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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Kingsdale v's Dunraven

115 replies

Iamaworrywart · 17/02/2011 23:00

Hi All,

If you had to choose between Kingsdale and Dunraven as a secondary school for your child which would you choose? They are my first and second choice state school preferences, but now I'm not sure which one I'm really hoping to get .

OP posts:

boohoohoo · 18/02/2011 09:04

Hi Iama, my SS goes to Kingsdale, just to say he is really happy there, I know they are really good for sport and music. Both his parents have been really pleased with the school in the whole and the communication between parents and the school, his friends seem really nice (he is 13). He will be doing both his math and PE GCSEs early (next year). Looked at Dunraven for my daughter but that was six years ago and for us felt it was too rigid, however many many parents really liked it and Im obviously not up to date with what it is like now! Have you looked at both and had a gut instinct?.

gingeroots · 18/02/2011 09:23

Kingsdale allocate by banding and lottery don't they?
So guess that's an element of uncertainty that might not apply to Dunraven ?
( not familiar with Dunraven's admission procedures ).
Also - how easy would travelling be to Kingsdale ?

friendlyedjit · 18/02/2011 10:06

kingsdale have a 15% scholarship entry and the remainder is a lottery... althought obtaining a scholarship doesn't guarantee a place even if first choice it seems..which makes it all seem very complicated.
I think one of the most important things is being hppy with all choices on list and being able to avoid appearing disappointed with option sent in JUST OVER A WEEK...I AM NOT STRESSED..IT IS JUST EXCITEMENT!!!!

Original poster

Iamaworrywart · 18/02/2011 14:30

Hi,

Thanks for the responses so far. We have visited both schools and Kingsdale appeared to have a calmer feel to it especially in the classrooms which we liked.

We live in Streatham so journey to Kingsdale wouldn't be too bad. But with their lottery system of entry we can only keep our fingers crossed. We live less than 1/2 a mile from Dunraven so have a good chance of being offered a place but I'm just not sure if it is the right school for my son. I have a friend who works at Dunraven who says that some of the children can be very abrupt even with adults let alone with each other. That said maybe Kingsdale wouldn't be much different!

OP posts:

miso · 18/02/2011 16:11

I'm very happy with Kingsdale (dd in Y7), but don't know enough about Dunraven to make a comparison

Lots of Kingsdale kids come from quite far afield (Deptford, Lewisham, Catford as well as closer places) so your son wouldn't be unusual in having a journey to school. And also wouldn't be unusual if he was the only child from his primary school, if this is important to you.

Original poster

Iamaworrywart · 18/02/2011 18:55

Hi Miso

Did your DD get offered a place at Kingsdale on 1st March last year or were you on the waiting list initially?

OP posts:

miso · 18/02/2011 20:58

She was on the waiting list till June.
There seems to be a LOT of shuffling round after 1st March... it's really worth hanging in on the waiting list of your favourite school (whichever it is).

bigTillyMint · 18/02/2011 21:04

DD is in Y7 at Kingsdale too. She seems to have friends that come from Streatham, so the journey must be OK.

She loves it.

BTW, she got a sports scholarship and a place on March 1st last year, but I would agree with miso that loads of kids seemed to get places after that.

Original poster

Iamaworrywart · 18/02/2011 21:45

Miso and bigTillyMint,

My son as mild dyslexia and so pastoral care is an important consideration. Are all the staff at the school as approachable as they seemed at the Open Sessions? Also are the class sizes as small (maximum 20) as they claim?

OP posts:

bigTillyMint · 18/02/2011 21:54

The children have been put into 5 different ability bands this year, 2 forms of about 30 per ability band I think. These 2 forms are then divided up into teaching groups of about 20 for most subjects. There seem to be dyslexic children in different bands, though I don't know how well their needs are met as I have no direct experience of this.

The school is very approachable. There is a regular Parents Forum (attended by senior staff) where issues can be raised openly and obviously parents can speak with teachers whenever. They take concerns seriously and try to ensure that parents are happy with the outcome.

The pastoral care seems good from what I have heard, and DD is definitely very happy.

Are you hoping for a place in March, or looking for the future?

Original poster

Iamaworrywart · 18/02/2011 22:40

I'm looking for a place this March. Kingsdale is our first choice state school but I know it's becoming increasingly popular and the lottery system means we have no way of knowing what our chances are of getting a place. I feel better knowing that there was movement after 1st March. DS has also been offered a place at a small independent school in Battersea but we have to give them our decision and pay a deposit by 4th March. So if DS doesn't get a place on 1st March, i'm not sure what we'll do!

