Any clues in secondary school application in Cambridge

[cc2018]

The secondary school application will be due by 31 Oct in Cambridge. My son will be in Year 6 next month, and I haven't heard anything from his school about how to apply for secondary yet. All I know is that the secondary open days will be in October, then and application deadline is the end of October. It didn't give parents too much time really, especially we are not in catchment and are wondering which catchment we should be going (which depends on where we can find a house) and what we see on the school open day.

So my question is, is it possible to put our wished school in the application by 31 Oct, then move into the school catchment later. Do they consider this type of application?
We are deciding Chesterton or Parkside at the moment. The GCSE results varies each year. Does Parkside do well in drama and music? How is this year's exam results?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

That sounds about normal. We did the open days in year 5 precisely because it didn't give much time if we did them in yr 6.

Which school are you in catchment for? Both tend to be oversubscribed so you may not get much choice.

You can put those schools down as your first choice but if you're currently not in catchment you will be further down the list than families who are. How far out of catchment are you?

I don't know how those two schools did this week but I'm sure it will be on the Cambridge news website.

Are you in Cambridgeshire but not in catchment for either of the schools mentioned or are you moving into Cambridgeshire?

"So my question is, is it possible to put our wished school in the application by 31 Oct, then move into the school catchment later. Do they consider this type of application?"

Yes, up to a point.

You have to apply bis the local authority where you live at the time of the application, but you can name any school you like, even in a completely different place.

If you then move, but remain I. The same LEA area, you might be able to just update the application, but chararefulybecause there is usually a cut off date for when you can do that.
But if you're moving from one council area to another, you will almost certainky have p to make a new application (which may be classed as 'late) from you new address.

The only people who can apply from a future address are Armed Forces personnel, with the move evidenced by posting order or COs letter.

Yes we live in Cambridge. My son is in St Matthew's Primary at the moment. We are not in either Parkside or Chesterton Catchment, but in Coleridge, so we need to move. Not many houses are available to rent (to families) in both areas at the moment :(

Oh for goodness sake! My ds left Coleridge with 9 GCSE's at A* and A and has just done his A Levels at Hills road - getting A;'s and going to Exeter. My dd is there, playing cello and getting hugely involved in the High achievers group they have set up. I am mightily sick of the sad faces and nastiness about Coleridge. I am good 'naice' middle class (home owning- horror) parent who is more than happy to have her children there.

You know Coleridge is now part of the Parkside federation right, OP?

Which has changed its name to the Cambridge Academic Partnership!

We also know an all A* studenr from Coleridge who went to Hills and is at UCL.

Ds's year was full of bright and academic students, as is dd's year. The snobbery around the school still, is awful.

I expect the primary school will give you information in the new term for paying but basically you need to go to the county council website and they have a whole section on applying for schools. It's not very different from what you must have done to get the primary school place.

My son's friends are all going to either Chesterton or Parkside and he wants to be with them.

Do they all live in catchment or have siblings at the schools? Have you checked the statistics information on the council website to see how likely you are to get in (assuming you're not able to provide a new address by the December deadline)? the reality of moving to secondary school is that new friendships are made so even if they are all going to Chesterton or Parkside your son will be absolutely fine if he doesn't.

Don't worry too much if he doesn't go to the same school as most of his friends. Everyone gets mixed up in year 7 anyway and they make new friends.

If you really want to go to Parkside or Chesterton you could always call and ask to visit at the start of term then try and move into catchment before the deadline of Oct 31st.

If you don't get a place at either Chesterton or Parkside you could accept Coleridge and go on the waiting list for your preferred school(s).
I wouldn't dismiss Coleridge though, a lot of effort was put in to improve it and perceptions have definitely changed for the better.
Plenty of music clubs btw, the list is on the website.

OP if you are definitely moving and definitely choosing between Parkside and Chesterton, bearing in mind you asked about music and drama I thought I would add my DC's experience which is that drama at Chesterton is amazing. Mine are not so musical but I believe GCSE results this year for drama and music were both amazing - to quote local news "Extremely high outcomes in arts subjects with drama and music particularly excelling - over half the grades achieved were grade 9." Obviously GCSE results aren't everything and many do drama as extra-curricular without necessarily choosing the GCSE course but it gives you an idea of the quality of the provision and teaching.

Is it acheiveable to move into catchment for one of the schools by 31/10?

If not do any of the schools give places to out of catchment children and if so what is the distance of the last non catchment child offered a place?

How far do you live from these school so you can see if you may be offered a place?

If the answer to the first 2 questions is no then you will apply from your current address and will likely get a place at your catchment school but obviously can go on waiting list for the other schools .