Ermm...but I don't expect other boroughs to make space...despite the nearest two schools to us being in another borough . My personal preference is for my DC not to travel a long or complex journey to school. My point is that the situation of lack of choice and insufficient school places is not unique to NK. I struggle to think of an area of London that doesn't have children children traipsing great distances to attend schools that local children are unable to get into.

_________________
mad?

Glass of wine for me, please

just came in and found some comments a little bit personal and tiny bit mean
I am going to let it go, we all made our point, and London Mum summed up the problem quite well.

Henrietta Barnet have a similar selection process as TGS, with no catchment rule. No one seems to be making a fuss over that. Not sure why Kingston residents are so precious about this school's admission policies. I hope the school becomes an academy, if it isn't one already, to stay out of the politics of the local borough and its residents.

La boume I presume you are referring to my post. I wasn't being mean, I'm sorry you took it that way. I have had information referred back to me in this thread which I have provided elsewhere on the forum however I haven't taken it personally.

I was merely trying to point out the contradiction in your friendship argument with what you were actually proposing for your child ie a longer journey to a good school, out of borough. I'm not criticising you for it at all as I am in the same position.

As Tiffinboys has admitted, Kingston parents want 2 of the top peforming schools in the country for themselves. I don't agree with it but I get it.

Scoopy
I don't have anything against you, believe me. I am against the open selection for both Tiffin schools.
Yes, my DD passed Nonsuch exam with the score above the OOC cut-off. I think you are OOC as well, so well aware that they needed their score to be at least 30 points above the in catchment one. That's make the difference, isn't it? So why Sutton can give their residents a better chance, and Kingston can't? We are clearly at disadvantage here. I did not apply to Wallington, HBS or Bournemouth Girls, by the way, as it is too far away.
It is one direct bus to Cheam for us. I never tried bus ride, but I believe it is no more than 45 min, which is well within recommended time for travelling to secondary school.
If DD ended up with her second choice, I would also think about moving closer. One family I know has just done that, and they are very happy in thir new bigger house within walking distance to Nonsuch. Also they are giving the younger DD's a better chance of getting in from catchment.
But it was the phrase about "friendship with no-so-bright kids" which make me wince, to be honest.

slummymummy - the two Tiffin Schools have recently become academies - now out of the clutches of the LEA and can set their own admissions policies/entry criteria ....

La boume that was very much a tongue in cheek remark. I don't for a minute think that all Kingston residents with bright kids don't want them mixing with not-so-bright kids. If it wasn't a flippant remark you could equally kick that back to me as I'm not sending my child local or to a comp with a mix of abilities. I was making a jokey comment to counter an argument about local friendships and lack of local school spaces being the main issue.

The argument regarding Kingston residents being at a disadvantage when applying to Sutton borough schools applies for most people. I am OOC for Nonsuch and Wallington and therefore at a disadvantage for Nonsuch and Wallington but I don't campaign for the abolition of grammar schools or campaign for open selection.

If it's the quid pro quo argument you are in favour of then why not have open selection only for those schools in boroughs which have open selection? This may be a bit problematic given that Sutton Grammar, Wilsons and Wallington all have open selection but are obviously boys only.

As I said, I am not criticising your decision to consider Nonsuch regardless of the journey time (I did as well and am OOC). That is your decision and only yours. As is the person who chose to apply from Bournemouth (although it's madness!). I can't believe their daughter will travel all that way every day and assume they will move closer.

Scoopy
I am famous for not getting English jokes
So you are OOC for any grammar school, and that's why you are not campaigning
I had a look into Reading parent's campaign and I believe that the residents in NK can say the same thing "Grammar school is a luxury ...which we can't afford anymore".

That makes sense to me. Campaign for conversion into a comprehensive, then the OOC problem will disappear and you will get a nice NK school.

These outer London grammars are an anomoly - they should really go.

Sad for the rest of us though. (Whilst they exist, then of course will try and get my DS in!)

Aaaahhh, I see. I do hope no offence was taken as none was intended

On the Reading front however, if their example was followed regarding Reading School then I would be in catchment!!!

I'm sort of with ClappedOutMum on the grammar school front. I don't really support them however all the while they are still around, I will take advantage of them as much as I can. However if they were to be abolished I would not campaign to retain them. In reality they only benefit a minority and again only the educated middle class (of which I confess to being one of).

It's the age old argument that if everybody went to their local school (assuming local school is a comp) then, in the majority of cases where the schools are in nice areas, the local school would be a good one. The problem with that however is that nobody wants to be the one to have their child as the guinea pig!