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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Cambridge schools help!

13 replies

Welshbloodmum · 21/07/2022 15:07

Hi,

We are moving back to Cambridge after 8 years away next summer. By that point she will be heading into year 7 and starting her secondary journey.

Our obvious problem is that applications for secondary need to be in by November and mostly rely on catchment but we wont have moved by then? How do we get round this or can we get round this?? We attend church where we are now so could put that forward for St Bedes but the other side of the country!! 😂 We have friends still living in the area but would rather not put down other peoples address for fear of being called out.

Any thoughts or ideas?? 🤷🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
clary · 21/07/2022 16:42

Hi OP well obviously (I would hope) it is not acceptable to put down someone else’s address. Somewhat astonished that you would even voice the notion tbh. Think how you would feel if someone did that and deprived your child of a legitimate place.

Leaving that aside, you can apply on time from an address I England (I am taking it that you are in England) but of course will probably not gain a place at any over-subscribed school. You should be allocated a school tho. Once you move, you can update your application to the LA. The LA has to offer you a place somewhere; if it is not where you hoped, you can go on WLs and also appeal for specific schools. Lots of threads on this board about how to help your appeal succeed.

Lancelottie · 21/07/2022 16:44

Have you tried the Local forum for region-specific advice on which schools are generally oversubscribed?

RoseWindow · 21/07/2022 19:06

www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/schools-learning/apply-for-a-school-place/secondary-school

There’s a process for moving from outside the area at all LAs (ask them about Fair Access) and also the council hols the details of what schools are oversubscribed or still have places.

lanthanum · 21/07/2022 22:35

St Bede's are very oversubscribed, so no chance until you've moved into the area.

www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/schools-learning/apply-for-a-school-place/school-allocation-information
Look for the year 7 allocation information, which tells you which schools were undersubscribed. Unfortunately very few - it looks like they had to put in some additional classes to be able to accommodate this year group at all - maybe next year's cohort will be a bit smaller.

I think Cambourne are expanding for Sept 23 and apparently there will be a new "Cambridge City Free School" opening in 23/24, but no specific date yet, I think.

MarchingFrogs · 22/07/2022 07:38

List the schools in your new area first (on your current LA's CAF - you have to apply via your home area, wherever you are and wherever the schools are that you want). You are unlikely to get a place unless any are undersubscribed, but you should then already be on the waiting lists and will be allocated a place, even from elsewhere, if your DD's name gets to the top of one of them.

Put a current local school in last place, if you are not sure that you will move, or don't bother, if you are certain. Either way, the school you are allocated on March 1st will be based on your current address (unless new area school undersubscribed), but this doesn't matter if you are moving - once you have moved, you should move further up the waiting lists in your new area, but will at least be offered your nearest undersubscribed school in the interim, based on your new address.

CityCentre · 22/07/2022 08:42

Is there any way you could move/rent by October, with a view to buying later? It would give her a chance to get settled in a primary school that would feed in to the secondary as well. The city schools are generally oversubscribed, except for North cambridge academy. Historically, it was considered a very poor choice, and still suffers from that reputation, although apparently has improved greatly from those days. But it is still not the first choice of many people.

Do you know where you are likely to be living? St Bede's has people coming from a much wider area, and as a result, has some buses as transport options. The others are likely to have people from relatively nearby, so it would make life easier for your DD if you lived in the area for her to meet friends etc. If you are likely to be living in a village becasue of house prices, as a lot of people have to do, better to know that now and apply to the nearby school. Traffic is really congested in the mornings and ideally you'll want to know how you plan for her to get to school before you choose one. In the city itself, many children will cycle.

Otherwise, wait and see what you get allocated as a late applicant next summer, get on the waiting list for whatever schools are nearer where you live, and prepare to travel a longish time in the morning to get to the allocated school for as long as it takes. It might not take long. I know people who have got into the most desired schools like Parkside over the summer, even from a distance, because others have moved or been settled at their allocated schools.

or you could appeal, if there are specific things that your DD needs that some schools offer. Some of them are quite different to others in terms of what languages, how much science, whether they set for subjects, what kind/how much music is available, sports, etc. so you might be able to come up with enough good reasons that she needs to go to your chosen school.

Chesterton is one of the bigger popular central schools. Parkside also seen as quite desirable but pretty tiny, so probably harder to get a waiting list place. Outside the city - Impington, Comberton, Swavesy, Sawston all possible choices, some quite big. Very different sides of the city though, so you really want to know whether you want to access north/south Cambridge to determine where you'll live first.

PictureFrameWindow · 14/10/2023 12:45

@Welshbloodmum I was wondering how you'd got on? We're planning a move to Cambs and have a DC in Yr 5 so am aware we'd need to sell next Spring and hope to be in a new address by the secondary application date. Super stressful!!

Lovingmum88 · 27/12/2023 17:37

Trumpington community college?

I can see a lot of these reviews for this school on another thread are from when the school had not long opened and some of these students may have finished/left school by now?….. I am currently considering moving to Trumpington from London but one crucial aspect must be the availability to a good secondary (not independent) for my son …..I can see that Trumpington Community College is one of the closest schools to the property I’m looking at ….any up to date feedback in regards to the school at this present time? Thank you

PictureFrameWindow · 27/12/2023 19:50

Lovingmum I saw that it has a required improvement rating on Ofsted. My Cambs based friends don't have kids there so I don't have any more info than that. It surprised me since it's a very new school building in an expensive area.

Tingalingle · 27/12/2023 19:58

Sawston VC has long been a good school if that's close enough to where you are looking.

Lovingmum88 · 28/12/2023 11:23

Yes I did see that and they haven’t had an inspection lately they are definitely due another visit from ofsted it will be interesting to see the results of their next visit thank you for taking the time to reply though 🙏🏽

Lovingmum88 · 28/12/2023 11:28

I have came across this school I am going to look into the catchment area if we are situated close enough ….thank you for your input I’m going to look into all the schools a bit more especially this one you have said ….I’m a Londoner always have been so I don’t want to make a mistake a pick somewhere which is going to turn into a nightmare especially for my son as he will be attending there and if he isn’t happy it is going to be a major concern and problem for me also so I just want to be sure before we agree to move

PictureFrameWindow · 28/12/2023 14:26

@Lovingmum88 we're also Londoners planning a move in 2024, drop me a PM if you fancy a chat.

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