Siobhain McDonagh (MP for Mitcham and Morden) held an information evening at the Civic Centre, Morden in early March 2015, to give local parents (and their current Yr5 primary school children) advice on the process surrounding the transition to secondary school.
We are very lucky to have been given access to a resume of key points made at the event.
Please do share them with friends and family who will be choosing secondary school choices after the summer holidays.
• Applications have to be submitted on line by 31 October 2015.
• You will have 6 school choices. It is important that you use all 6.
For 2015 admissions 94% of children got one of their 6 choices.
• If your child has a medical condition or Special Educational Need that has an impact on their schooling – make sure you have this evidence before the closing date.
If you do not provide this it may mean that you will not get the school of your choice.
• Most schools provide places on the basis of distance from home (not work or child care) to school. If all of your schools are a long distance from you then you may end up with no school.
• There is no legal right to a single sex school place.
Girls’ schools are very popular so choosing a school some distance from your home may be unsuccessful. Merton Council’s only Girls School (Ricards Lodge) is off Wimbledon Hill.
• Unless you are a practicing Catholic do not choose The Ursuline or Wimbledon College.
• If you are choosing a selective or grammar school it would be wise to also choose a local non selective backup.
The grammar schools receive hundreds of applications so it is not enough to just pass the 11-plus. Your child has to do really well. This is the only basis on which places are allocated.
• When choosing the school that you would most like your child to go to it is wise to think of at least one compromise choice.
This is just like University applications and choices.
• You will receive notification of the outcome of your application on 1 March 2016.
• If you are unsuccessful you are still on the waiting list for your higher preferences AND you can put your child’s name down for other waiting lists.
• It is wise to seriously consider whether you should refuse the offer made as success at appeal or from waiting lists cannot be guaranteed.
Please feel free to make any comments on how you found this process, if you've already been in this position.