Applying late - Yr 9 2018 (Wimbledon) help!

[SW19Mumof3]

Circumstances out of our hands mean that we may be looking for a Yr 9 place for DS1 who is currently in Yr 8 at a local prep. He has a place at an Independent Secondary, but this may no longer be an option. We didn't apply for state schools / grammars.

Anyone in the know shed any light on how we should proceed? We obviously need to visit local schools - do I approach them directly or go through the council? What are our chances of getting a Yr 9 place? We aren't church go-ers, and I think Rutlish is our nearest school.

Feeling a bit lost / anxious, any advice gratefully received.

Usually you need to put yourself on the waiting list directly with the school. Each school has a published admissions policy that should also cover ‘in year’ admissions. Likewise look on your LA website under schools admissions for in-year.

It would be best to consider all schools within reach. Places do come up over the summer holiday as people move house at the end of term. Or it may be best to get on the waiting lists now and accept any places that come up now.

I don’t know many schools in Merton but know someone at Rutlish: it delivers a good education. Look at schools in neighbouring boroughs, too, if the transport routes are good. Your borough makes no difference to how your application is prioritised.

Rutlish is oversubscribed in Y7 but there should be places in Y9 as people move house etc. I'd contact the school directly for a visit as I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige but I think applications for any year go in via Merton council so check the Merton website for more details.
My dcs go there, one is Y11 and one in Y8 and both doing very well.

You could contact Glenthorne as well - it's in Sutton but a short bus ride from Morden.

What about Greenshaw (also Sutton but on the Merton side) too?

Good point - similar short bus ride!

Have heard good things about Rutlish from friends with DS there. They really seem to have made some excellent progress in the last few years.

Year 9 isn't a bad time to move - only thing to check is whether the school has 3 year GCSE courses. I know some of the local schools do - not sure about Rutlish though.

Rutlish choose options in Y9 so most GCSEs are two-year. In practice, they're teaching maths and the sciences over three years but it's easy to adapt, I think. The one drawback is they can only do 1 MFL from Y7-11, although the current offerings are French, German and Spanish so hopefully one of those would suit.

Thank you very much. I have emailed a few schools directly. I wonder whether he would have a chance at Graveney, he has already gone through a round of exams / interviews for his current Independent School, and is academically strong we're told...

You can apply to Graveney, but I don't know offhand what their procedures are for waiting lists, and how they manage them for selective places and non-selective. You'll need to contact the school to find out how to apply if your DS has never taken the Wandsworth test.

Some schools may be having Open Days around now (generally those which have a selection test, so that people have a chance to look before exam). Others will be in the autumn, in the run up to forms for main entry going in. It is not a given that you can visit and tour at any other time, it no harm in asking. Younwoukd do that directly with the school.

You need to apply to the LEA for what's called an 'in year' admission. London boroughs all have space for 6 preferences on main form, so I've always assumed it is the same for in-year. If there are no vacancies at your preferred schools, you can go on the waiting list or appealmfor a place. But the LEA must come up with an offer for you, but if all your preferences are full, it'll be the nearest school with a vacancy.

You could contact the Sutton Grammars (Sutton, Wallington and Wilsons) to see if they have spaces?

Your DS would need to sit a test but if he's been prepping for CE he'd probably be quite prepared for it. I don't think many spaces come up but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Selective places and Graveney and the Sutton Grammars are all 'super selective' - selective by highest academic scores in the tests and no distance criteria, and are generally more competitive (in standard) than many selective private schools. The test is VR and NVR, and other things, depending on school. Not sure how they manage in-year waiting lists at the selectives.

Anyway, a good functioning comp with a fair number of academic kids in the top sets will serve him well.

The Sutton Selective Eligibility Test is English and Maths. VR and NVR were dropped a while back.

Until very recently Wallington County Grammar School for Boys used to have a 13+ entry point.

Graveney does have entry on distance, but it's very small as I think 70 kids get in on the Wandsworth test (VR and NVR) and then another 150 or so siblings follow them, leaving around 80 distance places.

Worth noting that all the religious schools have to take a certain percentage of other/non religious students.

That’s not true at all, most of the faith schools only take children of that faith as they are so oversubscribed. Please tell me where it says different

If you mean Ursuline and Wimbledon College, they don't need to offer places to non-religious and take only a small number of other religions from waiting list/sibling preference. They aren't obliged to take any non-catholics unless they have spaces.
Also, Wimbledon College's Ofsted is 'good' and Rutlish is 'outstanding'.So unless you want a specifically Catholic ethos for your child, the nearest school would be your best bet.

Agree with what's been said by most recent posters about the faith schools not needing to take non-religious DC if they have enough children of faith applying for places.

Places do come up at the sUtton Grammars and not that many people apply. Get on the list.