Secondary Transfer Meeting Monday 16/7/18

Common System to coordinate entry This is the twelth year of a PAN London system introduced to make the process fairer and easier to manage. It does not change the process for deciding whether a child is admitted to a particular school Ensures that only one offer is made to a child

The Process…. Year 6 pupils no longer receive a Common Application Form (CAF) in September – all online Lewisham residents fill a Lewisham form (you may include schools from other boroughs) Greenwich residents fill a Greenwich form (you may include schools from other boroughs) Fill out the form for the borough where you pay your Council Tax Local Authorities are encouraging parents / carers to use their online application system rather than the form

The Process….. Meeting with SLT in Sept / October to discuss choices If selective schools then best to make appointment after Monday 17th October so we know for certain whether some pupils have passed selective tests. Completed forms deadline 31st October 2018 Make sure supplementary forms are filled in e.g. forms for Church schools etc

The process cont…. Lewisham writes to Lewisham residents to confirm schools applied for – late November Mid December - last date for accepting any applications from those who have changed address since 31 Oct 2018 National Offer day March 1st 2019 ( posted out) Letters with offers hit the mats on 2nd March 2019 If registered online you will receive an email on the evening of 1 March 2019 informing you of the place offered Any late forms received after Mid December will not be considered until after 1st March 2019.

The process cont…. Parents must return acceptance slip for the place offered to their home authority by mid March 2019 (Thursday 22nd March 2018) The school will receive notification of all Lewisham residents applications in November 2018. If you are Lewisham resident and haven't applied, the school will contact you. We won’t know for any out of borough residents. All appeal hearings are usually held in June 2019

How do I choose? Do your research. Visit schools at different times of day without your child. Select a limited number for your child to visit with you. Are the pupils motivated? Are you allowed to speak to pupils? Can you ‘feel’ the ethos ? What do they say about the school? Look at subjects offered at examination levels Look at the journey - could your child cope? Go with your ‘gut’ feeling not playground banter! Do not put your child under too much pressure - not too many tests or visits

Select a school that historically has covered your home address If none of the schools can offer a place then your borough will have to find a school. This is likely to be a school which has been unable to fill their places Preferences cannot be changed once the CAF has been submitted Preferences do not guarantee places

Admissions criteria What we know: For applications to a Lewisham secondary school the general admissions criteria will be used ie Pupils in the care of the LA Complex SEN / medical / social needs Siblings Distance from front door - Distance is from door of school to door of house in a straight line! There will be no banding for applications to Lewisham secondary schools for residents in any borough

Last year’s offers, applications and appeals Check out back of the Lewisham booklet. You will have a copy from us (by end of term) or you can find these in the admissions sections of the LA websites. Tells you how far out the offers were made for each band and appeals for each school that had them You will find the same info for Greenwich schools in their booklet on their website

The form / CAF - which Schools? Up to 6 schools can be entered in order of preference. Used for all state schools whether they are selective or not Your most preferred school must be put as choice 1 Be realistic in choice

The admission criteria is applied to all of your choices You get a place in the highest preferred school where you meet the criteria and they have a place

Preference School 1 Bexley Grammar 2 Conisborough 3 HAKA 4 Trinity 5 Sedgehill 6 Eltham Hill

NEVER JUST SELECT ONE SCHOOL!!! If you don’t get this school you will wait until all other offers are made and then get what is left!

Grammars – read the small print Passing the test is the first hurdle. Once a child is deemed selective then they still have to meet the criteria i.e. distance from the front door Only in the super selectives such as Newstead Woods and St Olave’s does passing the test mean that the children are guaranteed a place

HELP!!!! The SLT will write to you re an appointment system with us in September / October. They will run a drop-in surgery should you need support to complete the form and submit it online in September / October .

Best to apply online www.eadmissions.org.uk/eAdmissions/app