Charter School, Kingsdale or John Fisher

[urbancupcake]

Hi there,

If you could wave a magic wand and pick one of the above for an academic child, studious and kind, which would you go for and why? Nb: Distance not an issue.

Thanks so much

The problem is that distance is an issue therefore it is unlikely that people would have managed to choose between these schools!

Are you Catholic enough for John Fisher? That comes before being academic or kind. Certainly it is a very sought after school but you really do have to meet the admission criteria - there isn't any leeway in the "baptised by 1, weekly mass attendance for 3 years" requirement. I would be happy with it, though some locally prefer the grammar schools. They take a lot of the Whitgift boys at 6th form.

Kingsdale and Charter are too far away for me to know anything about them.

AFAIK, you have to be a practising Catholic for JF - as Ladymuck says.
Charter is a small catchment, Kingsdale is lottery (from anywhere)

Hi yes,

I'm aware of all the criteria's. Live near Kingsdale and Charter and more than catholic enough for JF, prepared to travel and it's a mid year transfer.

If it's a mid-year transfer surely it depends on who's got spaces?

yes, yes BTM, and prepared to wait. I did say if you wave a magic wand!!!

Um, won't you just take the first space to come up?! If any do.

I'd probably be happy with a place at JF if I was catholic enough.

Thanks Ladymuck. It's a long story honestly and one day I'll post the whole thing. It's just the dilemma I have at this stage:)

my mates ds goes to John Fisher, not in the least bit Catholic at all.

Different rules apply for 6th form, and for children in care. There may be non catholic children with statements I guess. But the admission policy is usually very strictly applied.

Charter has edge on results but Kingsdale back on track & have seen a vast improvement in gcse results this year. Also amazing if after maths or music specialisation. My Ds at Kingsdale & very happy , academically stretched and although in top sets there are some uber bright kids there that keep him on his toes. The plus point for me is the general happiness & loyalty of all the kids , they really do seem to enjoy school & want to succeed. Great trip programme & building is a plus , environment is a great positive factor in promoting teaching & learning. On neg side I think they have long waiting lists & Sch admin is not the best aspect of school !

Hi Swhonnitt can't thank you enough for your feedback. Yes did just see Charter's results - very impressive. A friend did have a child there though around 2 years ago and said he was being bullied and the school didn't handle it particularly well. Also the ofsted showed only just over half said they enjoyed going to school. Reading between the lines it seems as though behavior is an issue - although appreciate I may have read into it wrong.

We are happy to wait for the right school and receptionist advised this may well be the case. Indeed after our first boob, just can't afford to get it wrong again. Thanks for letting me know too about their admin process. I'm not shy for keeping on top of things so advance notice appreciated.

@Swhonnitt That's the receptionist at Kingsdale by the way.

I don't understand how Charter and Kingsdale can offer places in a mid year transfer? They are both so heavily over-subscribed that they have enormous waiting lists all year round. My neighbour waited 2 years for a place at The Charter School.

Waiting lists are not ordered by when people joined them - so they are not really waiting lists. If the admissions criteria are mainly distance, and you live a way from the school then people applying mid-year from closer will get places before you. Waiting 2 years doesn't mean the list was long - it could have had three people on it, but only two places became free and there were two wannabe pupils who lived closer at the time those places appeared (for distance criteria).

People do move around, places do come up in very over subscribed, and they then go (or should do) to whichever applicant best meets the admissions criteria.

Good luck OP!

Hi Mintyy, thanks for your feedback, I guess it's still good to know an example of a worst case scenario.

tiredaftertwo Big thanks for your feedback too. That's really reassuring. I also suspected that it's such a major upheaval for a child it's not a decision taken lightly even when a place does come up.

Hi urbancupcake - where does your child go to school now?

Yes, where does your child go to school - is he/she home schooled?

My two go to Charter. We think it is a good school and seem to cater well for most abilities.

Not sure whether behaviour is a particular issue there. They have 'behaviour officers' who are called in where necessary to keep order!

What is your child's particular talent, and is it celebrated at these schools? You might want to find out what programmes each of the schools has for the more able? www.how-to-choose-a-school.org/ is really good at helping you match child to school.

So how does Kingsdale, with its lottery system, keep track of who is where on the waiting list then?

Charter admits by distance (broadly), Kingsdale by lottery.

Oh I'm an awful old cynic but I do split my sides at the concept of being able to choose a state secondary school in London!

I know! But actually, if you are prepared to wait and transfer at short notice, places do come up and lots of people don't want to move their children once they are settled.

I assume that for a school with a lottery system, they will run the lottery using the names on the waiting list when a place comes up (or perhaps do it when a new person joins the list and keep that list till another person joins).

So, all names go back in the lottery and get reshuffled every time someone new applies?

Mintyy - at secindary transfer stage we had a geniune choice of 3 popular secondaries..one of which is named in this thread and all of which I would have been happy with!

OP remember you can go on waiting lists for as many schools as you like and you never know, one may unexpectedly have a place at any moment.

Thanks Blu, that's good to know. I got the impression that they just offered you the first one on the list that has an availability first. Wasn't sure also if once they offered you that school, that's your lot and they're deemed as doing their job so now good luck to you (a bit like the initial process). If I have it right (which I probably don't) I wasn't sure if there was a way of getting clever about it (which there probably isn't). For example, if there was one in particular you wanted over and above the others and prepared wait, like really wait, then just put that one school on the list, then as and when a place comes up, you're in (no. on list dependent). I don't want a wait that's in vein however. You then end up losing perhaps (and a big perhaps) a number of chances for maybe your second and third choice.

In truth, I think I'm over analysing it all and just need to whack say, three down that we wouldn't mind either way.

I need to shut up. Really happy with all the advice though so thanks loads.

Great site evageorge thanks.

At sec transfer stage, you get offered one school, and that one is the school highest placed on your list that is able to make you an offer. If you turn it down, they have done their duty, so the advice is always to accept and then apply/appeal elsewhere.

I don't know how it works for in year transfers, but I am sure you are right that length of wait can be a factor against choice of school. People can leave at any time so I guess what you need to clarify is exactly what happens if you turn down a place.

My understanding is schools with lotteries will have to rerun their lotteries every so often as places become available or new people join the list. What schools can't do is invent new criteria - eg length of time on waiting list - at this stage because they can't be bothered to implement their admissions policy.

OP, it is transfer season so lots of schools are having open days and evenings.