe · 17/03/2014 15:10

Hmm... apparently Wyvern (previously discounted but can't remember why!) has no waiting list...

I spoke to Kings admission person who said she was "staggered" at the amount of Eastleigh/Chandlers Ford applications they've received this year. She said living where we do, last year we'd have definitely have been offered a place. She simply can't understand what has happened. I can, when you consider the schools in this area .... (especially as Thornden is catchment elite only, and Toynbee now "requires improvement).

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 17/03/2014 20:19

Wyvern does really well with decent numbers of its pupils, but the catchment is more mixed than some so the headline figures do not look as good

mamando · 19/03/2014 11:50

DD has set her mind on Quilley, while waiting still to get into Kings. She'll have to cycle there as we live in Boyatt Wood, but she's refusing to go to Crestwood. My head is spinning every time I think of this! Just wish we could check the waiting list online...

Original poster
Harriebabe · 19/03/2014 12:46

Hi mamando - are you another Shakespeare mum? Why is your DD so against Crestwood?

Cycling to Quilley shouldn't be so bad but I do understand, she's your little girl. I wish we could check the list online but the woman at Kings was very friendly and told me to keep in touch, she wouldn't mind. She also said she's going to write to everyone on the waiting list (probably within the next couple of weeks) to remind them to take themselves off the list if they no longer wish to be on there.

I think that living in Boyatt Wood, you might be in with a chance you know!

OP posts:
chicaguapa · 19/03/2014 13:00

DH used to teach at Crestwood and his opinion is that it is a fantastic school. Its facilities are great and it has a phenomenal success with SEN. Another ex-Crestwood teacher is sending his DC there instead of Toynbee (their catchment school). The HT might not be 'parent-friendly' (ie you have to take her as you find her) but she's very forward-thinking and embraces new theoretical research.

TalkinPeace · 19/03/2014 13:04

DH is going to Crestwood next term ... I'll sound him out afterwards

TeenAndTween · 19/03/2014 17:06

How near are you all to the railway line?

Romsey is only a short hop away, and has 2 excellent secondaries.
A (large) number of children appear to go to Romsey School via train, so if you really don't want your allocated one, and think your preferred is a long shot, you could consider Romsey or Mountbatten. They are both likely to have waiting lists but they may give you additional options.

I suggest you find a school you are happy with and accept it, even if you go on waiting lists for other more preferred schools. Then you can say to your DS/DDs "xxx is a good school. It might have been nice to go to Kings but xxx is good and I'm sure you'll do well there."

Still can't see why people are so keen on Kings though. I would not want my DD to go to a school that streams (as opposed to sets) so early on, in what I understand is quite a visible way.

TalkinPeace · 19/03/2014 20:07

MB long walk from the station and Abbotswood has impacted their intake
Romsey school near station, but Shirley is nearer than Eastleigh

TBH its all in a state of flux due to the amount of new housing

Original poster
Harriebabe · 19/03/2014 20:12

Thanks everyone, lots of useful information. I'd be very interested to hear your DHs views of Crestwood talk

I do appreciate what you're saying about sets and streaming but I tried to look at schools with an all round view. The facilities at Kings are far superior, the head was more impressive ie as far as I know he didn't lie and take me for a fool, and the overall breadth of choice for my DS would be better there than at Crestwood. Also I don't like the idea of option taking in Year 8.

However, I honestly do appreciate that it's a Good school and must be doing something right, which makes this so difficult.

OP posts:
Original poster
Harriebabe · 19/03/2014 20:20

Thanks Chica, that's great to hear.

I must admit I didn't take to the head, but mostly because she was doing such a hard sell on us and taking me for a fool which made her seem foolish. She could have said much the same in a different way I suppose without getting my back up.

So interesting to hear teacher views. I know another teacher who knows her and is actively NOT sending their DC to Crestwood.

OP posts:
TalkinPeace · 19/03/2014 20:22

Harrie
One of the things I'm really aware of from DH working at schools all over the country
we are bloody lucky round here
even our crap schools are pretty good
our decent ones are great
and our excellent ones are astounding