Secondary Transfer 2008 - Pan London Coordinated Admissions System

• There is one admission form to apply for all county schools, Church schools and academies in London.
• Southwark residents will have a form with the Southwark logo on and their application will be processed by Southwark. If you live in Lewisham your application will have the Lewisham logo on and will be processed by Lewisham.
• You can apply for up to six schools and they can be in any borough.
• You will need to complete extra forms (supplementary forms) if you apply for voluntary aided (church) schools, academies or Bacon's CTC.
• You will be asked to put the schools in order of preference.
• You cannot use the form to apply for private schools. Apply to them separately.
• The pupils will all sit NFER tests at school between 25 September and 5 October. These will be sent away for marking and the results will put pupils in ability bands. Some schools admit certain numbers of pupils in each band to ensure that they have a mixed intake.
• The deadline for applications to be at the borough Admissions office is Friday 19 October 2007. Please ensure that I have your form by Tuesday 16 October.
• You may prefer to complete your application on line. Please let me have a printout by Tuesday 16 October.

• Each school you have applied for will consider your application against its admission criteria. Most schools will not know whether you have put them 1st, 2nd or even 6th choice.
• The schools will tell the borough which applications should be offered a place because they meet the school's admission criteria.
• The borough will send out the offer letters to parents on 3 March 2008.
• No child will be offered more than one place.
• If six schools are listed and two can offer places, the one offered will be the one which is highest up on the parents' preference list.
• A few schools state 'first preference' as a selection criteria and these schools will be informed whether they are first, second etc. Last year these were: London Nautical and La Retrait RC, (Lambeth), St Ursula's Convent RC & St Thomas Moore RC (Greenwich) Coloma Convent RC & St Joseph's College RC (Croydon).

• Ensure you have copies of the Southwark secondary school booklet.
• Send you information about open days for schools in other boroughs for which our pupils have successfully applied in the past.
• Ensure that the pupils sit the banding tests and that the results are sent off for marking.
• Arrange an individual meeting with each set of parents in October to complete your application form.
• Send in the form for you.

• Read the secondary school information booklets carefully, especially the admission criteria for each school. Put the open day times and dates in your diary and keep them free.
• Visit schools. Take your child. Ask questions.
• Decide on up to six schools. Make sure your child meets the admission criteria.
• Include at least one school where your child has a strong chance of being offered a place.
• If you live outside Southwark, contact your local authority and ensure you have an application form and a booklet with details of schools. The telephone numbers are as follows:

Lewisham 020 8314 8282
Lambeth 020 7926 9500
Westminster 020 7641 1816
Bexley 020 8303 7777

• Meet with Ms Gatliffe in October to discuss your decision and complete the form. The school will send your form in to Southwark for you.
• If you are applying to Church schools, academies or CTCs, complete the supplementary forms and send them directly to the schools.
• If you are applying for Church schools remember that you may need a reference from your priest or pastor in October.
• If you are applying to a school because of your child's medical or social needs, ensure that you state this on your application and have documented evidence.
• Ensure that the address you use on the application is the place where your child benefit is registered.
• Be calm and positive.

• You will reduce your child's chance of a place if you:
• Miss the application deadline date.
• Only apply for one school.
• Only apply for schools where your child has a small chance of a place (eg popular schools a long way away which put nearness to school as a criterion, or Church schools which require proof of Church attendance which the family cannot provide).
• It is not helpful to your child if you communicate anxiety or distress over this procedure; stay positive!