Graveney Post Reply

[Annabel (admin)]

Large (1,920) mixed and much sought after comprehensive, located in Welham Road, Tooting. It was formed by the merger of two grammar schools and two comps and still prides itself on above average results. Very bright children are put into the ‘extension’. Graveney leavers get into good universities, between 5 and 10 to Oxbridge. There’s a lot of emphasis on academic achievement and while the children seem largely happy, some parents warn that there isn’t enough focus on extra-curricular activities, e.g sport. Competition for places is fierce – we’ve heard of parents renting houses practically on top of the school to ensure they meet the ever shrinking catchment area requirements. The only other way to get in is via the Wandsworth Year 6 Test (verbal and non-verbal reasoning), and by giving it high priority on the Wandsworth Schools application form. No interview. 11-18.

www.graveney.org

[campxyz]

from experience, it seems that the only way to get in is to live in the school grounds and have 8 siblings in school already!
the problem with the test is that no matter how hard your child crams for them, it's very much an on-the-day performance. and there's a knack to the test, but if your child doesn't get it, that's it...
the school does not take into account the child's skills, extra-curricular abilities, personality etc. which would show them the whole package a child has to offer, which is a great shame.
i found the whole process ridiculous quite frankly. coming from the continent, where there would be 4 or 5 mixed schools to choose from, i found graveney the only mixed school in our local area.
we live within walking distance, which you think would make it our school automatically, but we only got on the waiting list and were offered a school miles away instead!
we were very lucky in being able to (just about) afford going private, but i feel for those who want the best for their child but can't..

[SWMum]

Hi, sorry but it's not true to say it's only on how they do in the Wandsworth schools test. That is the way you get in if you don't live in the catchment area. If you live in the catchment area (which admittedly is very small) you get in. The siblings policy is changing I believe. Basically if you don't live in the catchment area, but you put Graveney no 1 on the list and your child gets 98% or higher in the Wandsworth Schools Test then your child should get in. I'm speaking as the aunt of two children who are at Graveney and got in on distance.

It doesn't take into account their extra-curricular activities because it is a comprehensive school and is supposed to be accessible for everyone.

But I totally agree that the Wandsworth Schools Test is a farce. My son who is very bright and passed the entrance exam for two leading private plus two grammar (including one of the top boys' schools in the country) only got 89% on the Wandsworth Schools Test. It's very much how they perform on the day. Complete nonsense.

[mims]

this is misleading - Graveney only offers 25% of its places to children who pass the test - as far as I remember last year it was the top 66 scores, regardless of distance, some of those children would also have got in because of proximity to the school

A few years ago the proportion of children admitted via the test was higher, but successful lobbying by local people reduced the proportion, and from now on siblings of children who got in on test results will only be admitted if they also got in on distance, so the catchment area will be slightly larger

I'd just like to put in a plea that people think twice before parachuting in from Balham and surrounding areas, renting a house next door to the school for a few months and then disappearing again as soon as the school allocations are announced - this makes it impossible for many local children who've lived here all their lives to get a place at their local school

[mims]

however, the children in care, siblings, statements etc don't take up that many places - well, siblings sometimes do but from now on it won't be as many as before as only siblings of those who got in on distance will be allowed priority

pupils living near the school don't have to pass the test at all - there are 4 streams in the school and only one is for the academic high flyers - I can assure you that the kids in the support stream would be hard-pressed to get 50% on the test let alone 98%

there are no feeder schools - my kids go/went to one of the two local primaries, but obviously as the primaries take local children, many of their pupils are also in the catchment area for Graveney

last year kids living in Penwortham Road got in on distance so presumably the circle went round at least that far north, west and east - basically if you are living within a half-mile radius your children should get in - and if you're not, then you should be applying for a school that's local to you

[tintin]

The catchment area for Graveney school, 2 and 4 years ago, was 0.38miles and 0.42miles respectively, so don't know why your ex collegue's children we not given a place whilst living on Welham Road. Sounds a bit fishy to me...

[tootingdad]

This debate is pointless. The admissions criteria are clear and are found at:

http://www.graveney.org/dvportal.aspx?targetportal=17

In summary:

63 Category 1 "general ability" places at Graveney are subject to the Wandsworth test. To get one of these our child can be living anywhere but needs to get a very high score. In the extremely unlikely scenario that any of these places were not filled they are then added to Category 2.

187 Category 2 places are subject to adoption/fostering issues, siblings at the school, medical issues and then location, in that order. In other words a huge block of places, many of which are taken up by siblings. But it also leaves some places for people living near the school, hence the fact there is a catchment area - it is just very small.

As for living on Welham Road, it depends which end you are. The site clearly specifies: "The distance is measured from the applicant’s home to the gates of Lower School, Welham Road, using the shortest route along a recognised public highway." Welham Road is blocked halfway, so presumably houses on the Western side are in the catchment area plus some houses on Chillerton, Crowborough, etc and those on the East side of Furzedown (inc East end of Welham Road) are not in?

[mumble]

oh is it shortest route or shortest walking route?
then you have to get the council to define exactly what they mean by walking route

(I have no interest in applying for Graveney just have personal experience of Wandsworth picking and choosing exactly what that means to suit themselves!!!)