Tiffin School Admissions Consultation for 2016

[dlb]

Yes and there are deprived areas in other KT postcodes who don't get priority... it is the local grammar school for many other children just outside Kingston .Those living more locally to Tiffin do not pay more taxes towards education - and as such they shouldn't get priority at grammar school because of where they live. It is the LOCAL grammar school for many other children who don't happen to live in Kingston and these priority wards. Before the responses come about other schools having priority areas - JUST because other schools do it - doesn't make it fair or right. This argument is never ending......!!!!!

[J50]

If you leave aside the local school for local children argument at the moment, which clearly could go either way!

Tiffin put in place the 14km limit which therefore covers an area of 616 square km. 14km is a long way in SW London in terms of travelling time. 14km in Leicestershire for example would be a normal 20-30 minute journey. In SW London in could be 1.5-2 hours. The reality of the situation is that Tiffin felt it necessary to set a catchment limit of 14km which is basically a realistic absolute maximum distance/time that they believe someone should travel in order to fulfil their potential at the school and participate fully in the schools activities. I speculate that they found there were too many children tired from long journeys, not participating in after school activites/sports practices/rehearsals or Saturday sports matches etc.

So Tiffin had to impose that realistic limit because parents weren't able to impose it on themselves. It is nothing to do with local catchment, if it was then this limit could (some say should) be halved or limited to local postcodes. I think Tiffin have achieved the balance of imposing a realistic journey time yet remaining open to application to a huge number of people... in fact 616 square kilometres of population!

If someone lives further away than that catchment limit of 14km then they should really be looking for something more local.

[ugangadhar]

Yes, I think 14 km is quite realistic distance without imposing a very long journey for the child.

Whatever is the background or whereever they live, the selection criteria should be uniform. there should be schools like Tffins and QE who cater for bright kids without diluting the chances of a child with postcode lottery! If Tiffins is based in another county, I am sure all the parents who are now batting for postcode preference would be batting on the opposite side. I guess thats the way of the world

[tiffinboys]

No, Sutton Grammar has just reserved 75 places for Sutton and very closely area. We did not object.

14 km radius is 616 sq km. too large a catchmrnt and no priority for children frm Kingston borough and surrounding area unlike Sutton Grammar, Nonsuch or Wallington Girls. No local admission area like Langley Grammar. No distance places like Hetschel or Upton Pstk Grammar or Kent.

One grammar for boys and one grammar for girls can not support a large catchment. I agree there should be more schools like Tiffin in other areas as well like Southall or Kensington etc. parents there should ask their own LAs and MP why they abolished their grammars and campaign to re-establish such schools in their areas.

[Coconuts]

Just out of interest, does anyone know what the Sutton Grammar postcodes equate to in terms of distance?

[J50]

Yes, I think 14 km is quite realistic distance without imposing a very long journey for the child.

Whatever is the background or whereever they live, the selection criteria should be uniform. there should be schools like Tffins and QE who cater for bright kids without diluting the chances of a child with postcode lottery! If Tiffins is based in another county, I am sure all the parents who are now batting for postcode preference would be batting on the opposite side. I guess thats the way of the world

Actually I didn't conclude what I wrote above very well. I was trying to say that I think Tiffin have tried to put in what they see as a realistic absolute maximum of 14km; but I would say that from my point of view this is way too far and should be halved at least. I know that I wouldn't send my son on a journey as far as 14km (in SW London anyway), and in reality wouldn't consider anything >10km or about 5 miles to be realistic. Even the journey he will have to make next year will take 20-40 minutes and that's more than enough.

If you wanted to live close enough to Tiffin to make the journey a sensible one then there are council flats on offer for the poor, average housing for others, or a few areas for the well off such as Coombe Estate etc. I know people in all of the above places and they're (obviously) from all walks of life - so the choice for anyone within a few miles of Kingston is more than adequate.

[newdud]

I agree there should be more schools like Tiffin in other areas as well like Southall or Kensington etc. parents there should ask their own LAs and MP why they abolished their grammars and campaign to re-establish such schools in their areas.

Indeed, but due to Political Dogma we have a situation where 'one size fits all' is practiced in the name of 'social inclusion'.

[panicattack]

And just to be clear to all, although many think 14km is too big a catchment, Tiffin is the only local boys' grammar which has entirely closed its doors to some. Others have either some (Sutton) or most/ all (Wallington CGS and Wilson's) places open to all.

[tiffinboys]

It is very true that Wilson's and WCGS do not have any catchment, but Wilson has reported few years back that over 85% of its intake was within 5 miles radius.

14 km radius is really large, as good as open selective. I am in favour of local catchment with 20% to 3O% open places. Sutton Grammar, Nonsuch and WHSG have the lead in similar arrangements.

[Catseye]

I agree there should be more schools like Tiffin in other areas as well like Southall or Kensington etc. parents there should ask their own LAs and MP why they abolished their grammars and campaign to re-establish such schools in their areas.

Indeed, but due to Political Dogma we have a situation where 'one size fits all' is practiced in the name of 'social inclusion'.

I don't wish to highjack this thread but if you would like to have a discussion about this based around evidence, please feels free to open a new thread in the general section , I would be happy to put you straight on a few facts that are based on evidence.

now, as you where( and sorry for the interjection)

The Mad Cheshire Cat