Graveney School hopeful 2019

[manunitedmummy]

Hi
We're currently tutor our year 5 son preparing him for Sept 2019 Wandsworth test. Just wanted to ask what score your child got and if they were offered a place on March 1st?

Wandsworth council have already published it on their website. You needed to score 256 to get in this year which is the highest yet.

If you go to this link: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200472/secondary_school_admissions

Click on 'how places were allocated for 2018' it's actually a typo and has the data for 2019. Good luck!

I think the lowest score that got in will be available tomorrow. In recent years on March 1 its been:

2018 - 252
2017 - 251
2016 - 253
2015 -253

Its gone down as low as 244 by August.

Cross post

My daughter just missed this year’s cut-off and is hoping for a waiting list place. Right now we’re wondering how many of the kids offered places this year will take places elsewhere...

Have you been offered another local school, morecan ?

I think there will be many kids with Graveney offer going elsewhere. At least 3 I know of in my DD class, so if you just missed the cut off chances are very high

HotpotLawyer, we have - it’s a decent school, but was last on her list. Natalia175, that’s encouraging news!

256 - I cannot believe it!!! Thanks for the link sweetnhappy1
I guess its time to seriously start thinking of a plan B
Morecan hope ur child is successful on waiting list
Does anyone have any other schools they'd be happy for their child to get into?

Roughly what area do you live in, and what other schools are you on the waiting list for?
Loads of schools in S London I would be (am!) happy for my child to be in. But it depends where you live.

You say your allocated school is 'decent'?

Oh, so sorry, mixed up the OP and morecan....

manunited - what are your local schools?

Chestnut Grove, Ernest Bevin & Dunraven

That's quite a wide choice geographically OP, where do you live?

You'll probably know Ernest Bevin has gone from Outstanding to Requires Improvement with its leadership and governors slated by Ofsted. Chestnut Grove has just gone from Outstanding to Good but had a more positive report. I don't know Dunraven. What about Southfields Academy (recently rated Good also) or schools closer to Wandsworth?

Personally I don't get the clamour for Graveney - I have no doubt it's a good school (maybe not Outstanding anymore though) but think there are other good choices available.

I suspect Chrstnut Grove has fallen foul of the upgrading if Outstandung, iyswim, as it got it’s Outstsndung status a while ago. I know people with children there, they are very happy.

Dunraven is an excellent school, one of mine went there, but you stand no chance from anywhere that you would also be in reach of the Wandsworth schools, I don’t think. It’s catchment is tight.

Graveney is also good (another of mine there) and it does well by its pupils (good teaching) but pastoral and communication with parents better at Dunraven.

Lottery place at Kingsdale?

Chestnut Grove is a good school, and you can get in on an arts or language placement. We know several kids who are very happy there.

Graveney is good if your child is academic, but SEN support has gone down dramatically in the last few years because of a lack of funding and pastoral care is patchy. Very much place arts/languages/music over science/maths in importance.

DS is in year 7 and got 254. We were on the waiting list for a month if I recall......but also live out in the Croydon Borough so not sure if that played any part in waiting list positions?

Slightly miffed when I read comments about lack of communication from the school as this hasn't been my experience. Hardly a day goes by where I don't receive an email from the school about something or other, or an update via their to mobile apps.

That’s helpful to know that not everyone faults Graveney’s communication.

We’re currently trying to decide whether to put Graveney as our first choice and we don’t have long to make our minds up! My concerns are mainly that it seems so big, a bit impersonal, shabby and I’m put off by the ‘serious and traditional’ vibe. I just think that a smaller and friendlier school might suit my child better but at the same time I’m scared that academically we might regret not going for Graveney. Our choice is between St Cecilia’s and Graveney and we should get into either.

Anyone else got experience of both/ either schools?

Graveney is big and shabby. The kids don't seem to find it impersonal though.

I'm happy enough with it and it is suiting my academic child.
I consider the communication to be poor. We get a mix of email / letters home. The office are fine when you telephone though

Why miffed because someone else has had a different experience

One of my kids was at Graveney (left last year). The teaching was good, but I found the pastoral care not as good as another school we have had family experience of. Discipline was inconsistent, with some kids getting away with really bad things and others being suspended for routine stuff. Cliquey, and in the sixth form there were a lot of young people with access to parental wealth that was spent on drugs.

We did like the school, some of the opportunities are amazing, but the way in which I found school - parent communication lacking was in constant gaps in absence recording, unauthorised absences recorded where we had called the absence line etc. They need to use an updated online system. They could simply expand the online system they use for lunches and payments.