Advice needed re primary school places in Wimbledon

[bodgerthebadger]

Hi, first time posting here and would really appreciate some advice.

I currently live in the Battles area of Wimbledon. How hard will it be to get a place in Holy Trinity, St Mary's or The Priory? We're not in the catchment area for Bishops Gilpin or Dundonald so have ruled them out. We're RC but not regular church goers, which makes me think we don't stand a chance with St Marys given that the application prioritises those who attend mass weekly for at least 3 years. Kicking myself in the foot as we didn't prioritise schools when we moved to the area and had originally turned down viewing a house on Effra Road! (That said, would living there guarantee a place at HT? Would it be worth renting there?)

Just trying to understand how difficult it will be to get a place in a good primary school. I hear that Merton school places are heavily over-subscribed every year, going private is a possible option but will put us under financial strain (and, even then, there's no guarantee of a place given that some are assessment based or wait listed). If the situation looks bleak, then we are considering selling and moving out of Merton - either to one of the surrounding areas (although I hear that the situation isn't that much better in Kingston or elsewhere in Surrey) or even further out.

Thanks very much in advance for any advice!

Bump

We moved out of Wimbledon despite having a community place at Bishop Gilpin because the secondary school situation seemed impossible without a heavy dose of tutoring etc..so if you do decide to move please think ahead to secondary.

Hi
I am also in the Battles and got a place in SM. However this is with weekly mass attendance. But its worth a try for you I think. I know there are some children on the road who are at Garfield or All Saints. Pelham is a possibility but slim.
PM if you have any other question. On tablet so hard to type.

We didn't get into SM with irregular church attendance, so I wouldn't bank on that. Your best bet is to call the schools, they will be able to tell you exactly what places they offered and under which criteria, including distance. HT I heard has a tiny catchment too; not sure about Priory. Have a look at the merton local talk page, it has loads of good info.

Thanks everyone for the useful advice. Merton Council website only reveals the admissions stats for the community schools. For SM, BP and HT you have to call the school, which I will do. I've also checked out the new Boris Johnson catchment area map, which has been useful to see how many children from the Battles area got into which schools.

Tiggytape I did look at the application forms and we would be category 4 for SM which is why we're not hopeful. For HT, we'd be applying for an open place and we wouldn't be high up the priority list as I don't think RC counts as a Christian church, even if we are attending mass irregularly. Good tip as well about renting in a catchment area but only if you dispose of your current home. I have a few friends who did this (not in Merton though) but kept their original home with a view to moving back in once they get a school place. I didn't think they would check though so good to know that they do!

Will call the schools and provide an update. I'm not too hopeful though :(

Snowbility where did you move to if you don't mind me asking?

Badger have pmd you.

Thanks snowbility I have replied.

Tiggytape wow, thanks for sharing. Rules out renting then :) Looks like we may have to move or suck up private school fees assuming we're able to get a place.

The whole school situation is such a nightmare!

Good luck. We were going to go with the Ursuline but decided against it in the end. I think we were just lucky in the end.

If you are serious about moving, I would consider ditching Kingston in favour of Surbiton - less madness re. 'catchment' areas (although still need to pick carefully) , better housing value and better connections into central London (19 minutes non-stopping service). Oh, and almost as near to Kingston town centre as North Kingston.

Buildingamystery that's great you were offered a place at both SM and Ursuline! We'd love to get a place at SM. When I spoke to SM, they said that we would be "highly unlikely" to get in on the basis of fortnightly mass attendance. We would go weekly but we're not keen on the Father at St Winifred's - he isn't very warm - as well as the fact that each time we queue to have our names ticked off the register, our names would always be missing.

HT is pretty much a no-no. According to HT, the furthest distance they offered a place was 200 metres from the school gate. Of the 30 open places available last year, 100% went to siblings. They said that unless we live within a few hundred metres of the school, we wouldn't get a place and unlikely to get in via the waiting list (180 applications for 60 places last year).

Ragusa We did think about Surrey (Surbiton, Esher, Kingston etc) but from everything I've read, it seems that the school situation isn't that much better in these areas either. We can only afford to move once so we really need to get it right when we do move. We do love Kingston so that would be lovely but same issue with catchment areas (not as crazy, but still crazy) and issue of schools being oversubscribed. Hence why we're debating Herts since the direct connection to Kings X works for us, schools are good depending where you go and you get more for your money house-wise.

Hi, you have my sympathy, the situation there is ridiculous. We have just moved out of the area (we were in the Poets) solely because DD has to apply for schools now and we didn't think we would get in anywhere.

I don't think you would get into SM without regular attendance. I know some weekly attenders heavily involved in the church, living just a little further away from the battles who didn't get in initially due to distance. They were highly placed on the wait list though and got a place by sept.

Due to the population boom in Wimbledon it's getting more and more difficult. I know someone who despite living in the Poets didn't get offered Garfield presumably due to the sibling thing. I know people who didn't get any of their 5choices and ended up home schooling as they were offered St Benedict's so I think some of the 'less popular' schools like All Saints and Garfield are now getting oversubscribed. Horrible.

It might be worth double checking the HT and Priory foundation places policies. I seem to recall that HT foundation places go first to parish church worshippers (i.e. HT plus Colliers Wood church) but after that go to other christian churches). I believe that this includes RC as well as Anglican churches. So if you had a completed form from your priest you might get into HT. If Priory have the same policy you'd have a good chance (probably better) there as well.

I agree, however, that you have no chance with HT on an open place where you live. On the initial offer day the year before last there were siblings that didn't get in!

bodger Esher and Kingston madness for school places. Surbiton less so. If you pick locations carefully you might even have that rare thing - a real choice .

Can see why Herts appeals if you commute into KC though - makes more sense.

Only other thing I would say is don't confuse an affluent intake with a good school. It is easy for the vv popular schools to appear fabulpus when in fact their success derives from socially advantaged, interested parents. Don't go by local gossip and heresay - fo see 'less promising' achools for yourselves.

Good luck whatever you decide.

No, we didn't go for Ursuline but it was one we very seriously considered. However we took our chance with SM and luckily got in. Hoping to have another baby or two so school fees were a consideration. I believe The Priory is good so you should look into it. Re SM I would give it a go as there are many from further away who got in.

Actually brisger have you thought about the Jesuit church in Wimbledon? Sacred Heart I think? Believe it is wonderful and welcoming so may be worth paying a visit as I know others who go there and are v positive about it,

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Buildingamystery we have another one on the way, which is why we're hoping to avoid school fees as the thought of school fees for two makes me feel . Re the Priory, I'm told that our chances are very slim as we're further out.

Ragusa you've hit the nail on the head --- the whole process feels frustrating because I don't feel we have much choice and the uncertainty of not knowing until a few months before they start school. I know it isn't possible, but if I could know way in advance whether or not we would definitely get/not get a place, we could plan better! As it is, everything feels like such a gamble!

Love Wimbledon! Enjoyed it more when we didn't have to think about schools . Right, I'm thinking that I may have to start another thread about where best to live in Herts!