Secondary school applications 2017

[Renata Hamvas]

I thought I would start a thread on this.

Please check when the open days are happening for your local schools. Haberdasher's Aske have their open day today and St Thomas the Apostle tomorrow morning.

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200290/secondary_school_admissions/2351/secondary_schools_open_days_and_evenings

https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/education/schools/school-admission/applying-to-start-secondary-school/Documents/ApplyingToStartSecondarySchool2016-17.pdf

https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Secondary-schools-brochure-2017-updated-web.pdf

It is work going to look if your children are in year 5 and taking your children along to a shortlist in year 6. Please ensure you apply on-time and I strongly advise to use all your 6 choices and put them in your true order of preference. It is OK to have a couple of long shots that you have quite a slim chance to get into (eg if you are on the edge of previous years last distance offered) but please do have some that you have a realistic/good chance to get into in your 6! Look at their admissions criteria and be aware that there may be supplementary forms to be submitted earlier than the submission closing date ( particularly for entry under a school's specialism such as music or sport). Schools do not know which order you place them in. You will be offered the highest ranking school on your list that you have met the admissions criteria for. You will be automatically be placed on the waiting list for any higher ranking schools for which you couldn't be offered a place for on offer day. If you are not successful in securing a place at a school of your choice, Southwark (or the LA of your residence) will allocate you a place. This is why it is important that you use all your choices and do so wisely. A 4,5 or 6th choice school of your choice is usually more desirable than one allocated to you by the local authority.

It's worth looking at schools outside the ED area. In recent years parents have secured places at St Thomas the Apostle (boys) in Nunhead on distance rather than faith and places at Deptford Green (mixed)in New Cross have been allocated to ED parents on distance. The 120 places at Charter ED will be offered via the CAF system this year. This is likely to mean that generally initial offers may stretch a bit further out from schools than least year, but that there is likely to be less movement on waiting lists as there will not be parents holding 2 offers for local state schools.

Good luck everybody!

Renata

[Botanical]

My Son and I attended the open morning at St Thomas the Apostle this morning and I must say I am blown away by the place. The school is an oasis of calm. The boys were impecably behaved and the facilities amazing. The head teacher was an inspiration too. I had no idea they outperformed all other Southwark secondaries this year. It's definitely going top of our list. Thanks OP for bringing it to my attention.

[cactus]

I agree re St Thomas the Apostle, we looked around last year and loved the school, especially the on-site swimming pool!

Ended up choosing a mixed school - Elmgreen in Lambeth, which is worth a look if you live around the East Dulwich Station area of SE22.

[JJ00501]

I am concerned I have missed the opportunity for my child to sit the music and sports assessments at Kingsdale. I understand the invitations for these tests were sent out this week. We have a date in the diary next week to visit the school and having checked the website I now realise we needed to apply before visiting.

I'm desperately hoping we can still be included and will be calling the school first thing, but if anyone had any experience or advice I would be very grateful.

[Lmcg46]

JJ00501 - According to the form, it has to be submitted before 12th October but I believe it has to be delivered directly to the school. Last year they had desks set up at the open days to manage just the scholarship applications. I think they may just be getting ahead of themselves with early assessments given the number of applications they get.

[emc]

Don't worry 12th October is cut off for scholarship places, definitely

[dontpanic]

Also wanted to note the Norwood School - visited last week and had a really good vibe. It has a visual arts, music and performing arts bursary that is associated with a place and also lots of added value opportunities.

[littlek1cker]

For anyone interested in applying to Charter ED this year, you may find it useful to know that last year the furthest offer we made based on distance was 1.3km from the end of Jarvis Road. This excludes offers made based on other criteria such as Looked After Children. It is very hard to predict what it will be this year, so please do not be put off if you are a bit further away. As Renata says in the original post, initial offers are likely to be further out than last year but we are likely to not go as far down the waiting list, because we were not on the CAF last year.

---

Simon Tucker

Chair of Governors

The Charter School East Dulwich

[LondonMix]

Simon- was that distance first round offers or final distance after movement on the waiting list? Also, last year wsa their a full class intake? For some reason I thought that until the school was built, the number of forms being accepted was below the final intended capacity but I might be totally off base with that.

Thanks,

LM

[littlek1cker]

Hi LondonMix,

That was final distance after movement on the waiting list. On intake you are right. Last year our intake was 120 and we were oversubscribed. This year our intake will also be 120 because we are still in our temporary accommodation, but our final intended capacity is 240.

LondonMix Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Simon- was that distance first round offers or

> final distance after movement on the waiting list?

> Also, last year wsa their a full class intake?

> For some reason I thought that until the school

> was built, the number of forms being accepted was

> below the final intended capacity but I might be

> totally off base with that.

>

> Thanks,

>

> LM