Wallington secondary schools and living in an admission potential "black hole"

[blackholequestion]

Does anyone live in Wallington (Sutton) and find themselves in a potential black hole for secondary admissions? It's the situation I find myself in and I'm trying to understand whether the black hole is such that we (a) move or (b) wing it and hope something positive happens with waiting lists.

DS is bright, but I'm not convinced he is bright enough to attend one of the selective schools in the area. John Fisher is close, but we are not Catholic. Woodcote is also close, but we are right on the cusp of furthest distance offered. Realistically, that then means Oaks Park High and Overton Grange are the only schools we would definitely be offered and I'm concerned DS wouldn't thrive in them.

Any tips from others who know the area? Could one of the selective places at Greenshaw be an option? Is there lots of movement on waiting lists in local schools? Would DS thrive at Oaks Park High or Overton Grange (he's bright, but very sensitive to bad behaviour in the classroom)? All views welcome!

You'd have probably mentioned if he had, but if he has an aptitude for music, drama or dance, Glenthorne could be an option.

Greenshaw's selective places use the same test as the grammars, and the cutoff is much lower (in my son's year it was 199.5 compared to 218.5 needed to be able to put Wallington on the CAF), so you could give it a go and then you might be pleasantly surprised by a Wally Boys place.

I have heard some good things about Overton Grange and used to work near there. I can't claim to know it well but it seems like a decent enough school.

To give the score I mentioned more context, it's a standardised score from the maths and English multiple choice tests; broadly speaking, 200 would be the mean score of all those taking the test.

Thank you so much for responding. Sadly, I can't claim he does have the musical etc aptitude needed for Glenthorne.

I don't think I know anyone with children at Overton Grange, so am finding it hard to get a sense as to what the school is like.

Oaks Park is now part of the Cheam Academy Trust so this may well improve things (not as if they could get much worse!).

Am guessing you are too far for Harris Sutton but is Harris at Purley and option?

Worth mentioning, I have a friend who lives within 200m of Oaks and her lad has a place at Car Boys - they seem to have a widening catchment as am sure she said they wouldn't have got in in previous years.

Thank you. I'm not sure Harris Purley gets great results looking at data on the school. And we are not close enough to Harris Sutton (it only went to 1.6km this year). That's interesting about Car Boys - I saw the catchment had increased this year. Do you think the school would suit a relatively academic and quiet boy?

Can you not do the Glenthorne banding anyway - is it restricted to a small area - I didnt think it was.

But yes leaving aside the grammars, Woodcote and Glenthorne I would think Greenshaw was your best option. Overton Grange not massively different from Car Boys tbh.

The grammars arent really about brightness as long as you are over a certain standard, it is to do with distance (for SGS) - are you actually in the LBS, and the willingness for you and him to work really hard - are you both up for it?

Is a bursary to private possible or are you way over the criteria and if you are over the criteria is private (i.e. Trinity) an option?

I will look more closely at the Glenthorne banding. Private is probably "plan c" as I earn too much for a bursary and there are younger siblings to consider.

We do live in Sutton and DS is a hard worker, but I'm really conscious that competition is tough. Even with tutoring and a decent brain, the grammars are far from certain as an option.

Just in case anyone else is interested, there is handy information about Glenthorne banding and distance on www.glenthorne.sutton.sch.uk/app/os#!/joining-us-2/in-year-admission (in the determined admissions document).

Even if DS did well, it looks like we are still slightly too far away from the school. Black hole indeed...

Could you move OP? I think quite a few of the Glenthorne places are ringfenced for children in Worcester Park (where there is also a black hole secondary school-wise).

I'd give the Glenthorne banding test a go, and the SET. That may well give you the choice of listing Glenthorne and Greenshaw on your CAF, and depending on exactly where you are, you may well find that Woodcote admissions widen as people make their choices - last year it got all the way down to Stafford Road by September.

DS got a place (somewhat unexpectedly) at Wallington Boys for September, which was a massive relief as we must be somewhere near you, and are in a black hole otherwise. Woodcote was next on our CAF, and although he wouldn't have got a place on offers day, I'd expect him to get one over the next couple of months. We also listed Car Boys and Harris Sutton, though Harris we're probably too far from.

