TRAVEL TO WHITGIFT SCHOOL

[Svemoh]

Dear Moms

W e have just relocated from India and my son has secured a place at Whitgift in Year 10 in approaching new session . We reside currently at North Kensington where my 4 year daughter has secured a Reception place at an Ofsted Outstanding state School . We can shift residence close to Victoria Station so that DS can travel daily to Whitgift and back. Would it be too taxing in the long run ,considering he is a fervent soccer player as well. Do Whitgift students travel from the City or are largely based closer to the school.Another alternative is to shift to South Croydon ( but we aren't keen ). My DH works at Canary Wharf. Please suggest what is the best idea to proceed. Appreciate any thoughts on our dilemma. Thanks.

Have you considered living near London Bridge. Convenient for Canary Wharf and trains to South Croydon are only 19 minutes, and against the rush hour. The school will be able to advise where London pupils live, but we certainly have known some in the past who did that journey.

Whitgift kids come from far and wide. If your son can get to London Bridge or Victoria easily then he will have a simple journey
It may be better for your younger child to be closer to her school for playdates etc

I would suggest checking your local authority's rules on residence, if your younger child's place was obtained on the basis of proximity to the school. Moving to a new address further away than the one you used to apply for the place in Reception may raise suspicions.

Thank you all for the insights. I guess my son is more than happy to commute to Whitgift by train . @MarchingFrogs, our residence is a stone throw away from the school where we have got the Reception seat . However, it increases my son's commuting by half an hour a side daily . Would speaking to the Principal before the start of session help matters. Would he/she entertain such requests from prospective parents ? Ours is a genuine case ,with no malicious intent . We intend to move within the same borough .If we give up the reception seat now, what would be the next step of action ? Reception admissions are already closed now . Does the Borough give a new school at the new address. Its all very confusing .

You would need to to speak to the local authority as they deal with admissions, as it may be deemed fraudulent as you lived so close for admissions and then moved further away one you gained a place. I know that's not what you have done. But it could look like that, and you may therefore loose the place.

At the moment, I think that it is your local authority you should contact. You would not have joyous for certain about your DD's state school place at least until the middle of April on national allocations day. But equally, you must have started involving yourselves in the admissions process for your DS's independent school many miles away across London at about the same time you were asking for the reception place where you had chosen to live.

You may not have intended anything fraudulent, but please put yourself in the place of the parents of a four year old who just didn't get a place at your state primary school - you may not be the people directly above him or Ip in the school's ranked list of applicants, but by moving away to somewhere from where your DD would herself not have got a place at that school, you would be depriving a more local child of a place. Something about which the LA may have strong views, particularly if all the time you were intending to send your other child to a school for which address on application is irrelevant, but WiI is an unfeasible journey from the address you used to get your DD's place (for which, address on application is very relevant indeed).

I would stress that I am not accusing you of attempting to commit address fraud, merely alerting you to the possible they that the local authority may take of your intended move.

Thank you @snowsky20009 and @MarchingFrogs, I do understand what you intend to explain . It so happened that we had applied to few other City schools for Year 10 admissions whose results ( unfavourable) we just got to know this week . Till now, we were pretty hopeful to secure a seat in the Central location only . However, Whitgift is the best option now . I guess we should give up the Reception seat before the start of the academic session so that a more deserving ,local candidate gets it . Would speak to the Council as well . As a last resort ,private, independent school option for DD is there . Tough times ahead. Thank you so much for the valuable insights .

You may find that if you move later in the summer that you will be able to keep your primary school place
You only need to notify your borough when you move

Why not use half term week to try out the journey from North Kensington to South Croydon with your son?

See how long it really takes in the morning and then in the afternoon.

Obviously the trains would likely be busier in term time, but it will give you a good idea whether this is feasible for a 14/15 year old.

Play around with TfLs journey planner. Note that there are trains from Kensington Olympia to Clapham Junction where you change for South Croydon. But it’s then still a fair trek to the school.

Whitgift is a lovely school. Places in Yr 10 are hard to come by so he has done well.