The John Fisher School, Purley

[marsbar22]

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!

[AngelEyes46]

ercroydon - definitely agree - JF has joined the real world

[marsbar22]

I have just revisited this after a long gap and am surprised at the views it unleashed. We were not successful at appeal and despite contacting the Catholic Education Council had no success in getting JF to fess up on their 'error' in observing their own selection policy. So ds went to St Andrews in Leatherhead which has turned out to be a fantastic school for him and I can only say that maybe someone was on our side all the time!

[bromleymumselfemployed]

Is this the school in Purley, Surrey? I know it used to interview parents and boys from around here (Bromley/Beckenham) and it was very difficult to get in.

[meadowquark]

marsbar lucky story of yours! Would you give some insight if your DS attended one of St Andrews' feeder primaries, or was accepted from somewhere else? (just to give me a hope really!)

[marsbar22]

Ds went to St Annes in Banstead which is a feeder school. At the time he started St Andrews there wasn't the competition to get in that there is now the school is outstanding. Of his year group only a handful went to St Andrews whereas I think that last year a great deal more children selected it as a first preference. I am a bit out of practice with admissions policies but I would imagine that church attendance would be important, you could check their website or call for details. Good luck.

[donthateonreig8te]

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?

[Martynagjurra]

We just got it!!!