Applying for secondary.....Six schools on the form?

[SarahBeeney]

Just about to visit secondaries for DD who is in year 6.

I have heard mixed things about how many schools to put on the form.

We aren't even in the catchment for six schools so why would we fill it up?
There is definitely one school locally that we wouldn't want her to go to,but even if we left this off the list of six it wouldn't guarantee that she wouldn't get it would it?!

Any other advice about the whole process greatfully received. We are in SE London.

I like Kingsdale for all the reasons you don’t... I especially like the fact that it doesn’t limit by distance.

As for it being too big, the kids don’t really notice it. Also, class sizes for core subjects are kept under 24... in fact there were only 15 in my DD’s Latin class & 9 in her German class last year - and that’s with a cohort of approx. 400 students.

I liked it a lot when I saw it last year,although I wasn't keen on the Head's speech.
Sydenham Girls will also be on our list somewhere. They're the only two I've seen so far though.

I know a lot of folks like Kingsdale. I just know it's not for my not particularly academic, tiny with anxiety and sensory issues plus a few other SEND things girl.

Yes Sarah, the Head is a bit ‘marmite’

I also put Sydenham Girls down, but i’m not even in the borough, live too far away - so had no chance since it was the year Lewisham Council changed to selection by distance only.

bookmum, I have to agree... I don’t think Kingsdale suits children with SEN or lower ability - the latter being picked up by Ofsted in the latest inspection.

I can't remember the head of Kingsdale that well - I was too busy being freaked out by that wooden 'pod' they put us in for the talk. Ha Ha.

😂 I couldn't even get in the pod. It was heaving so had to watch the presentation on a tv in the library!

Definitely put six down. I live near where you do by the sounds of things- my daughter started Year 7 this week. We put down three - one was apparently an absolute banker from where we live - even the Head of the primary was convinced we were doing the right thing - except the catchment shrunk like crazy and we were suddenly outside it. We were allocated a school we disliked a lot and there were few choices available.

We hadn't wanted DD to take lots of extra banding tests which is why we didn't fill the list - don't make our mistake.

It all worked out fine in the end, but it was a horribly stressful few months that I wouldn't wish on anyone, particularly not a 10/11 year old.

Good luck!

Sarah, definitely put 6 choices down - including long shots... in the order that you like them.

But make sure you put at ieast one school down that your DC is pretty certain (80+% chance)to get into (according to the admissions criteria).

Minisnowballs That all sounds extremely stressful. Glad it has all worked out for you.
I'm not sure I'll even be able to see 6 schools with how my work schedule is (I can't afford to take days off). I will just have to do my best and I'll try and fill up the places,even if that means some outstanding long shots!

We get 3 choices - this is my 2nd time. Since dd started the school (we were out of catchment) we have moved and can see the main entrance to the school from the bedroom window, so something would have to go drastically wrong for us to not get in.

I have no idea for the other 2 choices. There is another school that is very close to us, (that was our previous catchment school) but I didn't like it when I looked round with dd.

We then looked at another 3 schools for dd - our nearest at the time (but not catchment) - No chance what so ever of getting in.

A school out of authority, but we no longer live near the bus route so that isn't a viable option.

The 3rd has a banding test, if we are not prepared to put it first choice then I don't want to make him take the test.

The other schools are catholic or I wouldn't send them.

He also has autism and the advantage of the current school is the ease in which he can get there, he can walk in a few minutes and doesn't have to cross a main road.

I think I will end up just putting the 2, even though I know it isn't really the right move.

I'm hoping to meet the SENDCo at the 2 nearest schools.

brickbybrick well quite. If you were a good fielder you could throw a cricket ball from ds2's window and it would land in the school grounds. Just about.

So we only put that school down for him (plus he had two siblings there). But it's not good advice in general.

BrickbyBrick, does he have an EHCP? What is the admissions policy - who do they prioritise? Do they take siblings into account? Particularly in your DS' circumstances putting 6 schools down if there aren't 6 that are serious options (likely to offer DS a place and suitable in your view) seems a bit pointless.

No he doesn't have an EHCP, but we are going to be fairly high up the over subscription criteria due to sibling and distance.

I have to admit I did only put one school down for dc3 and primary school - at the time the older 2 were there and the school field was behind the houses on the opposite side of the road from us.

It felt so wrong just putting the one school down.

I agree with the majority.
If you live in a City, then fill up all your options with schools you would like, in order of preference. Be realistic with most, even if you aim a bit high for your first.
If you only put one, or two and don't get in, then you not only end up with one nobody wants, but it may well be one nobody wants on the other side of the City. I'd rather my dc went to the least popular school near home than the least popular school an hour and a half's travel away.

OP you live in an area with extra pressure on places so please do definitely use all your six options.

Scary, but true story: a mum at our primary school put down just one secondary school, instead of six options. This secondary school regularly took many DC from our primary and the mother had an older child there so she was convinced she would get a place for the second child. But she had not realised there would be more pressure on places that year. She had done no research and unbelievably had not visited any other schools.

Result: did not get a place and her child ended up with a journey of one and a quarter hours to a school in another borough. A school which had many problems.

Putting only one school on the six option form does not guarantee you will get that one school.

I also know someone who played the "only put one or two schools" on the list. Backfired badly.

I think generally people cannot rid themselves of the belief that somehow the admissions team sit around and decide which child is the "most deserving" of their first choice school.

My next door neighbour put down a second choice school which she knew her child wouldn't get into because, in her words, "I thought it would really emphasise that we actually want our first-choice school". It seemed pointless to explain that his would have no effect although she did get offered a place at her first choice.

It's surprising how ignorant of the process people who work in schools are. I know a teacher whose child got a place out of catchment and they think it's because the child is sporty and the school is keen on sport! Err, no, you were just near enough, that's all.

I live in Lewisham and will start looking at schools this week. Unfortunately the two nearest two me have terrible reputations for violence and bullying, and results not great either. A third is close but Catholic, so not sure it’s worth applying.

We live quite near the Bromley border but have been told there is no chance of getting DC into one a neighbouring boroughs School.

Feeling very bamboozled by entire thingbif I have to be honest!

To you lewisham parents that are near that side of the borough, I’ve a friend whose DC has just started at Thomas Tallis, this wasn’t their first choice but so far it’s going really well and seems like a good school.

SortingTheDrawers thanks - that’s in Greenwich borough I believe. Again, I’m not so sure on applying out of home borough.

Borough borders do not matter in London

Read the admissions booklets - the schools and each council will publish these
Check how places were offered last year

You can absolutely apply, and be given, places across borough borders - boroughs are not allowed to discriminate towards their own residents. In some cases its quite common for allocations to cross borders if there is a school on a border.

London applications are all done centrally through the Pan London Admissions system, who sort it all out regardless of borough.

MrsWhirly, you can apply to any school in London - you don’t have to only choose a school in your borough.

This is what you need to do:

1. Make a list of all the schools that you would like to choose for your DC - in any borough

1. Read the admission criteria for each school

1. Read the oversubscription policy for each school - how places are allocated from the waiting list.

1. Remove the schools from the list where your DC is low on the admission criteria or oversubscription policy

FYI - Kingsdale is a school that takes from any borough in London. It selects students by lottery - but students that gain a sports or music scholarship will also be put on a 2nd waiting list (as well as the banding waiting list) if they don’t get a place via the lottery dejection. The school is holding multiple open days till mid October, and also the scholarship assessments. So, you still have time to have a look for yourself.