Bright Futures Applying to Start Secondary School This Autumn
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applications 31 Oct 2019 closing date for Bright futures applying to start secondary school this autumn apply online at www.eadmissions.org.uk 1 Introduction Having had three children pass through likely it is that your child will be offered a place local schools, I know what an exciting and at your preferred schools. Understand the important moment this is in your child’s life. I admissions process and how the preference also know that it can be an anxious time. system works – you can learn more about this further on in the brochure. We want to help you choose a school that How is the journey? is right for your child. Secondary schools in Think about the amount of time your child will Lewisham are exciting places to learn. We are spend travelling to school and back. A very proud that our schools are modern, vibrant and long journey on public transport may not be stimulating, with dedicated and skilled staff the best choice for your child. Get to know the and headteachers. All of our schools support schools that are closest to your home – you students to reach their full potential, no matter might be surprised what they have to offer what their abilities and challenges may be. once you visit them and speak to staff, parents We have produced this brochure to give you and students. more information about the process of moving Do your research from primary to secondary school, and also Ofsted results and performance tables are about every mainstream secondary school in important when considering a school. But the borough. There is much more information there are many other elements that make a available online at www.lewisham.gov.uk/ great school. What sort of school would suit secondaryadmissions your child? Find out about the extra-curricular Visit as many schools as you can activities and support that is available. How It’s important to visit as many schools as you can, does the school challenge high academic including ones you haven’t considered, before achievers? What support is available for deciding which ones to apply to. You can fi nd children with special educational needs? Does details of all school open days in this brochure. the school take the mental health of its pupils Don’t judge a school based on what others say – seriously? All these factors could help you with this is the perfect opportunity to visit them and your decision. make your own decision. In the end, you will I know our secondary schools well. I am know what’s right for your child, but you can confi dent they have a lot to offer the children only make that judgement if you’ve seen them and young people of Lewisham. Wherever your for yourself. child goes, we wish all those starting secondary Are your preferences realistic? school next year the very best for the future. Think about how realistic your preferences are. Make sure you read the admissions criteria Councillor Chris Barnham for each school and clearly understand how Cabinet Member for School Performance apply online at www.eadmissions.org.uk 3 Applying for your child Applying for a secondary school place can Visit as many schools as you can seem like a daunting task. Here are the Visit as many schools as you can before deciding things you need to know and some tips on which ones to apply to. School open days will the process to help you. show you more than a league table can – you’ll get a flavour of the school, meet headteachers, Make a note of the deadline date for staff and students, go on a tour of the school applications – Thursday 31 October 2019 and see examples of students’ work. You can apply for secondary schools when your child is in Year 6. The application period starts on Read the admissions criteria 1 September and closes on 31 October each year. It’s very important that you understand the admissions criteria for the schools you’re interested Which schools can I apply for? in so you know whether you have a realistic chance You can apply for schools in the borough of of your application being successful. Lewisham or outside the borough. Special educational needs and disabilities provision and special schools In Lewisham, we are determined to help If your child has an Education, Health and Care all children thrive, and we are proud of Plan (EHCP), you can name the school that the support we give to children who need you would like them to go to, and the school additional help. then has a duty to offer them a place. Most children with special educational needs Depending on the complexity of your child’s and disabilities (SEND) are educated in needs, you may be considering a special mainstream schools. Each of our mainstream school. The application process for children secondary schools has a special educational with an EHCP to both mainstream and special needs policy for parents to look at which schools