OP posts:

bigTillyMint · 19/02/2011 09:10

Fingers crossed for you - let me know how you get on!

Are others from his school trying for Kingsdale too?

Original poster

Iamaworrywart · 19/02/2011 11:59

No, he is at a small independent prep school at the moment and none of the others in his year are considering Kingsdale. Mainly due to where they live I think.

Anyway I will keep my fingers crossed that he is offered a place on the 1st March.

OP posts:

SpringHeeledJack · 21/02/2011 21:54

My ds is at Kingsdale (Y9) and he's very happy there. When we put it as first choice, people thought we were bonkers, but am very pleased with how things have turned out so far

as for Dunraven- I see a few Y10s and 11s out and about regularly, and they are so fab I am even pondering trying to get my DDs there in a few years' time

reckon you can't lose either way

Original poster

Iamaworrywart · 21/02/2011 22:21

SpringHeeledJack - How would you describe your DS is he academic, sporty? What does he like best about the school? How have you found the teachers etc are they approachable?

OP posts:

SpringHeeledJack · 22/02/2011 14:09

my ds is lazy as arseholes academic and sporty (on a good week)

I find Kingsdale good at encouraging, rather than forcing kids to learn. Their pastoral care is great, the teachers are lovely and we haven't had a gripe since ds started there

the only slight reservation I have about the school (and it's very much my personal view) is that it's changing very, very fast now that the middle classes have cottoned onto it (I mean people wouldn't have gone near it a couple of years ago), and whereas before lots of kids from more deprived backgrounds used to get in, got the benefits of the fab facilities and the zeal for learning and achievement, now there's much more competition for places. Ds reckons there's a huge difference between the kids making up Y7 and 8, and 10 and 11. This makes me a bit but I suppose it's inevitable, really

Original poster

Iamaworrywart · 22/02/2011 14:41

I've heard that before. When we visited the school on a normal school day, the teacher that showed us round said that local parents weren't happy with the lottery system of admission and wanted proximity to school to be part of criteria. Teacher though had been there a long time, and said when he started school was soooo unpopular they had to introduce lottery system as so few local parents were making it their first choice on their CAF. It's a sign of the times I guess, a couple of good Ofsted reports and everyone wants to send their child there.

OP posts:

SpringHeeledJack · 22/02/2011 15:17

yeah, absolutely

I'm probably a bit huffy at the sudden increase in competition for places because my ds will leave just as my dd goes into Y7, so we won't get in on siblings

...the year my son went into Y7, the Head of Year was delighted that a few parents had actually made it their first or second choice- this had apparently never happened before! I s'pose I just hoped it would stay a nice little secret- but it is a really, really good school, and we're very happy with it. Good luck- tbh I reckon whichever one you get, either Kingsdale or Dunraven, will be great!

elizadoo · 02/03/2011 08:32

So did u get in to Kingsdale?? I'm so disappointed. My DD got a music. Schol there and no place! I'm appealing and praying...

Hullygully · 02/03/2011 08:35

How come there are scholarships at Kingsdale? Isn't it a comp?

elizadoo · 02/03/2011 10:25

It is a comp but as i understand it it is a way of the school being able to be a bit selective - for top 15 pc of pupils who meet schol standard. They are then offered individual or small group tuition as their added benefit. But if u r on the next rung down - ie u meet schol standard but are not in top 15 pc then I don't know but I think it may be a way of the school
being able to select at this oversubscribed stage for the waiting list. All v confusing and distressing tho...

SpringHeeledJack · 02/03/2011 15:53

awww, eliza. A friend of mine is in the same position as you...

when ds went to Kingsdale three years ago, I got the feeling that they were offering the scholarships (which gave a huuuuge amount of free tuition in either sports or music) as an incentive to get kids through the door, as the school was deeply unpopular and had a bad reputation (which was unfair, but pretty widely held)

if they're now using the scholarships to select, like other schools, then that's very sad

Hullygully · 02/03/2011 15:55

Gracious lordy. My friend went there er 35 years ago and it was tairball then.

SpringHeeledJack · 02/03/2011 15:59

apparently the kids had a lucrative sideline selling drugs over the fence to the boys from Dulwich College

arf

bigTillyMint · 02/03/2011 16:57

My friend's siblings went there back in the day, and it was so terrible that she got sent elsewhere.

I think that last year the scholarships were a way of increasing the numbers of committed and bright kids - they seemed to give out hundreds. But this year there seem to have been less and I know of many children not getting a place despite putting it first.

Great name elizadoo - I guess you're a fan?

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