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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Kingsdale School waiting list

32 replies

Iamaworrywart · 02/03/2011 22:32

Does anyone have previous experience on going on the Kingsdale waiting list and how it works as their initial admissions are based on a lottery system. Also was anyone offered a place from their waiting list last year?

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miso · 03/03/2011 08:38

AFAIK your waiting list position would also be decided by lottery, in line with the published admissions criteria. (I guess from the same lottery as the original list).

triskaidekaphile · 03/03/2011 08:45

Yes. My twins were both offered places in the end. Initially both allocated different schools. I wrote to the school (and all the others we applied to- was keen for them both to attend the same school but not massively fussed about which school) several times to ensure we were kept on the waiting list/ radar. However, I think they opened a bulge class in the end. Definitely worth making sure they know you're interested though. Where have you been offered?

miso · 03/03/2011 09:49

Yes they did open a bulge class last year - they had to appeal to Southwark to be allowed to.

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 03/03/2011 14:35

Dunraven which is also an oversubscribed school, so could be worse but we really wanted Kingsdale.

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triskaidekaphile · 03/03/2011 18:02

Dunraven is supposed to be lovely, isn't it? Would be v surprised if Kingsdale was any better, though admit my boys both seem to love it there. Hope it works out for your son/daughter either way.

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 07/03/2011 18:41

Hi

Just wondered if anyone else had experience of the Kingsdale waiting list or whether your DC was offered a place from the waiting list and if so how long after National Offer Day.

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bigTillyMint · 07/03/2011 19:54

No personal experience, but I know of LOADS of others who are also hoping, and some of them didn't get a school as good as Dunraven offered to themSad

Egg · 07/03/2011 20:05

My niece was on the waiting list last year and got a place eventually. Cant remember details on where on list she was or how long it was before she did get offered the place but can find out.

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 07/03/2011 20:41

Hi Egg,
If you could find out the details I'd really appreciate it please PM me when you find out more.

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gingeroots · 07/03/2011 21:04

I think they have more than one waiting list ,depending on whether you applied for a scholarship place .
Could you ask the school for advice ,maybe they could give idea of how it went last year ?

Blu · 08/03/2011 11:58

Worrywart - what band at Dunraven has your dc been offered?

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 08/03/2011 20:51

Blu - 1.2 which is the second of the 5 bands.

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Blu · 09/03/2011 10:22

I see you have been concerned about pastoral care and a calm environment - from the children I know at Dunraven, your DS should be fine in the upper strams.

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 09/03/2011 14:09

Thanks Blu that's reassuring to know, to be honest I haven't really heard any negatives about Dunraven. I think it was just that as a family we prefered Kingsdale expecially the smaller class sizes as DS as dyslexia. We were also able to meet with Senco and have a tour of the school by ourselves and all the classes seemed very calm which my son seemed to like. We weren't able to do the same at Dunraven as they are unable to do tours for individual families so we have only been to an Open Session during the morning. Some of the classes we visited seemed quite boistrous and DS was nervous about going into them. Spoke to Senco though and she was lovely and very reassuring.

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Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 23/03/2011 21:20

Has anyone heard from Kingsdale or Southwark Council about their child's position on the waiting list? I had an email from Kingsdale saying that I would receive an update on DS's waiting list position after the 16th March which was a week ago, and I've still heard nothing.

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madamecholet43 · 29/03/2011 19:43

I know someone who has been offered a place already. Also when I phoned Kingsdale I found out the position of my child which I was told placed because of "priority " -whatever that means- I thought that schools didn't know what priority one put the school in!!.They wouldn't explain more when asked. Also wouldn't tell us how long the waiting list was... if anyone else has any more info I would be grateful to know.

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 29/03/2011 20:42

I found out last week that DS is 203rd on waiting list for band 2 so basically he has no chance of getting in unless we win aty appeal.

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bigTillyMint · 30/03/2011 18:46

How are you planning to appeal - I mean based on what?

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 30/03/2011 23:19

Social/medical reasons, DS has dyslexia and Kingsdale has excellent SEN facilities that would really make a positive difference to his secondary school experience.

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bigTillyMint · 31/03/2011 07:51

Well, you may have a small chance on that, but all schools are expected to make provision for dyslexia, and I don't think Kingsdale do anything particularly more special than other schools.

They are expecting a pheomenal amount of appeals this year.

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 31/03/2011 14:43

We had a 1-1 tour of the school with the SENCO and they gave us a lot of information about the additional services they have in place the smaller than average class sizes (max 20, can be as low as 12) and the SEN library that is open before during and after school to provide support. They also have residential trips for borderline C/D grade GCSE students to hopefully bring them up to a C. I have evidence to show that this would be DSs predictive grade in English Language. These are just to name but a few of the things mentioned to us. I visited alot of other local schools and they did not have these provisions in place. The school he has been allocated doesn't for example have a specialist dyslexic teacher. So I don't think all schools offer the same..

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bigTillyMint · 31/03/2011 17:32

Oh OKSmile

Good luck!

janeyjampot · 31/03/2011 18:25

Good luck Worrywart. We appealed (for a different school) last year and there were so many appeals that it took more than a week to hear them. We were successful in the end though.

Try to be positive about the other school just in case - I'd been quite negative and we'd had a miserable evening at the open day, which made for an anxious couple of months while we waited for our appeal to come up, and then for them to hear all of the others and make a decision...

Blu · 04/04/2011 16:20

Worrywart - can you get a appointment to see the SENCO at Dunraven?

Original poster
Iamaworrywart · 05/04/2011 23:45

I met with SENCO at Dunraven late last year and that is how I know they don't have a specialist dyslexia teacher.

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