Does anyone have a son attending cardinal vaughan school from s.e London?

[universalis]

Our son has got a place at cardinal vaughan school and whilst we hope he will be very happy there, we are wondering about the journey and social side. Does anyone have any experience (reassurance!) of their child travelling so far to school?

I find this very frustrating...I know so many local boys living within minutes of this school, who meet all the criteria and got no place....am curious as to why you would want to travel so far? No offence intended etc etc....

OP - I live near Cardinal Vaughan and see boys from there and the Oratory during my commute to South London via Clapham Junction. I have seen loads of boys on the Central Line and London Overground as well so I am sure they come from all over. I send one of my DC on a long commute to SW London. It is hard; although the school is great and she likes it, she rarely sees friends from school outside, though she does have some local friends through other activities. Some girls actually travel to the school by hired minibus as they come from far away. Some schools give out a list of classmates or arrange meet ups before starting, I don't know if Cardinal Vaughan does, maybe you can find out?

Thank you for your replies, I can understand people find it frustrating we have a place when we live so far away. We loved the school but because of the distance it wasn't our first choice, we prayed for the right school for our son and didn't get our higher preference choices even though we thought we met the criteria. That said we are delighted with the place given to us but anxious about the distance. We don't wish him to travel so far but do want him to take the place and are hoping the travelling will be worth it.

Sorry to say but I agree with Tw1. Have you thought of appealing for a school which suits more to your son.
How is he going to travel during winter and snow with his after school activities and big PE kits?

Of course its lovely school but if it dosnt suit well consider something sensible..

The system is crazy!!! This was not your first or even second choice of school ?! Your son has to travel miles (environmentally nuts ), he will likely have no local friends, spend wasted time commuting which is also tiring, not to mention travel on weekendsfor sport of which there is alot....I despair of the whole set up. It's a wonderful school and you are incredibly lucky to get a place .I just long for the days when we all just went to the local school.....I know many boys in the hammersmith area at catholic primary schools who put it first and did not win a place...

Universalis what was your DS's first choice school?

The system is not crazy or haphazard but designed to attract most committed parents. It's no good blaming parents like Universalis.

Thanks for all the messages I must say the system is complicated but we will be really committed to the the school and we will consider moving much closer within a year as we have younger sons too who will hopefully follow.

I think universalis knows I am not 'blaming' her......I wish her son well at his new school

The Vaughan is really a great school and you have no need to worry. Loads of children have a long commute, whether it be to the Vaughan or to other good schools. That's a consequence of having too few good schools. As the Vaughan is a pan London school it has pupils from across London. Your DS will doubtless find others travelling from your area.

Universalis, just to say, a lot of places to other (state) schools do become available if you put yourself on the waiting list for those higher up your list. For example a friend applying for Oratory and CV (Oratory higher up) got a place at CV which she was delighted with, but still kept herself on waiting list for O, and then by summer found herself with a place at the O, so things change a lot by Sept. Just as your place at CV would be freed up if you accept a place from a school higher up your Pan London form...So, don't move house yet!!!!

Hi there Universalis, I have a son AND his friend traveling from SE London to the Vaughan, if that helps.

It was our first choice and we're over the moon!!!!

TBH for us, how well the school was doing academically took precedence over distance. My journey to school took around an hour when I was kid and although not brilliant, I lived to tell the tale. It's also important for me that my DS realises that it's a big world out there.

From speaking to my Mummy mates I've realised that everyone has different priorities. For some it's locality, for others it's the schools results, some will insist on private and many tutored their kids to within an inch of their life to get them into a grammar. There's no wrong or write, you just have to stick with you own values.

If, our local schools results came anywhere close to the Vaughan's then I would have considered it; but they didn't. When it came to GCSE x 5 inc eng and maths, our local was 49% compared to the Vaughan's 94%. For us it was a no brainer.

In any case, I have mates who have kids traveling an 1hr and 20 mins EACH WAY to get to their grammar school and our's won't be that bad:)

Should have said there's no wrong or RIGHT...Silly me for not previewing first:

My Goddaughter is at Vaughan in Lower VI after being at Sacred Heart in Hammersmith. She commutes from Clapham Junction everyday - it takes her about 15 minutes on the train, so I'd imagine your DS's commute from SE shouldn't be too hideous, so long as he has an easy route to CJ?

Her friends though, come from all over the bloody shop. She has them from Harrow, Barnes, Chelsea, Balham, Dulwich, even Wimbledon - and these are just the girls that she's been at school with through SH. SOme went to Vaughan and Oratory, but there are some who've gone to ones further afield for 6th form.

after reading all your messages about cardinal Vaughan I am really worried, this school is my sons first choice, he is very academic and a soprano singer, but he is also very sensitive, after reading all the comments I don't think this school is for him, can anybody enlighten me on this school as he has passed all the tests and is going back on the 25th for further tests, I am now hoping he doesn't get in, does anybody have children in the school? please could you reply as I thought the school was really good.

You needn't worry at all. Good school, excellent behaviour all around and better results. Son in fourth year and loves it. Has many friends from all over London west London area and travelling to school each day from outer suburbs has made him independent and mature. Friends have very mixed family backgrounds and therefore better mixed than local schools would necessarily provide.

Hi, We live in SE25 and the journey is not bad. He travels from Norwood Junction to Clapham Junction, then get the London overground, 12 mins to Shepherds Bush. He gets his train at 6.52 from Norwood Junction and reaches school before 8am.