Year 4 and 5 Secondary Transfer meeting

June 23rd 2015

Julia McCrossen, Head of SchoolMichael Roach, Executive Head teacher

Where do our Year 6 go?• Prendergast Schools• Haberdasher Askes News Cross• Trinity• Thomas Tallis• Eltham Hill• John Roan• Harris Academy Greenwich• Greenwich Free School• Chislehurst and Sidcup• Beths Grammar• Dartford Grammars• Townley Grammar• Colfes• Blackheath High School• Dulwich College• JAGs

Common System to coordinate entry

• This is the tenth 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….

• Each Year 6 child will receive a Common Application Form (CAF) in September

• 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.

• You can use both in 2015.

The Process…..• Meetings offered with SLT in 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 Wednesday 31 October 2015 – tbc

• You are encouraged to submit before half term i.e. Friday 23rd October 2014

• 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 changes address since 31 Oct 2015

• National Offer day March 1st 2016 ( posted out)• Letters with offers hit the mats on 2nd March 2016• If registered online you will receive an email on the

evening of 1 March 2016 informing you of the place offered

• Any late forms received after Mid December will not be considered until after 1st March 2016.

The process cont….

• Parents must return acceptance slip for the place offered to their home authority by mid March 2016

• The school will receive notification of all Lewisham residents applications in November 2016. If you are Lewisham resident and haven't applied, the school will contact you. We won’t know for Greenwich residents.

• All appeal hearings are usually held in June 2016

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

Secondary banding: Greenwich schools only

• Greenwich is one of the few boroughs left using banding as part of their admissions code.

• Lewisham stopped using banding tests and bandings as part of their admissions code last year.

• The tests equated a banding score of 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3 to raw scores in reading and writing

• The bandings are then used to ensure that secondary schools maintain a comprehensive mix

1A 1B 2A 2B 3

20 20 20 20 20

1km 1.1km 1.3km 1.5km 1.6km

Distance is from door of school to door of house in a straight line!

Secondary banding: Greenwich schools only

What we know:

•For applications to a Lewisham 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

Secondary banding: Greenwich schools only

What we know:

•For applications to a Greenwich school where the child has not sat a banding test i.e. Lewisham pupils, bandings will still be applied

•Greenwich admissions will ask Lewisham schools to give their pupils who will be applying for a Greenwich secondary school a banding i.e. 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, and 3 at the point of application

1a Well above expected levels 1b Above expected levels2a Expected levels 2b Just below expected levels 3 Well below expected levels.

•We have decided to ask our Y5 staff to give every child a band and write to you with this at the start of next term. This is when banding results were traditionally confirmed.

•This will allow you to do your research on schools!

•Parents / carers are free to contact Greenwich admissions!

Last year’s offers, applications and appeals

• Check out back of the Lewisham booklet. You will get a copy from us 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

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 Thomas Tallis

2 John Roan

3 Trinity

4 Bexley Grammar

5 Eltham Hill

6

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!

Admission to Kent & Bexley County Schools

• Entrance tests for Kent County schools (DGS, Wilmington,etc) and Bexley Grammar Schools(Beths, Townley, Chis ‘n Sid,)

• Registration must be completed in July 2014

• Tests in September 2014

• As in previous years non verbal ,verbal & maths writingThere are possible changes happening in Bexley re the kind of tests children

take

IT IS THE RESPOSIBILITY OF PARENTS AND CARERS TO FIND OUT ABOUT AND REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR THE TESTS - SEE THE COU NCIL WEBSITES. WE DO NOT TUTOR FOR THE 11+

Information about deadlines for registering pupils has been in the school newsletters.

How the scores translate to the schools

• Selective schools – tests must be passed

• Denominational Schools- additional information required with CAF

• There is no guaranteed pass mark but broadly speaking age standardised scores indicate:-

Scores of 108-112 realistic to consider Bexley selective tests

Scores of 119 realistic to consider Kent County.

Scores of 122+ realistic to consider Newstead/St Olaves

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!!!!

We will write to you re an appointment system with Mr Roach or Ms McCrossen

in September