Secondary School Dilemma

[dilemmax2]

Hello,

Wonder if anyone can help, or give some advice on secondary schooling in the Southend area. We live in Westcliff in the Belfairs catchment but approx. 1 mile outside of where the last person was admitted for Sept. 2016 intake. I'm hugely doubtful we'll get in therefore does anyone know which school we would likely get allocated? Chase? Futures/Southchurch High? Cecil Jones?

We are not Catholic so the faith schools are out. I don't think my dc is academic enough to pass the 11+ or gain a selective place at the faith school. My dh is adamant that we're not moving house.

Several siblings of dc's friends manage to get into King Edmund School despite living in Westcliff/Southend borders but everyone seems tight lipped when I ask how they get in as they have dc the same age as mine.

My dc is in Y5 and I feel I need a plan of action. Is anyone able to tell me good news about Chase/Southchurch/Cecil Jones Schools? Is there any way my dc can avoid these schools without going down the 11+/Catholic route, which unfortunately is not an option for us.

King Edmunds is the best tbh. Otherwise the Rayleigh schools, Sweyne or Fitz. You will have to travel to all 3. Chase and Cecil are awful.

Thanks for your reply, realistically speaking do my dc stand a chance of getting into these schools if we're out of catchment? Do I just put them down as a choice, go on the waiting list and hope for the best? I've tried asking some of the playground mums how their dc got in, without a sibling being there, and they just say they put it down as a choice but I know full well they are out of catchment as they live near me. I really want to avoid Chase/Cecil etc but not sure how without moving.

I think you might struggle with the Rayleigh schools. Last year only children with siblings got into Sweyne and I don't know if any of the children from my DCs school have ever got into Fitz...we are about 5 miles away. Might be worth asking the council for details of furthest distances to be offered places.

Put King Edmunds 1st, then Belfairs.
Do not put any school that you don't want your kids to attend.
I didn't like Eastwood when I was looking for my daughter hence she went to Sweyne. So I didn't put that on her form.
My sister didn't put Chase on any of her kids forms. She's in Westcliff near hospital. All hers go/went to King Edmunds.
Eastwood is better nowadays btw.

Meant to say that in our out of catchment area, only children with siblings got into Sweyne (although there may well have been closer out of catchment children without siblings getting places - I think we are just too far out).

We were out of catchment for Sweyne but daughter was in a feeder school for Sweyne. Son was at a feeder school for Fitz but chose Sweyne (thank goodness!) and now we live in catchment.
Sweyne is fabulous and has come on so much in the last 5 years, that it is over subscribed now.

Thanks again for the replies, my dc's friend's brother goes to King Edmund and really likes it there. I think the Rayleigh schools may be too far out along with Appleton School too in Benfleet. We are not part of a feeder school sadly.

I have a friend in Westcliff whose kids go to Greensward in Hockley, they've caught the bus from yr 7 and are very happy there. They chose it over Eastwood.

Just be aware that Greensward has different term times to most other schools.

Very good point Wirecat! They get fortnights at half term

Funnily enough I was talking to someone about that school yesterday and they mentioned their dc has 2 weeks off next week

We seem to live in the no man's land of schools here, I'm near the train station part of Westcliff and am about 4/5 miles away from the out of borough schools. Think I'll have to keep everything crossed for a low siblings year!

I would call the council, they will probably be able to tell you whether it is a low birth/siblings year and also your likelihood of getting into the various schools. I would phone the schools offices to, they may be able to help. I have a friend who used to work at Cecil and it has a long way to go by the sound of it though is in the academy trust with Belfairs now. Chase is meant to be getting better, I would imagine that's your catchment ?

Too! The shame

Apply for King Edmunds. Honest!
The LA will tell you to apply to Futures. That's even worse than Chase.
I hate the way the high school system is in our bit of the world. Because of the grammar schools, the other nearest schools are crap.

I agree with you Wire I feel that there are 6 schools that are inaccessible to us - the 4 grammars and the 2 Catholic schools, then there's Chase/Cecil/Futures which either need improvement or are failing and then there are the 3 "good" schools Eastwood, Belfairs and Shoebury. I haven't lived here that long but from what I've heard they've only recently become good.

I think King Edmunds is the way to go and will keep everything crossed. Trees I think I will call the council and schools to see if I can get more information on siblings and distance etc. Living here feels a bit like gambling with my child's education, but we like it here but hate the secondary school choices, or should I say lack of choice!

I'd pick chase over Cecil and futures. But king Edmund and greensward over Chase. What did LA say?

Chase and Futures - don't give consideration to either.

You might want to rethink your position re: faith schools as St Bernard's is good for girls, St Thomas Moore's for boys. God can come to you at any time you know

We are a few roads away from where the last Belfairs place was offered and we were offered Cecil Jones. We went private instead so I can't comment on quality. Have you thought of doing King John test? If you are near Westcliff station you could take the train to Benfleet and walk up.