Common System to coordinate entry This is the eleventh 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

The Process….. Meeting 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 Friday 28th October 2016 You are encouraged to submit before half term i.e. Friday 21st October 2016 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 2016 National Offer day March 1st 2017 ( posted out) Letters with offers hit the mats on 2nd March 2017 If registered online you will receive an email on the evening of 1 March 2017 informing you of the place offered Any late forms received after Mid December will not be considered until after 1st March 2017.

The process cont…. Parents must return acceptance slip for the place offered to their home authority by mid March 2017 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 any out of borough residents. All appeal hearings are usually held in June 2017

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 tests 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 two years ago. The tests equated a banding score 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 1km 1.1km 1.3km 1.5km 1.6km Distance is from door of school to door of house in a straight line!

For parents whose children are in a Lewisham school applying to a Greenwich school: Greenwich will be asking Lewisham Schools to give them a teacher assessed banding for our children when they receive an application. The bandings are defined as: 1a Well above expected levels 1b Above expected levels 2a Expected levels 2b Just below expected levels 3 Well below expected levels. We will write to parents in September with this banding so that you can then look at Greenwich schools in relation to your child. If you then apply for a Greenwich school, Greenwich admissions will ask us to confirm this in October.  

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!

Admission to Kent & Bexley County Schools Entrance tests for Kent County schools (DGS, Wilmington, Judds) and Bexley Grammar Schools (Beths, Townley, Chis ‘n Sid,) Registration must be completed in July 2016 Tests in September 2016 As in previous years non verbal ,verbal & maths writing There 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 COUNCIL WEBSITES. WE DO NOT TUTOR FOR THE 11+

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

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

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

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