Do all secondary age children in harpenden get placed locally?

[josamosa]

Returning from abroad with children going into y8+y2 September. Have not made applications for places yet (!). I realise I will have to accept whatever primary I am allocated but my concern is that I will get allocated an out-of-town secondary. Can anyone advise?

The main Harpenden schools in order of popularity and reputation are

• St Georges (faith school, need proof of practise)
• Sir John Lawes

-Roundwood

A lot go private.

Most get one of the state schools but I do know people who had to appeal as they got schools in St Albans or Hemel

Did they get in on appeal? Just can't see how it would work, getting one child to St Albans, another local then getting on a train to London!

Do you need proof of practice for St.Georges, my brother went there a few (ahem he's 30) years ago and we as a family practice no faith and would not have proved anything!! I assume things have changed in the last 15 years or so.

Some children get allocated Francis Bacon or Townsend in St Albans - not a popular choice (I can't judge as I don't know the schools, I'm just going on the letters of complaint in the local paper you sometimes see). Ds1 and 2 have lots of friends in West Common at their school (private) and I think the risk of not getting a Harpenden secondary is pretty high, hence the private school attendance. Nearer to Wheathampstead is also more risky.

Yes you need a letter from your priest/vicar for St Georges - I think they have to verify two years attendance at church. One of the mums from ds1's school recently applied and said she had to have a "chat" with the vicar before he would sign (presumably to weed out non-genuine people, even though she's attended regularly for years and is on the flower/cleaning/creche rota!).

josamama a couple I knew did win on appeal, but another few didn't and went private (though they conceded they may still have gone privately even if they had won on appeal).

And St George's definitely need proof of practice (letter from local vicar).

if you are living in Harpenden proper you should be fine but if you are on the Western edge you might get Hemel, Wheathampstead you'll get sent to Hatfield, Francis Bacon is used for overspill because it has spare capacity but it is on the furthest side of St Albans form Harpenden and is not well regarded - it is however undergoing some fairly drastic re- branding and getting some help I believe so may not be an issue in a few years. All three Harpenden schools are VERY good.

Sorry, been on hols since posting. Oh dear, not looking very positive...may be best to plump for St Albans in the first place, near one of the better schools....though I suppose no guarantees there either.

Pawsnclaws, before we left ds was at Bedford School, which is still an option for September - would really prefer if he had local friends, to travel with etc - which are the private schools secondary children from Harpenden attend?

I would say St Albans (girls and boys depending obviously), HABs boys and girls, Abbots Hill and Queenswood for girls, and possibly St Columbas for boys. We're in St Albans btw but there is a bus network for those schools covering St Albans and Harpenden too. HTH.

Thanks, will get onto these now.