is different to the main secondary should be available on their website. These transfer application process. policies, which apply to academies and Our four special schools for children of federation schools as well as community secondary school age are Greenvale, New schools, explain the school’s approach to Woodlands, Drumbeat and Brent Knoll. SEND. Reading them is a good place to start when you’re planning your school visits. For more information about the specialist It’s a good idea to talk to parents of children provision at each of these schools and the with SEND who already attend the school. application process, visit the website Most schools will also be happy to arrange a www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/ meeting with the Special Educational Needs education/specialschools Co-ordinator (SENCO) before you apply for a place, so you can discuss your child’s needs and how the school would meet them. 4 Bright futures applying to start secondary school this autumn Use all your six choices National offer day is Monday 2 March 2020 You can apply to up to six schools. When you If you made an online application, you will get apply, you should use all six preferences for the an email in the evening telling you where your best chance of getting a place. You must list child has been offered a place. your schools in preference order. If you applied by post, or if you haven’t been Apply online offered a place, we will send you the results by Applying online is quick and easy. You need to first class post on Monday 2 March 2020 (first complete a supplementary information form for class post does not guarantee next-day delivery). some schools, as well as naming the school on your application. For example, a church school will For more information about applying need to see evidence of church attendance. for a secondary school place, visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions Secondary school improvement programme It’s an exciting time for secondary schools ●● rapidly increase the number of good and in Lewisham as we are seeing a lot of outstanding secondary schools improvements across the board. ●● increase the proportion of good and The overall percentage of pupils to score grade outstanding subject teaching across all 9–5 in English and Maths GSCEs last year (with secondary schools 9 being the highest grade) rose to 40.7%. ●● improve the attainment of all pupils – That’s an improvement of 2.7%, which is faster in each school and for the borough as than the national average. a whole. We have more than our fair share of high As well as the Secondary Challenge, our achievers too – out of the 732 students in secondary schools are part of Lewisham England to score 9’s in all of their GCSEs, Learning, a partnership between schools to 13 them came from schools in Lewisham improve progress and attainment scores across (compared to the national average of 4.8 the borough. pupils per local authority). All of our secondary schools are involved in an For more information about Lewisham improvement programme called the Lewisham Learning and the Secondary Challenge, visit Secondary Challenge which aims to: www.lewisham.gov.uk/lewishamlearning. apply online at www.eadmissions.org.uk 5 2019/20 application and appeals rates for Lewisham community schools and own admission authority (AA) schools The following table indicates how places were allocated on 1 March 2019 under each admissions criterion. admissions number Published applications numberof Total children after Looked (AA schools) places Sports ormusic (AAschools) roll on 6children Year or socialreasons medicalExceptional Sibling onroll (metres) school distance under home-to- offered place oflast Distance (EHC)planand care education, health withanChildren summer of2018 inthe heard Number ofappeals 2018 in thesummerof appeals Successful Addey & Stanhope 120 486 0 N/A N/A 0 27 1,405.27 6 ● ● Bonus Pastor Catholic College 180 802 1 N/A N/A 0 30 ● 8 ● ● Conisborough College 180 471 1 N/A N/A 0 41 3,714.65 0 0 0 Deptford Green School 180 516 0 N/A N/A 0 42 4,693.62 2 0 0 Forest Hill School 240 427 1 N/A N/A 0 36 H 5 0 0 Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College 208 1,161 2 12 60 0 45 827.61 1 ● ● Haberdashers’ Aske’s Knights Academy 208 450 0 12 60 0 39 4969.18 2 ● ● Prendergast School 120 796 2 12 N/A 0 32 860.57 3 ● ● Prendergast Vale School 120 595 1 N/A 30 0 26 2,007.38 0 ● ● Prendergast Ladywell School 180 602 0 N/A N/A 0 35 3,117.69 3 ● ● St Matthew Academy 180 376 0 N/A 60 0 13 H 3 ● ● Sedgehill School 306 276 0 N/A N/A 0 14 H 2 0 0 Sydenham School 240 939 7 N/A N/A 0 53 1,739.18 3 13 3 Trinity Church of England School Lewisham 120 477 0 N/A N/A 0 31 ● 2 ● ● Key H: Applicants all offered a place ●: Contact school For 2019/20 admissions, all distances were measured in metres using a straight line to a point in the school premises as determined by the Ordinance Survey.