Anyone Know of a Good School with Places Available in Year 8?

[loveandlight]

I'm wondering whether anyone knows of a good school with places going in year 8 anywhere in the South East?

You can send me a pm about it.

I'm HE'dding at the moment.

My DC hasn't had a school to go to for the past 6 months as there are no places available at any of the schools that would be suitable where we live. We are on all the waiting lists and I'm starting to get really depressed about it now and so is my DC.

I've tried appealing for a place and that's no good either so the next best thing is to just move if we can find a place first.

You would need to ring each LEA/Borough wouldn't you to find out where has places?

I'd try Surrey just ask them where they have places and then look them up and see if they are any good?

But won't you need to live in the catchment area for whatever school you find spaces in? So, unless you can move immediately, there might not be any spaces when you actually arrive there?

In Surrey there aren't catchment areas, when you apply it is on distance to school after the other criteria but yes you would then need to take that place they wouldn't keep it open for you.

I can imagine though that the "good" school will have waiting lists still....

annh - That's what I thought but ACE have told me it is not true. You can apply for any school place anywhere even if you don't live in the area and provided the school has a place available they have to give it to you. The key is they have to have a school place available and you don't have to live there.

This is what ACE the educational charity people told me and I have already been to see one school which would be perfect for my DC and is only 10 mins drive away but unfortunately it is outside our catchment area and is full so all I could do is put our name down on the waiting list. In our catchment area we are number 5 on the list but the school that is outside our area my DC is number one or two on the waiting list.

I was led to believe by people that you have to live in the area first but have since found out it's not true provided they have places available.

This is why my DC has not had a school to go to for so long (over 6 months) as there is no suitable school for my DC to go to where we live so now I am having to shop around the whole of the South it seems trying to find a school place as I don't know how long we'll be stuck on the waiting lists.

Of course all the good schools will be full but I have to keep trying and hoping.

Actually, thinking about it, you are probably right (in fact, you are definitely right as I am relying on memory and you have advice from professionals!). When we got a school place in Surrey for ds1, we were still living abroad and were not going to be back for about another month. The school said they could hold the place but if another child came along who wanted the place and could start immediately, they would have to offer it to him/her. Luckily, that didn't come to pass in the intervening period and we had grandparents locally whom ds could have lived with for a few weeks at a pinch.

What are you looking for in a school?

Is Hampshire any good? I know of two first rate secondarys who should have spaces (both outstanding at Ofsted, good results etc).

I am looking for a school that is not rough and has good pastoral support and is known for having good academics. I'm not looking for a top school. Just a decent school where my DC who is bright won't feel like he is an odd ball and won't get bullied to the point he becomes ill again and he will have someone he can turn to at school for support should he need it and will be able to make some decent friends.

I would rather go to prison than to allow my DC to go to an unsuitable school again as I know first hand the damage it does when a child goes to the wrong school.

ponynuts can you send me a private message with the schools you have in mind please as I am interested. I really appreciate it.

Would it be worth phoning Reading School? They have boarders from all over the place (only pay board as it is a state school) and day boys also come from a wide area but there is a "designated area" you are supposed to live in.

It IS tremendously oversubscribed BUT occassionally boys move/leave. One boy joined halfway through Yr7 as he was so unhappy with his previous school and as someone had left he got in.

Dpends how you feel about weekly boarding though.

Can't seem to send you a pm. loveandlight. But I don't think the schools concerned will mind me letting everyone know how good they are.

The schools are Wildern school in Hedge End, this got outstanding Ofsteds in 2006 and 2008, gets 86% 5 gcses c and above. Its huge though about 360 childern per year, but that doiesn't seem to matter.
The other school is Kings in Winchester, again Outstanding Ofsteds and great pass rates (probably slightly better catchment intake ability, as higher pass rate but lower value added compared to wildern).

I think they both have spaces, but you would need to confirm with the schools themselves. We are lucky in this area in that most of our schools are very good.

Thank you very much Milliways and ponynuts1. A boarding school wouldn't be suitable but thanks for that anyway.

I have made a note of the two schools. Wilderne is actually very near to where my best friend lives but she never had children so is completely out of the loop where schools are concerned. We are planning on moving sometime in the Spring if we can't find a suitable school locally as that's when our current tenancy expires so I shall give both schools a call after Christmas and hope for the best.

hi sorry not sure if this is any help but i got my ds into yr8 in new malden,kingston.it is coombe boys school my ds attended after being home edded due to bullying.he really enjoyed it(sorry not there at moment as has social disorder of some sort )they have brilliant support ,no school in my borough has this much support.when he was there he met loads of nice boys and made lots of friends.good luck

Thank you for your help bigdonna.