Secondary School Allocations 2013

[Renata Hamvas]

Good luck to everyone waiting to hear about their secondary school application later today.

Prelimimary data for Southwark Residents is:

93% have been offered one of their CAF choices

All on time Southwark residing applicants have been offered a place for September 2013

2,442 (97.6%) online applications received - a 41.5% increase on last year's figures!

Total of 2,500 on time applications were received, 64 more applicants than last year

1,468 (58.7%) offered their first preference school a 2.8% increase on last year's figures 1,362 (55.9%)

2,327 (93.0%) offered one of their preferences - 2.2% increase on last year's figures

173 (6.92%) families were allocated a school, fewer than last year - 195 (8%)

As a result of the online admissions success, an additional 47 applications received after the closing date have already been processed. These late applicant families will be sent their offer letter in the first week of March, as opposed to previous years when families would have to wait several weeks after offer day to receive an offer of a school place for their child. Please note that these late applications have not been included in the data above.

Applicants will go onto the waiting list of schools above the one they have been offered from their preference list (or all if allocated a school). There is typically quite alot of movement on lists between now and September.

If you need assistance or want advice, Liam White is the School Preference Advisor. [email protected]

I don't yet have the details of his drop in sessions, but I will post these once they are available.

I am always happy to be of assistance too (contact details below). My fellow Ward Councillor, Gavin Edwards will be holding tomorrow evening's surgery at Rye Hill TRA Hall, on Peckham Rye East 6.30-7.30pm and I will be doing one at East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Rd at 10-11am on Saturday 9th March.

Renata

[James Barber]

Thanks for that Renata.

For East Dulwich ward parents - if you need any help or support around secondary admissions (or any other issue) please either call or email me or one of my colleagues:

James Barber [email protected] 07900 227366

Jonathan Mitchell [email protected] 07903 967911

Rosie Shimell [email protected] 020 7525 3488

We're available for home visits and have reserved time over this weekend and next week specifically for this.

NB. Liam White is on holiday today but available from Monday.

[mrs.lotte]

So often the statistics don't seem to match the local experience but as there are no posts from distraught parents does that mean that most people in ED got into a secondary school that they are happy with?

A good friend of mine did not get a school of her choice for her daughter so I know that there is not universal satisfaction but am keen to know which schools local people are securing places in (for now at least, if the sudden expansion of need for primary school places 4 years ago is anything to go by the problems are yet to come and I remain interested in what, if anything, is being done to prepare for it)

[Cora]

I've never known such a quiet thread on such a big issue!....interested to know where people were offered that weren't on their choices...

[DenmotherSmith]

We received our first choice and of those I've heard from seven received their first choice and one their third! So unusual, last year so many seemed not to get their first choice. Sydenham girls, Kingsdale and Harris Boys were the first choices.

[Cora]

Great, maybe this year something has gone right!

[boleto]

Seems like we were the lucky 7% who didn't get any of our choices including Kingsdale, Charter and Harris Girls. Offered Peckham Academy instead.

[Cora]

Peckham Academy seems to be the one being offered this year (although it does have a good with outstanding features ofsted)......you will be on waiting lists though and there's a lot of movement...would have thought you would at least be in with a chance of Harris girls?...

[Carbonara]

Sorry to hear that boleto. Is Peckham Academy your nearest school? Did you feel confident that you could get one of your preferences on distance or other criteria?

If you live very close to the 'last distance' for Charter and Harris, you may be very very close to the top of the waiting list. Lots of places come up at Kingsdale, too, as all the acceptances and refusals come through.

And remember that you can go on the waiting list for any school, not just the ones on your original list.

Might you have any grounds for appeal to any of your preferred schools?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Boleto,

am I correct in thinking that you moved into the area after the closing date for applications ie 31st October? Banding tests were sat at most schools in November and December. None of the secondary schools are under Southwark's control, they all set their own admissions policies. Most of them use some form of banding test and then take those who best fit their admissions criteria with a certain split in numbers between their bands. Kingsdale do banding plus lottery and Harris Girl's, banding plus distance. If your daughter didn't sit the banding tests, she would have been placed behind everyone in the rank order. This is also for the waiting list. Charter is different in that they go on safe walking route to school and doing their banding test in early summer, after place allocation. If you are too far from Charter and didn't sit the tests for the other schools you applied for this would explain why you were allocated a place at a school with vacancies. Depending on where you are on the waiting list, you may get a place at Charter once there is movement on the waiting list (after 15th March), an alternative would be to apply to the new Academy in Camberwell, ARC All Saints Academy, that is opening this September, selects on distance and banding isn't mentioned on their website. This may be closer to you than Academy@Peckham if you live near Charter. If ll Saints is of interest to you, you would need to apply for this via Southwark.

