I wondered if any parents had experienced difficulties with the admissions process we found that the John Fisher School does not adhere to it's own admission policy. In the process of applying for a place for our son we discovered that a boy was given a place in Sept 2010 who was not baptised in the first year. By the school's policy this makes the boy a subcategory C when the school governors stated that the school was oversubscribed with subcategory A candidates. The school governors can and do make discretionary decisions based on appeals received from parents at admission rather than at the appeal process. The Governors obviously feel that their opinions matter more than the published criteria which is odd as they changed the admissions policy in an attempt to make it fairer!
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Secondary education
marsbar, in recent years St Andrews has earned a great reputation. 
DS was at St Jo's Reigate and left there for John Fisher in 97, back then it was possible for boys to get in from all the way down here. At the time we knew of parents who's DS's got into JF who lived even further away in Dorking, Horsham and Cranleigh. I remember DS telling me at the time that one boy even took the train from Haywards Heath in West Sussex.
There was a selection policy in place that meant we had to be interviewed, and DS's school reports and SATs scores were also looked at. In the interview we were asked about our jobs, commitment to RC faith, and aspirations for DS. DS was quizzed on RC faith and had to sit a short written test which the deputy head then quizzed him on, he was also asked about his commitment to homework and extracurricular activities.
A large number of boys now go onto St Bede's, a co-ed Catholic school in Redhill, I'm not sure it would be possible for boys to get into JF from here since the ban on selection came in.
If you want a middle class selective RC option (some clearly do!!!!) have you considered St George's Weybridge? 
PWB
We agree on John Fisher more than we disagree-we both wanted a Fisher education for our sons. I am just guessing here but you seem to be one of the large (as am I) number of middle-class parents who sent their boys post-prep school to JF.
No right thinking parents having shelled out fees for 3-7 years at Cumnor House, Laleham Lea or elsewhere would have sent their child to any secondary school other than John Fisher (Croydon, Surrey) or The Oratory (Fulham) as it would have been a waste of fees (by sending them to a bog standard comp) or to one of the independents (Whitgift, Trinity or Royal Russell) as a comparative education was received at John Fisher/Oratory.
I don't think you can accuse me of attempting to fee-dodge (if that is what you are implying) having tried to get my son into Fisher in the 90's. Just because some parents can afford prep-school fees, tutoring or coaching/interview prep should not prevent them from applying to schools like John Fisher or other selective schools like the Sutton Grammars now or London Oratory then. Besides how would you enforce that system?
If we are being completely honest with ourselves, John Fisher in the 1990's and London Oratory until 2005/06 provided a highly-selective educational environment for well-behaved, middle-class boys to flourish, choristers to received outstanding education in the state sector, music places for the gifted and some ability places. Eloquent parents were vetted to ensure they were of the right stuff for Fisher and everybody was happy. 
It's just a real shame now that so many boys wont have the chance to be selected for places at John Fisher or London Oratory- or similar schools. Yes there was a large prep-school cohort but many boys came from good state primaries also. [fhappy]
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