Advice re Secondary School Choices required

[Rosylee1976]

Forgive what will be a very long post...

When we arrived in England some years ago, we had no idea how the school system worked. We bought a house in an area we would not have chosen had we known about catchment areas. We managed to get our daughter into a reasonably good primary school outside of our area. However, we are now having to think about secondary schools for September 2013. The high school that we are connected to is one of the worst performing schools in Coventry. Our first choice of secondary school is one of the best schools in the city and using one of the as the crow flies websites is about 4 miles away. However, this school is a feeder for 2 other primary schools and half of my daughter's current school. Our second choice is kenilworth high in kenilworth but as this is a Warwickshire LA school, also very popular and successful, I can't imagine her getting in (although a teacher I know have said kids from her Coventry school not far from my home got in to that school). Our third choice is about a mile or so from my home but is an OK school (better than our catchment one), although the teacher I mentioned says that her children attend there and she is not happy with the academic performance of the school. This school, Coundon Court, used to be one of the best schools in Coventry, but has gone really down over the years. At the present time, we cannot afford to move house. I am just struggling with the idea that my daughter's future is in the hands of the LA. Some of her classmates will be going to the school we would like her to go. She is very upset that she may end up going to a poor performing school and on top of that she will be on her own. There are just not that many reasonably well performing schools that we live close to that we could choose from and we only get 3 choices, unlike the neighbouring Warwickshire that offer parents a choice of 7 schools. I don't know what we can do. I feel like such a failure because it's my fault that we are not financially able to move.

You will have to accept that everybody has to follow the same admission arrangements and in most instances that will involve at some stage on the admission criteria, a distance measurement. The first thing you need to do is establish whether for the different schools, this is straight line distance or is shortest walking route or whatever, because that will affect the possibility of getting a place at the schools.
You also need to be selective in what preferences you put down. As all schools have to use what is called the equal preference scheme, you can put down the local school as the lowest preference and still get a place there (even if you are not keen on it). If you put down the wrong preferences (that you have little or no chance of getting in) then you are likely to end up with a school somewhere else in Coventry, which could be worse that the local school. It would seem from your comments that your preference order is clear but how many preferences can you put down on the form? It has to be 3 but is it actually 6?

Previously only the Catholic schools use feeder primaries in Coventry as a admissions criteria. All the others (except Blue Coat) use siblings, catchment, and distance (after looked after and SEN). But about half the secondaries have become academies, so it is difficult to predict what they will do.

If you are religious Blue Coat takes children from all over the city, most of their places are for C of E, but have a quota of open places which usually go to others who demonstrate a committment to another faith. You do have to be prepared to do all the churchy stuff though.

Tile Hill Wood (all girls comp) also takes children from all over the sixth form. I know lots of parents who are really pleased with the school and they do quite a lot with the twinned all boys school. If you are quite close to Coundon Court you shoudl easily get in as I know some girls travel in from the other side of the city.

Thanks for the replies. I will take this all on board. I know that I have to be realistic in my choices, but the problem is the realistic choices are all ones I do not want! I will be phoning the admissions team today to get more information regarding the measurements from home to school. I know that people say that a child will do well in any school, I disagree because this does not take into account the peer pressure and influence of other children who for whatever reason, do not have the same support or drive to do well. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for the replies. Creamteas, I suggested Tile Hill to my daughter. To be honest we both were not keen on the idea of an all girls school. My daughter was positively horrified. BUT, we spent ages trawling through their website and we really got good vibes about the school. It helped that they have a pool and fitness suite! So much so, I have sent an email to the school requesting dates for us to visit as they encourage kids to spend a morning with them. Also, they have a school bus which leaves from the school and actually drops my daughter in our street. This will be handy when we feel she is ready to travel on her own. I feel it is a better option than Coundon Court academically, but of course Coundon Court is so much nearer. Though speaking to the admissions office, Tile Hill should have a place when the time comes as they have not even filled their spaces for this year. Do you have any friends on these boards who have kids at Tile Hill. I would love to "chat" with them to get their views? Thanx