Tooting Primary School Post Reply

[Cloud]

Does anyone with a child in the September 2013 intake have any feedback on Tooting Primary School? I attended an open morning but didn't find it that informative and would be interested to hear parents' experiences so far (acknowledging that it is still early days). Thanks!

[JThomas]

Can't help I'm afraid but interested to know if it was an open day this year or last?

Thanks

[Cupcakesw12]

Hi,

we have friends whose child has just started (they are somewhat indifferent at the moment) and we attended the open morning too today to see for ourselves. Must say we left a little underwhelmed, the two reception rooms were very small and we were trying hard to identify who the Teachers were and who the TA's were.

If I am right, the after school clubs haven't really got up and running yet, but it is early.

Can't put my finger on it, but we left with more questions than we had when we arrived. That sort of Open Morning!!

[Cloud]

Thanks cupcakesw12 - do your friends have any opinion on the headteacher or the reception teachers? I didn't mind the premises/classrooms that much (or at least, they were ok compared to other local schools I have visited) but I just didn't really get a feel for the teaching. It's hard to see when there is only one year group and term has only been going on for a few weeks. I also couldn't tell who was a teacher/teaching assistant. And do you know how wide the catchment area is likely to be? We live more than 1 km away, I just don't know whether it us realistic to put it down as a choice. Sorry, so many questions which you are probably asking too!

[Cupcakesw12]

Hi,

from our friends, we have learnt that other parents are extremely pleased to have got a place at the school (they are full), which is probably due to the notion that it may feed into Graveney later on (there maybe some logic behind this as if you read the booklet they gave us, it clearly shows that the surrounding 4-5 primary schools were not full this year at reception, so why such confidence in a new school, very X-Files!!)

It is far too early to comment on the "teaching" but as we found out during our visit to Fircroft, we have been informed that a lot is done by TAs and Volunteers...

Distances I learnt today are around the 500m mark based on this years admissions, which counts us out too as we are at the 1000m mark.

We are now focused on the schools between Balham and Tooting Bec Tube

[hjm]

We also attended this morning and I think left feeling more positive than others who have posted. I really liked it, more than Rutherford in fact. One of the reasons is that I think the head teacher is more realistic about budgets etc. The head teacher at Rutherford told us she is going to have a class teacher and two TAs per class, but when we asked how she is going to fund it with the same budget as every other state school she didn't give a good answer. David Milligan seemed more realistic, perhaps because he has run a state school before, whereas Gina Nicolson has not. He also made a good point that as they are linked with Graveney they can share resources such as minibuses etc, which is obviously a big cost saving.

Can I ask where the 500m distance comes from? The Wandsworth Council brochure says that last year all applicants were offered a place. We are probably 1500m away but I was going to apply anyway as I figured that if al applicants got a place last year I'd stand a good chance this year.

[LauraBrown]

I phoned WBC on the day primary offers were made last year and at that stage the last place had been given to someone 9pm away.

I have a friend with a daughter there who is very happy with it.

[LauraBrown]

9km I meant!

[hjm]

Ha, I was a bit confused for a second! Yes, that's why I'm wondering where the 500m comes from. My understanding was that last year's catchment was very large.

[Cupcakesw12]

HJM, we were told that figure by a member of staff who was there who we approached to specifically ask what the distances were from last years applicants...

Good luck with your application, funny how we had the similar experience of Rutherford where we were told by the deputy head that the ratio for teacher/TA to pupil would be 1:4...we did not have the heart to ask her how they were going to fund it, we just left in a hurry!

[hjm]

If I get time tomorrow I will call the Council to check, but the brochure and what the school is saying seem to conflict. Perhaps they are trying to send us all into a state of panic so that we put it as first choice! This whole school application thing is horribly confusing and stressful.

[LauraBrown]

Here is the full list of admissions distances provided to another local website (hope that's ok to link to Annabel!):

http://www.madeformums.com/forum/everyt ... 24061.html

It confirms the 9km

[hjm]

The distances on that website definitely tie in with the council's brochure with regard to Honeywell & Belleville, so I can only assume it's also correct for Tooting. I wonder where the member of staff got the information from? Worrying!

Also, someone made a comment about Tooting primary feeding in to Graveney. I had the same thought, so as I am a big geek I read the Graveney admissions policy. Basically 3/4 of the places are given to those living closest to the school and 1/4 based on results of the entrance exam. There is no mention of any preferential treatment for Tooting Primary kids, I suppose this might change once the Tooting Primary children get closer to senior school age, but likely not.

[hjm]

Also, the figures on this website are for distances for offers, not applications. Just because someone from 9km was offered a place does not mean it was one of their preferences. If you don't get any of your 6 choices you get whatever's leftover. Given that the Council's brochure says all applicants were offered a place it would seem that everyone who put it down as 1-6 got offered (if they weren't offered something higher up their list) and then they offered it to others who didn't get in to one of their preferences. Basically I think the member of staff is talking nonsense. 500m may be aspiration all but it's not the reality today.

[LauraBrown]

I am a total local education geek! The history of Graveney admissions arrangements is v interesting - selection was introduced in 1994/5 I think and since then there have been loads of challenges and appeals to change the rules. It used to be 50% selective places before local parents challenged on the grounds that they should have reasonable expectations of getting into their nearest school.

So, I think it would be tough to change the rules to favour Tooting Primary School as it is actually at least half a mile away from Graveney itself - a pretty large distance in crazily small admissions distance world. So, to favour TPS would mean probably reducing the places for children immediately next to the school which I think would be hard to justify.

Although I don't know whether Graveney's being an academy would make it easier... Nonetheless, I think they'd have to 'consult' the local community and it could get VERY messy! I will be watching with great interest... (and I live more than a mile away from Graveney so no personal axe to grind.)