Curmudgeon Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Oscar38 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Does any know how we can change the allocation > > process for residents on the "Hill" and get the > > distance criteria changed, I am so gutted. > > > > Can we get a petition going, > > How would you imagine that working? > > The one thing about distance is that it?s > objective, if distance is an admissions criteria > it has to be fairly applied to all who would like > a place That's my point; in my opinion, it is not fairly applied and I would like a place. In my case, we have three secondary schools approximately 1 -1.5 km away from us. All three are outstanding schools with a distance criteria of 800-900 meters. On this bases we fall short. The Councils approach is to give our children the nearest school with available place, no matter the distance. In our case, Harris Peckham 3km's away, and place us on a waiting list for the three schools that we choose which are naturally local to us. The Schools approach is to service, children in care, Special needs, medial, siblings of other students and children of staff, before they look at the list. Most of whom. may have had a choice of more than one Secondary school. One School told us "our child was not a priority". Eveyone seems to be missing the fact South of Crystal Palace Road, part of Court Lane, etc is a "black whole" for secondary schools, we have no choices for secondary school local to us at all, unless someone wants to correct me on this point. The Coucnil are well aware of this! I recently questioned this with Southwark, and they sent me a list of available Secondary Schools across London, with available places to choose from. I would like to see the distance Critria changed, we should be allowed to be priortised in the schools closest to us and given a fair chance of applying. Or the distance critria, should be wider in areas of no coverage and low in areas where, families would have a choice of more than one Secondary School. In our area we have four junior Schools and no secondary school call it approximately 300 students a year for Seoundary intake. I am keen to meet any families that are or have been, affected by this.