We, the undersigned DISAGREE with the proposals as outlined in Criteria 4a and 4b – Feeder Primary Schools and Catchment Area of the Draft Admissions Criteria 2015. We agree with the changes set out in Criteria 1 and 5.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Our reasons are as follow:

(1) We do not support the proposal to introduce feeder schools as this is not compatible with the need to ensure fair access to a local secondary school for all children living within the catchment area.

(2) Children living within the Hinchely Wood School catchment area and attending non-feeder schools such as Cranmere would have little to no chance of gaining a place compared to children in the named feeder schools. This would result in feeder school applicants living further away from Hinchley Wood School being offered places over non-feeder school applicants who live closer to the school.

(3) Criteria 4a also contradicts Hinchley Wood School’s attempt to “more effectively meet the needs of families committed to the local area” (Source: HWS Admissions Consultation 2015.) Cranmere has been expanded for the past five years to provide more school places for children in the surrounding areas of Thames Ditton, Hinchley Wood, Claygate, Esher and Molesey. Without this expansion, these children would not have had school places, as schools that were closer to their home addresses were full and did not expand. It is therefore incorrect to make the assumption that these families are not“committed to the local area” because their children did not attend one of the named feeder schools. Every year children from Cranmere move up to Hinchley Wood School, and this number would be expected to increase once our double form entry classes reach the age of transfer. If these proposals are adopted, many Cranmere pupils will have no local secondary school place, although they live within the Hinchley Wood catchment area.