My daughter has just started at reception and she's in the Forthbridge Road class. For this year, the school decided that as of June 30th, whoever had been offered places 91-120 on the offer list (with offers made on the basis of the usual Wandsworth criteria) would be allocated to the Forthbridge Road class. No other factors were taken into consideration and as parents, we were give no choice in the matter - i.e. you accept the Forthbridge Road place or you reject it and then have no school place at all!
However, as I understand it, the basis for determining offers to the FR reception class next year is as yet undecided. As existing FR parents, we have been assured that siblings will get priority of places on the new site, but that's the extent of the criteria as yet. I think the school and the council are currently in consultation on how to manage the offers for the split site on an ongoing basis and, one would hope, will have come up with some intelligent solution by the time parents are applying for reception places next year. It's all a bit of a minefield at the moment but as I hear anything I will pass on any info.

Hi, if I understand correctly Belleville has already expanded by adding an extras reception class. They've kept the extra class on site so far but will move the extra classes to the Forthbridge Road next September (2011). So any effect the extra class will have on catchment area has already happened.
I actually just rang Wandsworth admissions earlier in the week as Belleville is our closest primary school and my daughter will be starting school next September. They told me that the catchment area this year was 488 metres on offer day and extended to 710 metres by the 31st of July.
What I'm not completely clear on is how they decide exactly who will remain in reception at the Belleville Road site and who will go to the Forthbridge Road site.

Does anyone have any idea how the expansion of Belleville School will imapct the admissions? Any clue on how it will extend the catchment area?

Thanks for the info. SW Mum. Honeywell school and Belleville school catchment areas are issues that we are often asked about so thanks for the info.

I rang Wandsworth Council this morning to check this out.

Basically there is no such thing as a 'catchment' area, because they're state schools they have to be seen to being fair to everyone - they're very adamant about this. So places are awarded in the following order: 1. siblings and 2. distance from school. Both schools offer 90 places.

So, in 2008, all those with siblings at the schools got in (for admission in Sept 2008). Then they kept offering places in order of proximity to the school until all the places were taken. In 2008 the furthest anyone lived from Belleville who got in was 500m (half a mile) and for Honeywell it was 455m.

They don't yet know how far the distance will go for this year - because it all depends on how many people apply with siblings at the school. Once those places are gone, the remaining places are awarded in order of proximity to the school. Obviously though the closer you live to the school, the better your chances of getting a place. Hope that helps!

Hi
Does anyone know how far the catchment area is for Honeywell school and Belleville School? I've got a friend on Manchuria road who seemed to think Belleville school wasn't reaching up as far as them now and someone else has mentioned that Honeywell school is siblings only now???

That would not be good news!



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