Some questions on applying to both Wandsworth and Lambeth schools Post Reply

[SouthLondonDaddy]

Let’s say we manage to move near Balham and decide to apply to both Wandsworth and Lambeth primary schools. Can anyone help clarify these points?

I understand that councils cannot discriminate in favour of their own residents. E.g. if a Wandsworth resident lives closer to Henry Cavendish (a Lambeth school) than a Lambeth resident, the Wandsworth family gets allocated a place first. Is this correct?

Do you apply to your own council or to both councils separately?
I think you have to apply through your council (from the Wandsworth booklet: Parents/carers only need to complete one Common Application Form (CAF) via their home Local Authority to apply for up to six schools anywhere in London that is not fee-paying.). Is this correct?
If it is, what do you do when the two councils have different processes? For example, going through the admission booklets, I understand that Wandsworth wants proofs of address after a place has been offered, whereas Lambeth wants you to upload a copy of the proofs of address when applying. What do you do in these cases?
If instead you apply to both councils separately, does that mean that you can theoretically apply to more than 6 schools? I imagine not.

The admission criteria depend on the school, not on the council where applicants live. Is this correct? For example: Wandsworth has the 800-metre sibling rule, Lambeth doesn’t. This means that Lambeth residents applying to a Wandsworth school will be subject to it, while Wandsworth residents applying to a Lambeth school won’t. Is this right?

Thanks!

[Goldhawk]

There is one application process - online
You will get offered one school
You have read the booklets it's all quite straightforward

Each school has a different set of admissions criteria
Religion/distance/siblings/boundaries/score on the test/date you were baptised/etc

Your child isn't even at primary school yet, assuming you have a child and is not just a figment of your imagination
You post enough on here and mumsnet to suggest that at the most you only work part time

Perhaps you should explore some other interests rather than obsessing about where to live / schooling etc
By the time your child is at secondary school the good schools will all have changed

[SouthLondonDaddy]

[livegreen]

@southlondondaddy How do you choose what to have for breakfast each morning? By the time you've consulted and considered all the options do you find it's time for bed again?

[audrey]

I'm not an admission expert necessarily, but if one reads carefully the Wandsworth School Admissions booklet, it clearly says that the Councils only co-ordinate the application process, and any need for proof of address at the time of application or not, etc. would fall under their procedural rules. So, to your questions:

YES - you only apply once through your own local Home authority - so, if you fall under Wandsworth but want to apply to a Lambeth school, then you only need to complete the Wandsworth application. Usually you apply online and the e-Admissions system will not allow you to apply for more than 6 schools, regardless in which borough they are located, as it is a pan-London system. When you apply online, depending under which borough you file your application, you will need to abide by the procedural rules of that borough. So, if Lambeth requires you to upload proof of address at the time of the application, then you will need to do it then, not later.

YES - if a Wandsworth resident lives closer to Henry Cavendish (a Lambeth school) than a Lambeth resident, the Wandsworth family gets allocated a place first. See also answer to Question #7 in FAQ in the Wandsworth booklet for Primary Applications.

YES - regarding specific admission criteria (such as the 800-metre sibling rule), these will apply depending on which school you apply for, and not where you reside. So, if a Wandsworth school has this rule, then Lambeth and Wandsworth residents will be subject to it. If a Lambeth school does not have this rule in its admission criteria, then it will not apply to Lambeth nor Wandsworth residents.

Hope this helps. If still in doubt, it's best to check with the School Admissions team of the borough council where you reside.

[SouthLondonDaddy]

@Audrey, thank you.

@Goldhawk, @livegreen, why the vitriol?

assuming you have a child and is not just a figment of your imagination
You post enough on here and mumsnet to suggest that at the most you only work part time

Perhaps you should explore some other interests

Figment of my imagination? Guessing whether/how much I work? Recommending I explore other interests? Really?

I don’t care much about total strangers who, for reasons known to them only, feel compelled to formulate and share harsh judgments on people they don’t know the first thing about.

I would, however, like to invite the whole forum to think of what would have happened had it been a man saying these things to a woman. If a man had said something like: “Why are you asking so many questions? Does this child of yours even exist? You must either be a stay-at-home-mum or work part time, maybe you should explore other interests”.
Thoughts?

[supergirl]

A hint... when i saw this last post i raised my eyebrows and thought as he not made a decision by then? How many more posts is he going to post before buying a bloomin' house...
maybe time to jump in the deep blue... or not?

[SouthLondonDaddy]

But this post is not about asking opinions on a given area! You write as though I kept asking: “shall I move or not?”, while this is absolutely not what I have been asking. I started one (one!) thread asking for honest feedback about Balham in general, and a few other threads about very specific pieces of information (where are the playgrounds, where can one park, what are the trains like, etc.). Not sure how or why any of this could possibly bother anyone.

This thread is about the bureaucracy of school applications. What difference does it possibly make if it is started by someone who is thinking of moving, is in the process of moving, has just moved, or has been a lifetime resident?

No, we have not moved yet. We have been arranging viewings; for the record, the question is not whether we want to move (we do), but when/whether we manage to find a property we like, within our budget, and which doesn’t require too much refurbishment.

[sparkletiger]

it takes a lot of thought and research to move. Great you are using this forum to inform yourself SouthLondonDaddy.