Forgot to add, planning was finally granted for the new high school near the sports village at Rosehill - it's going to be part of the Greenshaw Academy chain, not sure when it's due to open though: www.greenshawlearningtrust.co.uk/news/?pid=164&nid=3&storyid=167

Thanks @RueDeWakening - I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. We probably know one another!!

Do you think your DS would have got a place at Greenshaw (if the Wallington Boys place hadn't happened) or were you worried that you were still too far away?

Well done to your DS. I can only imagine how pleased you must be.

I suspect he'd have got Greenshaw, but the journey would have made it tricky, though doable. The 60 ability places are allocated purely by score in the SET, and distance isn't considered as far as I know. Once they get to Greenshaw though they are no different to other students - there's no grammar stream as such, they're mixed for all lessons.

My dd got a greenshaw place a couple of years ago after having failed stage 2 for Wallington girls / nonsuch. I'm really happy with the school.

We were also offered a woodcote place very shortly before start of term - I think we were 350/400 metres from offer day distance (happy to pm a more exact location!)

From friends with DD at oaks park I have heard it's improved a lot since the new head took over however I have lived in area years and it's never been great I don't think.

Overton - don't hear anything particularly either way about it. Nothing overly positive but nothing particularly bad either - just a bit nothingy!

I hear good things about carshalton boys but assuming you are where I think you are from your choices mentioned I think you may well be out of catchment.

Glenthorne would be a bit of a nightmare journey from this area. I think you are looking at bus to rosehill and long walk up the bypass or bus to Sutton and another bus out again.

Agree with PP - greenshaw ability places are purely score based - we were on 2 waiting lists there. One on score and one on distance (250 odd I think that was!)

Oh and one more....we also considered harris purley and had originally put it down as lies it on seeing it however the interim ofsted published between submission and offers day gave quite a different picture to the previous one - 3 heads in 3 years really put me off. I dont think that's an isolated picture as the head for the Harris Sutton due to open at that time had also been in previous school only around 3 years and was the second head there in the 4/5 years it had been running. I also have to be honest I didn't want her default town centre for meeting up with friends to be Croydon which I think it would have been going to Harris purley.

@Newnormal99 I know someone who lives by Mellows Park who's at Greenshaw, but they get transport as they're in the base. The others there who are the same age have a parent who teaches there so lifts all the way!

Greenshaw is an easy journey - 157 and 10 minutes walk!

@RueDeWakening thanks for that link about the new school finally getting approval.

Like you, I have a DS starting in Wallington Boys this Sept but I also have a younger DS who isn't as academic so need to look at comprehensive options.

@blackholequestion we are not far from you but were in a bit of a primary blackhole a few years ago. I am genuinely considering moving - trying to fathom out if there is a sweetspot in catchment of both Glyn and Cheam as well as not being too hard to get to Wallington Boys. And the City if we ever return to office working!

It will be interesting to see what impact the new school has on school places, although it still feels relatively north of here even if the timing of the build works out.

@yetmorewaiting I've also been spending time on Rightmove etc trying to figure out the whole sweet spot for other schools - I'm wondering whether a move towards Riddlesdown might be the answer.

I think the new school is too far to have much of an impact here. Will probably impact greenshaw but that's so tiny catchment anyway cannot imagine it will reach much further out.

I guess it could mean the carshalton boys / Harris catchments grow a little.

Overton reaches here anyway as I think quite undersubscribed most years.

@blackholequestion there are a handful of roads off Cheam Road in sth Sutton that are in catchment for Cheam and Harris based on 2020 distances if that's any help but the housing stock is quite different to sth Wallington which am guessing where you are.

If it helps my DS was offered a place at Glenthorne and we are in Merton - places are allocated on basis of band - some bands have more places than others.
We turned done the place as he as a few other options but if you are in Sutton it's definitely worth a shot

I would agree that the Sutton grammars are not solely for DC who are 'super bright'. Ime what successful applicants have in common is that they are extremely hardworking and studious, and that this level of effort is supported and expected by parents.

In fact, I would advise against applications for DC who are bright but lazy as they will not cope with the level of study expected when they get in. 2 hours of homework a night is the expectation in year 7 and this will increase as DC progress through the school.

There is no reason why your DC could not get in so long as they are reasonably bright and they (and you) are willing to work hard.