Richmond Borough Schools Chat 9

[ChrisSquire2]

This thread follows on from Richmond Borough Schools Chat 8 starting February 2016.
News and opinions on all the changes to schools in Richmond borough.

See also:

Richmond Borough Schools Chat 7 starting May 2015

Links to earlier threads (1-6), starting in February 2011

Teddington was Ofsted inspected in November and they got their grade back to Good. My experience as a parent of a Teddington child (current year 9) is better than just good. I'd rate it as excellent in all but one areas (could do with more homework assigned) but then I don't have comparison terms with other secondaries. Ironically our primary (Collis) was graded as Excellent by Ofsted but I wouldn't rate them as high, I always felt they were relying on intake and parental support.

www.teddingtonschool.org/929/key-information-policies/category/28/ofsted-reports

Anyone know what the distance cut-offs were for Richmond secondary schools for 2022 offers?

Distance cut offs haven't been published yet but I did find this on the Richmond Gov website....
www.richmond.gov.uk/news/march_2022/secondary_school_places_announced
64% of in borough applicants got their first preference school and 85% one of their first 3 preferences. Currently 70 children without a place....

Distance cut offs are usually in the offer letters to applicants who are still on waiting lists, so lots of people will have them. You could try asking on the Secondary Education page where there's more traffic.

I think schools publish them on their websites too, but that might take a while.

I think there is an FOI out to Richmond admissions for the cut off distances but if anyone is interested, Orleans Park is currently 1.131 which is even less than last year's offer day.

1.131km, wow! It does tend to move out though fairly quickly as some people had the state place as a backup to private.

Orleans have just announced the new headteacher - they've poached the head from Teddington who'd done great things there I hear.

@formerNorthener How did you find out about the new Orleans Headteacher? Wondering if that will affect Teddington applications going forward. Also wonder if that means that at some point Orleans will join the Bourne Academies Trust....

Oh dear, if Orleans Park have emailed parents with that news, hopefully they've coordinated with Teddington and they have done the same. It's a shame for Teddington after getting their Good Ofsted.

It's been communicated to parents at both schools. I haven't heard anything about Orleans joining a multi academy trust; that hasn't been mentioned at all as part of head teacher recruitment process, so fingers crossed no change there.

Does anyone know the cut off distances for secondary schools in the borough for this years offers?

Christ's School 150 180 Foundation - 2.756km
Open - 1.525km
Grey Court School 240 270 2.727km
Hampton High School 180 181 1.574 km
Orleans Park School 216 216 1.131 km
Richmond Park Academy 180 258 13.453km
St Richard Reynolds 180 181 Randomly allocated within
Bands 2 and 3
Teddington School 240 270 6.432km
The Richmond upon Thames School 150 150 1.725 km
Turing House School 150 165 20% 6(a) 0.849km
80% 6(b) 2.633km
Twickenham School 180 215 All preferences met
Waldegrave School 216 216 Area A 1.416 km
Area B 5.001 km

This is all from 1st March offers so hopefully they will begin to move outwards from now on

Thank you for the data. Am I reading this correctly? 13km for RPA? That seems extraordinary!

@CoffeeandWalnutCake

Thank you for the data. Am I reading this correctly? 13km for RPA? That seems extraordinary!

They also made 258 offers for 180 places! So either they are going to have 2 - 3 bulge classes or else they expect lots of those applicants to turn down the places to go private. Given the reports of massive hikes in private school fees this year, I wonder if they might get more offer acceptances than they bargained for!

I'd put money on there being just one student at a distance of 13km, and they're moving into the area soon.

Oh yes, maybe a bulge class. I’d previous heard rumours that one school was going to have to do it, the numbers certainly seem to indicate it. All other schools looking in line with previous years.

Looks like 30 extra at each of Christs and Grey Court too. The Richmond side of the river was meant to have a new secondary at Mortlake by now, but it still looks a few years off, if it ever happens.
There are also 30 extra at Teddington, 35 at Twickenham and 15 extra at Turing.

Hi, just wondering if anyone has any seen any recent movement on secondary school waiting lists? We're within the top 10 on the Orleans Park waiting list but feeling nervous that there won't be much movement now .......

I'm also interested. Especially with how far everyone on the waitlist is from the school.

I know there are some movements already. The cut off distance this year was 1.1 and someone who lives 1.2 was already offered a place. But I don't know how it is going further! Usually it's around 200-300m in September.

We're at 1.3km and not in yet .......

I believe the 13k RPA offer was made to a sibling of a family who have moved out of the area but are travelling in every day.

I'd be interested to know what their greatest distance is if you factor that one offer out.

Hi I notice that the Council is being bashed a lot over the planning brief that includes a new school in Mortlake at the Brewery site on the basis that this isn't needed. It sounds from the above information about bulge classes as though there is a shortage of places. Interested to know what those living on the Richmond side of the borough think? Will it no longer be needed by the time it is built? The site itself is supposed to have around 1000 flats which will presumably include families.

@SlightlyJaded but distance criteria doesn't include siblings, does it?
So the cut off distance should be for a child without any priority (siblings or SEN)?

@Teamxie fingers crossed 🤞🤞🤞

Really interesting report here about school place planning in the borough. It says there are black holes forming in Barnes, Kew, north Richmond and south Hampton cabnet.richmond.gov.uk/documents/s97824/Item%205%20LBRuT%20Schools%20Forum%20report%20re%20School%20Place%20Planning%20June%202022.pdf