Merton council and wait lists

[Rebbecca101]

Hi! My daughter F 14 is currently going to the German school London, and we have now sent a transfer form per email to Merton council, to switch to an English school so she can complete her gcses and A-levels to study in England. She has been in an English school before, so it shouldn’t be too difficult for her to integrate herself, but I was wondering if anyone knew how long it usually takes for Merton council to get back to you on such matters… I also know that the school that we have chosen does have waiting list, and we live close to the school and have quite a good reason to move (not just that she wants to switch schools, but that she’s switching from another system), so I was also wondering if that would prioritise us on the waiting list? Any infos will help, thank you!! 😀

I'm pretty sure that there are posters on Mumsnet who live in the Petersham/Ham/Richmond area, OP, as they have commented in the past on the subject of the school.

One of the posters who lives in the area will comment either today or over the weekend, I'm sure.

A waiting list must be held in order of admissions criteria, which are likely to be distance primarily, though will differ. However, they won't cover wanting a move, even for good reason.

If the school is full, you could appeal, where your daughters need for a place would be weighed against the schools argument that they are full and there would be detriment to the education of other pupils if your child were admitted.

Which year are they in? 9 or 10?

OP

Do you feel that she would be disadvantaged if she continued with the DSL to the point where she can sit the Abitur instead of switching to A Levels?

Oxford, for instance, accepts the Abitur (as long as the required grades are achieved, of course).

@Rebbecca101

Which school are you looking to move her to, OP?

First we were thinking Ricards Lsge, but as it is oversubscribed, she would be put on a waiting list, so now we arnt so sure… we are thinking of applying to other schools even outside of Merton, as we preferably would like to have her start after the February half term

@Rebbecca101

I wonder whether Lady Eleanor Holles could be a possibility for you.

The problem might be the lateness in applying, though.

Reading your last post, am I correct in understanding that you want to move her in a month's time, ie in February 2024?

https://www.lehs.org.uk/

@sailingsunshine

@Blueocean123

I think that both of these posters know the area, OP.

@Rebbecca101

But LEH is a private school and the OP hasn't mentioned wanting a private school. They would also be very unlikely to take a pupil half way through year 10.

@itsanewera

Fair point. Having said that, the OP is already paying school fees as the Deutsche Schule in London is a fee-paying school; I thought that considering other fee-paying schools in the area would mean a longer list of schools to choose from.

I'm not quite sure what the OP is going to do - it sounds like quite a difficult situation.

The OP should keep her dd at the German school! Private academic schools don't admit dd in feb half term of year 10 from a system that hasn't taught the basics of gcse. As posters on all the other threads have said the OP needs to ring round the councils in SW London / Surrey and find out which schools have spaces