Can anyone living in Battersea area comment on Chesterton, Brandlehow and Heathbrook primary schools? Is there one that you would rate above the other? Any experienced parents' opinion is much appreciated.

This happens a lot when you are in an area with outstanding schools. We were rejected by the three closest schools and were assigned one a mile away! Quite unfair, but a fact of life! We decided to go private.

Come along to the Independent Schools Show this weekend and get your waiting list questions answered!

You can speak to heads and key admissions of over 200 schools. We also have two educational theatres with leading experts discussing topics such as 'how the senior school admissions process works', 'choosing a prep school' and 'nursery,pre-prep and prep explained'.

Tickets are FREE to everyone who registers in advance. Visit www.schoolsshow.co.uk for further info and to get your tickets.

We hope to see you there!

HI all, I wondered whether you would mind sharing an update on whether you managed to get either of the schools you were on the waiting lists for? My daughter will be starting reception in 2018 (so we're applying now) and we're currently only just in the catchment for HC and Ravenstone but I'm very worried by next year we will be out of both. Therefore I just wanted to understand how likely it is that people get places when they're on the waiting list. Appreciate every year changes but just trying to prepare myself! Also any advice you may have with regards to waiting lists, communication with the schools etc. Thank you!

No still not got a place at either... number 2 on the list at Telferscot right now and 8 for HC (down from 12 last week so some late movement there). Very frustrating being so close. We're still hoping for some late movement this month as kids don't turn up at various places, and some potentially shift around. Not holding my breath though.

Yes the council use their own system to measure distance. Not sure how they do it but it isn't the same as Google maps - they use a central nodal point in the school and then some sort of central nodal point at your property (not your front door)

SouthLondonDaddy - for the exact distance you need to ask the council (by email I think, they reply quickly). I think the results can be quite different between the council's system and googlemaps.

Bobityboo - couldn't agree more with you re. how everyone blocks everyone else! The private schools are pretty awful as well, as the less desirable the school, the earlier you have to pay the deposit (generally, not sure if in all cases). Unfair for everyone IMO (except for the private schools that get to keep deposits for no effort...)

BalhamDaddy wrote: we would have got into Telferscot comfortably in each of the last 4 years (340 metres away)

What has happened in the end? Did your child get a place?

Also, may I ask how you determined the 340 metres? Google maps straight line, or did you ask the council? I have always wondered from exactly which point of the school distances are measured (hopefully the main school gate?), and how different (if at all) the results are with the council's software vs google maps.

I do think that some kind of agreed deadline and fine for state schools would help all round. But also if the private schools offered %rebate on deposits for letting unwanted places go it would help the state school place shuffle too.

In our case we are out of catchment for any state school we would consider sending our kids to, so we knew for the last 4 years we'd be looking at private education for our kids.
In our experience we only just got offered a place at a private school we wanted for reception 2017 having been on a wait list since 2013.

In around sept the year before entry one of the local private schools starts the ball rolling and offers places and the lucky few get to put 2.5k down to secure a place for the next academic year. A month later school two does same - those are non selectie schools so if you've paid a deposit your kid gets in no matter what / nice to have in your back pocket if you can afford it.

Next up is the selective schools starting assessments of 3/4 year olds in November/Dec and finishing up by March - places offered and 3k paid. People may now have two or more offers of places for their kid. Obv in the mean time anyone in catchment for state schools apply via the state system so they find out in April where they are in the big state school place shuffle...and everyone blocks everyone else:

There is no financial benefit for parents who've paid private school deposit to tell the private school they aren't attending (non-refundable deposits) and because of that not every private place that is 'available' is offered.

So we have two entrance systems blocking each other's lists: private schools offer no incentive to free up unwanted place, parents waiting on a private place at preferred school blocking a state place that they're using as a place holder until they get the private place, undecided parents waiting until Sept before they tell either or in some cases multiple schools they aren't taking the places they've been offered.

The stress of not knowing where you kid is going/not being able to prepare them as you don't know where they're going is huge and something it feels like we could change with a small shake up in the processes.

Edit: I'm sure people with far bigger brains than I have thought of all this before!

Hi BalhamDaddy,

Thanks for the detailed response - that is really useful information.

We are on the waiting list for Telferscot too (but quite down the list). I can see why parents hold onto a place even when they are planning to go private, but there should be a cut off date (and a fine) 1 or 2 weeks before term starts.

I wish you the very best of luck! Keep us updated on how it goes.

Thanks

Unfortunately the process doesn't get better for secondary school. The people that hold onto places and don't let the the school know that their sprog won't be attending should be fined. Selfish and entitled!

Hi MangoKit,

Apparently 14 people got places from the wait list for HC last year between April and October, so it's not impossible. Also, not all the people above you on the list will necessarily take a place at HC. Some of them might already be intending to take a private place, or moving home, or actually have another school above HC on their preference list (e.g. Telferscot) etc. Basically it's not necessarily 14 places that need to come up for you to get offered one.

For example, those 2 places you moved up I'm fairly sure were because two kids got given places on at Telferscot and were then removed from the HC list. There is loads of cross over between those two lists as they're close together. I'm a case in point. I've also met a contact through here who is number 1 on the list for HC and number 2 on the list for Telferscot. As soon as they get given a place at their first choice they get taken off both lists.

Nothing can be guaranteed though as each year is different. I'd expect that most of the movement (if there is any) will come towards the end of summer/September. Lots of parents hold onto places at state schools just in case of a change of circumstance, but then end up sending them to private schools they've got a place for. Apparently kids just not turning up on the first day of term is quite a regular occurrence.

Are you on any other waiting lists? What school have you been given?

I don't know about those exact schools bt had a friend on the waiting list for Rutherford a couple of years ago which had been her no.! school & she got a place after about a month or less when she'd been about 13th on the waiting list. I assume other people too are on waiting lists for others so making you wait for their place ... if that makes sense.

Hi BalhamDaddy,

We were 17th on the waiting list for Henry Cavendish Balham and have now moved to 15th. I am doubtful we will be offered a place in the end. 14 parents would have to say no before we would be offered a place. Do you know how far down the waiting list people were offered a place in the past few years?

Just as an update, we're currently number 15 on the list for Henry Cav and number 8 on the list for Telferscot (having moved up 3 places in the past week).

Got fingers crossed but think it's going to be touch and go whether we get a place at either.

Any others out there in similar situations?

Hi Batterseamummy, I sent you a PM. Wondered how far outside the initial catchment area you were and what number on the waiting list you were?

Headshrinker - no you can apply to schools in both boroughs. I also had Alderbrook on my list (Wandsworth).