I will be having a surgery on Saturday 10-11am at East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Rd SE22.

Below are details of drop-in sessions for parents who are unhappy with their secondary school allocation, being held by the School Preference Advisor, Liam White

Renata

SPA Secondary Transfer 2013

Post-Offer Advice Session

Would you like to discuss your child??s secondary school offer?

The School Preference Advisor is on hand to offer independent, impartial

support and advice to parents and carers concerning the school admissions

process.

The Southwark Learning and Business Centre, Cator

Street, Peckham, SE15 6AA.

Commencing: 6th ?C 15th March 2013 inc (weekdays)

Time: 9:30am - 12:50pm and 1:50pm ?C 3:30pm.

?? The School Preference Adviser is part of Southwark Parent Partnership, an arms

length service funded by Southwark Council.

?? 20 minute slots will be available on a first come first served basis.

?? Please note this is a parent only event; There are no childcare facilities.

?? Parents are asked to sign in on arrival and complete the SPA referral form before

the discussion begins.

Alternatively you can contact

Southwark Parent Partnership ?C Liam White (SPA)

Tel: 0207 525 5211 Email: [email protected]

www.southwarkparentpartnership.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter:

@SchoolprefLiam

[chuff]

We were given our first choice (Charter) and all the other parents i've asked were given first choice too.

[boleto]

Thanks for the feedback on our case, which is slightly irregular because of when we moved to the borough. My child did sit the banding test for Kingsdale but not Harris which probably explains why we didn't get a place despite our proximity. Not sure how we missed that banding test though Southwark was providing the schools with an incorrect address for us for a time. HOwever we stand a good chance of getting a place at Harris as our older child's there so we're not too concerned at this stage.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Boleto,

I would suggest you contact Harris Girl's and explain the situation, and make sure they are aware of the sibling link (when you filled out your forms, was younr elder daughter already there?). If you need any assistance don't hesistate to contact me.

Renata

[Vik]

Would be interseted to know what roads people live on aswell as what school places they were offered.

[hazelnunhead]

Renata, could I ask you (out of interest) if there information that can be accessed to show where primary children (from which schools) got to which secondary schools. I would be interested to know the schools, and range that children within the area access. Is this sort of information available?

Thanks

[mumof3girlies]

It seems most of my daughter's fellow pupils got their 1st or 2nd choice, we got our first choice - Sydenham Girls, my daughter is delighted as very luckily it was her favourite school as well as ours.

Her school friends all live around Goose Green - She goes to St Johns and St Clements and the most commonly featured schools are Kingsdale, Harris Boys, Charter, Harris Girls, Forest Hill Boys and Sydenham Girls, a handful going to Haberdashers on music and a few going to independant schools.

In the main I haven't heard of anyone who has not got either 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice. I have no idea whether this has anything to do with the notion that 2001/02 was supposed to be a low birth rate year...?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Vik, this in reality is not very helpful to parents as most schools have a banding system. Last place offered distances can be very different between bands (eg many SEN applicants may fall into one band, reducing the last place offered distance within that band). Also, siblings also have a major impact on last place offered distances. Additionally some schools operate a lottery system eg Kingsdale. Also secondary is affected by other factors eg do you prefer mixed or single sexed, what is your child good at etc. The only two schools I can think of it could be useful for is Charter or ARC All Saint's Academy in Camberwell as they go by distance without banding.

Hi Hazel, I've never seen such a breakdown. Your primary head would know for that particular school. I know for Ivydale last year, Deptford Green was the most popular secondary destination. From what I've gathered in general for Nunhead, boys- Harris, Forest Hill (if close enough, maybe waiting list), St Thomas the Apostle; Girl's-Harris, Prendergast (if close enough, maybe waiting list), Sydenham Girls. Mixed, Deptford Green, Haberdashers Askes, Kingsdale. Also Kent and Bexley Grammars from Nunhead Station. Additionally, some going to St Michael's in Bermondsey and Coloma/St Philomena's/John Fisher etc via train from Brockley or HOP.

Hi mumof3girlies

Nationally 2001/2002 had a dip in the birthrate, however, the number of applicants in Southwark was up by 3% from last year. There was an increase in the number of places available in Southwark due to the opening of ARC All Saint's Academy in Camberwell (120 extra places). This was on the site of St Michael's and All Angels Academy that was closed by Southwark in 2010 (The council moved all the younger pupils to other local schools). I think this has had a bit of a knock on effect, but I think it's also to do with parents being more savvy and being aware that schools don't know where you place them on your CAF form and also checking admissions criteria before they fill their forms in. Also, parents are putting a variety of schools down in their top choices (you mention 7 schools plus independants!)

Renata