Moving to Brompton London

[maphlia]

Hello mums, due to work we are moving to London and we need to get our son in year 7 at the Oratory secondary school as he has been attending a catholic school here in Cambridgeshire.
We are moving at the end of November and was wondering if you would have some advice as to the best way to start the process as the Oratory is such an oversubscribed school and we need a space while term has started! Any thoughts would be welcome :)

I am sure it will have a waiting list. There are lots of other catholic schools in London
I have feeling the oratory operates a lottery system as well a catholic criteria but happy to be corrected.
However as an in year admission you are dependent on empty spaces or being allocated a school by the LEA or getting to the top of a waiting list

Applications for in-year admittance need to be made to the oratory school directly.

If there is no waiting list and a free space, then he's in. I would be very surprised if that were the case. The waiting list is ordered by the oversubscription criteria -

http://www.london-oratory.org/force_download.cfm?id=1191

The local authority would need to give you a place somewhere, but there is no guarantee that would be in a school of your choice.

You can appeal for a space in a full school, but that has a relatively small chance of success.

Realistically, The most likely outcome at this point is being offered a space in an unpopular undersubscribed school and getting onto waiting lists for schools you would prefer.

You are applying for an in year place so your application will be treated according to the over subscription criteria.
London Oratory is one of the most sought after state schools in London and is massively over subscribed. For a move at the end of Christmas term Y7 you will be competing with those who did not get a place in September but are still holding out and would move their DS if a place became available and others moving into London.
To maximise (or realistically assess) your chances you need more than having been at a Catholic school. You need to show you are a committed, practising RC family: DS needs to have been baptised before age of 6m; done first Communion; he and you or the RC parent needs to have been attending Mass regularly for the past three years I think and ideally you or RC parent needs to have been involved in life of Church (reader, usher, Eucharistic Minister, SVP etc) You need a reference from your parish priest confirming all of this. You will be competing with other Catholic families moving into the area for work who will have all of the above.
There are other RC schools in London if an RC education is your priority. Cardinal Vaughan is very good but also over subscribed. John Bosco in Wandsworth is a new RC school with surplus places and you will be offered a slot there.
If your DS is a ex LAC child you will have a resonable chance but otherwise I would not hold your breath.

It will almost be random good luck if you arrive, apply and find the Oratory has space and you are top of the waiting list. You need to have a plan B so look at other schools too. The Oratory is massively oversubscribed last year they had 876 applications for 160 places. I would imagine they have a long waiting list.

In relation to the Oratory
Check with the school what evidence they will need from your current parish priest to show that at least one parent and your son have been practising their faith and have been meeting the mass attendence obligation for the last 3 years. Was your son baptised within 6 months of birth? If not you will need to see if your parish priest will accept your reason for late baptism.