How on earth do you manage to get your DC into an oversubscribed school?

[ripsishere]

Due to a change in circumstances, we are moving to the LB of Sutton. I have four schools that I would like DD to go to, all have massive waiting lists.
We (that is she and I) moved from abroad, bought a house and got her into a feeder school for the oversubscribed school she was due to start in September.
DH was unable to find a job locally so we hare moving to London.
I went down for two days and stayed with a lovely MNer (thanks frank) and tried to find a house to rent.
Unfortunately, there were very few. I have got one, all that is needed is contracts signing. DH is still abroad so it will have to be done by email.
The point is HOW the actual fuck does one go about getting into a decent school at this late point in the year?

She is bright, but not outstandingly so.
I am interested in Nonsuch college, Wallington, St. Philomena's and one other.
I think she stands more of a chance with SPs, I can play the RC card there.

If she isn't outstanding then the grammars are out. St phils is quite a way away, was she baptised before her first birthday etc and have weekly mass attendance? Have you discounted normal schools like Cheam high?

Baptised at three weeks, goes to a church school now and goes to mass on alternate weeks. I can't tolerate too much religion. DH is the god botherer and he lives in Belgium at the moment.
I haven't discounted ordinary schools, it's just that those were the ones suggested.

They have a strict criteria based on date of baptism, attendance at feeder school, mass every week and then distance I think. Would be interesting to know what the waiting list looked like, you would come after people who lived a long way away though if they went to mass every week.

I would look at the local comps too.

I will of course look at local comps. It was just that these were the stand out schools.
To complicate things, I've lost her baptism certificate. I took it to school last week for her preparation for confirmation mass. I think I left it in the pub.
I've emailed the church, but they haven't replied.
She was done in Oman.

at your sensible post tiggy. My DD is top of her class for English and maths but I don't know how good the rest of her class is ITMS.
She has always been at DHs schools, some great, some not so good. We came back from Belgium and got our house in order that she could go to feeder blah blah blah.
At least I can phone tomorrow and have a look on the net this afternoon for alternatives.
I'm not sure I want her to go to a single sex school anyway. There are pros and cons.

Thanks for the info. She was baptised at three weeks, did her first communion in Switzerland at seven and is being confirmed in a couple of weeks time.
Her current priest is a bit of a tit, but will write her a reference if necessary.
Off to collect her now, but many thanks for all the ideas.

But would you get DD a place at a grammar school unless she's taken the 11+ already?

Ripi - does your dd currently go to a feeder primary for St phils? The admission policy for SP is very transparent (which is good as it's obvious where you fit). Their admission policy is about your dd attending mass (doesn't ask about you or DH) so if you are in category A you should go straight to the top of the list. This happened to my dd but my reason was that we got our 1st choice (SP was 2nd) and we then changed our minds. I asked to go on waiting list and was told was top. Within a couple of days offered a place. This was just after 1 March though so how much movement now unsure. Sutton (I would think) would still have some movement due to the grammar schools. Another school I am thinking of but can't remember the name is in Merton (RC school). Mrs Noone (SPs head) was DH there. I think they are slightly more flexible with their admission.

No, we are living in Warrington. We specifically moved, bought a house and got her into a feeder school for the secondary we chose.
That all went tits up when DH failed to get a job locally.
I will phone tomorrow to speak to the school.

Ursuline is the one in Merton and probably less heavily sought after than St Phils

Smashing, will have a look at that. Oh, the trauma

have you looked at www.thebeaconschool.co.uk/

A bit far from you but a nice school - I know few kids who go there, very supportive and caring school.

Is there good enough reason you are renting in WP?

I am now a lot calmer. Offices will be open today so I can phone around.
happyAvocado, the reason we are renting there comes down to availablility of housing and cost.
I stayed with a MNer last week, every estate agent I either visited or phoned had very little. The houses they advertised were either gone or under offer.
DH was coordinating this from Belgium. Tiny bit stressful.

Good luck - it will work out but just be open minded. It is possible you might have to accept any reasonable school for your daughter but be put on the waiting list for others and you may find she's still allocated a place at your preferred choice school before September or shortly thereafter...

Sutton has pretty good bus/train links so you can probably be a bit more flexible about schools than if you lived further into Surrey.

WP is a bit black hole as it's on the border of three boroughs (Sutton, Kingston and Epson&Ewell) and as a result out of catchment for quite a few of the secondary schools. Many residents are complaining about this and have done for a few years.

Depending on which part of WP you are moving to I would highly recommend that you also look into schools in the neighbouring borough and give them a call.

I hope you have had some success with ringing round for more information.

Not much further foreward TBH. I spoke to four this morning. I need to apply through my LA who, frankly are shite.
One school, whose name I forget, said the same thing about the location and lack of local schools.
The woman at St Phil's directed me to schools with lesser WLs in Croydon. I stupidly phoned one. The woman there laughed me out of the park due to the distance involved.
Maybe Nuns can teleport.

Which part of WP are you moving to? You may have better luck with schools in the neighbouring borough than in Sutton so worth giving them a call.

Thanks for all the help you've given me. I took the forms in to our local authority this morning. The numpty on the front desk claimed she'd never seen anything like that before - not sure of the mobility of people where we live.
Anyway, nine schools applied for so fingers crossed.