Petition - school admission system Post Reply

[excitera]

Ok, so 4-7% siblings are not local
and assume a very small number of new intakes are people moving out more than 1000m and exploit the system via siblings route. I don't care if it is lets says another 7%. What you are telling me - that nothing can be done, but even if there only 15% non-locals in school thats 18 kids for Belleville and a bit less for Honeywell - it is worth fighting for.

[Scottov]

Ok, so 4-7% siblings are not local
and assume a very small number of new intakes are people moving out more than 1000m and exploit the system via siblings route. I don't care if it is lets says another 7%. What you are telling me - that nothing can be done, but even if there only 15% non-locals in school thats 18 kids for Belleville and a bit less for Honeywell - it is worth fighting for.

You're just being silly now.

[excitera]

Scottov, if am I silly- tell me what is the solution then?
Or is it usual "nothing can be done"? Frankly I don't understand your participation in this discussion if you are happy with everything.

[tgjiiimummy]

To go back to the original question asked. As a family who as things stand will not get a place at HW (or BV for that matter) while living less than 500m away from HW (on the old measurements) the fact that on average every year 20 places are awarded to siblings who live further away than us, does cause me concern. Quite frankly it does not seem fair that they would gain a place over my son. The same goes for people who rent to secure a place. This artificially decreases the catchment and leaves families like us with no local school provision. I appreciate others will disagree with this position, but I certainly would support a priority area, as per Beatrix Potter for example. I would also welcome the overlap between Belleville and Honeywell's catchment being addressed. I would be very happy to sign a petition to try and get some traction on this issue. I gave spoken to my local MP and she was sympathetic but said change needs to be driven by the school, however there is little appetite to do so. If any Honeywell parents would be supportive of such an area I think that could make a difference. Where do I sign

[supergirl]

For this year and 2014 there are just about enough places for all the children in wandswort if the rate stays the same (assuming nobody moves in ), as i have been told by the admissions service at the council when i discussed their projections for the future years.

The problem is because parents dont go to their local schools, dont look at other schools...

A few years ago parents would not have sent their children to BV. BV changed because if the will of few parents who thought that there was a school on their doorstep worth supporting.
This is what is happening with St Faith.
High View is a feeder of Bollingbroke AND has results that are at the exact same level as BV AND is smaller (2 forms).

Just go and see other schools with an open mind.

Wandsworth is full of great schools and great communities of parents and teachers.

[supergirl]

PS: apologies but i think you would be wasting your time with this petition has you are looking at the wrong problem from the wrong angle. But it is only my opinion of course.

[excitera]

Well, I don't think it is a waste of time.
I do not support sibling policy and it seems not right to be walking over a mile to HighView or Alderbrook, when there is a school on my doorstep and some of current students are actually closer to those schools than I am.

[juliantenniscoach]

@ KatherineHepburn. I second your point.

Here's a scenario to consider:-
Family A have a small flat within catchment area. Have first child who grows up and is able to go to say Belleville.

In time Family A have another child but given their accommodation would like more room but cannot afford a larger property within the catchment area.

So for those against sibling priority, would you think it is fair that Family A are discrimated against because they cannot afford a bigger property in the catchment area?

I'm sorry but I don't buy that one, siblings together at school is important for family development as well as logistics which can be near impossible if you have 2 or 3 children at different schools.

[excitera]

How about following scenario - both families live next door to each other in catchment area of 400m. Family A has 4 children, all of the them to Belleville, because of the rule of 1st sibling who's older than kid of family B. Family B has younger kids - and can't secure a place in Belleville - so have to pay private fees for their 3 kids, or travel 50min to some other not as good school. How is that fair?

[supergirl]

Well it is obvious excitera

But you are fighting the wrong battle so you are wasting your time and your energy, honest!

[excitera]

Judging by the amount of emails I have received today from other mums, I'm not the only - who cares. People who are happy with everything and do not want any changes - please just ignore this post. Save your energy by just ignoring if you believe that nothing can be done.

[JDMummy]

I wonder what the heads of both schools will say about the issue. Will it be more effective to do a protest outside of both schools urging for solutions to protect our local kids' rights to go to our local schools? Please! Local parents, let's do something seriously effective for our kids! Please! We don't need to tell the schools how to do it. We just need to make our voice really heard and demand for action from the school governing bodies to review their admission policy. I will be surprised to hear and very dissaponted to hear if the governing bodies of both schools tell us that there is nothing they can do or will do about the situation. We should organise a protest!

[kiwimummy]

Excellent idea. Also, since we are concerned about the effect on local families who live near a school but are frustrated to see families from further away getting a place when they as local families cannot , let's also add to the petition that the forthbridge road site should also apply its own local catchment area for families around the site.

Or does your concern at the injustice of local families not being able to go to their local school not extend this far? I doubt it.

I think you will really struggle with any changes to the admission policies. I tried to lobby for a change to another schools policy last year and was defeated by the sibling policy. By all means try, but be aware that people with children already in the school have a powerful vested interest in keeping the system as it is.

[juliantenniscoach]

@excitera - you've already answered you're own question in that the families live next door to each other in the catchment area. you're not suggesting that families within the catchment area shouldn't have sibling priority are you?


Other councils do investigate and enforce the "short term & ghost renter" issue. But that takes a change by Wandsworth and money.

[Minnie]

I completely agree with Supergirl.

This hype over BV and HW will eventually end and those not currently getting places there will have to spread out to places such as John Burns and Shaftesbury Park. These will also eventually become good schools as well.

I could start a debate on the fact that I live on Forthbridge Rd and can't get into MY local school but is Infact being offered out to the people who are currently paying £1.3 million plus for a Hpuse but what's the point!