The secondary school your child has been allocated should be available to view on-line by parents who applied on-line. Letters have been posted today and all parents who applied by post will receive a letter. Good luck to everyone at this stressful time.

Every Southwark child who applied on-time for a place this year has been allocated a place at a school. Around 91% percent will receive an offer of a place of choice. (2% more than last year)
56% will receive an offer at their first choice school, 3% more than last year.

Be aware that you can at this stage be added to the waiting list of any secondary school and there is usually quite a bit of shuffling going on in the first few weeks after offer day. If you are unhappy with the school you have been offered, until you have received an alternative place, please accept the one you have,you can turn it down later.

Liam White, the School Preference Advisor plus other members of the Parent Partnership will be at Cator Street in Peckham from drop in surgeries for parents next week and the week after Mon-Friday, 9.30-12.30 and 13.15-15.30pm on a first come first served basis. Alternatively, you can contact Liam on 02075255211 or schoolpref@southwark.gov.uk

You can also contact me or other local councillors. My next surgery is on Saturday 10th March at 10-11am at East Dulwich Community Centre on Darrell Rd SE22.

Good Luck
Renata

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Cllr Renata Hamvas
Labour Councillor For Peckham Rye Ward
Renata.Hamvas@southwark.gov.uk
02075255223

Ward Surgeries
1st Friday, 6.30-7.30pm Rye Hill Park TRA Hall, Peckham Rye SE15
2nd Saturday,10-11am East Dulwich Community Centre, Darrell Rd SE22
4th Thursday (3rd in December), 6.30-7.30pm Nunhead Library, Gordon Rd SE15

Peckhamryelabour.blogspot.com

Thanks for this info Renata. Can you tell me how I get on waiting lists for the schools I wanted? Can I be on multiple waiting lists? Do I have to accept the school I was offered to stay in the system even if I know I won't send my son there? Very upset about what's happened to me, didn't get my local school Harris ED even though live a ten min walk away.

Sorry for not replying earlier Emily, and for the stressful time you are experiencing at the moment. You will be automatically on the waiting list for schools you applied for and were above any offer you received. One thing re Harris Boy's, did your son sit the banding test? I'm asking this as any boy who didn't sit their test automatically goes below those who have on the waiting list. You can be on several waiting lists, even for schools you didn't apply to. You don't have to accept a place at the school you have been offered, but it is the suggested move until you know whether you have been successful in securing a place elsewhere. There will be movement in the waiting lists over the next few weeks.

My computer decided to die last night, so it is best to contact me via email on Renata.Hamvas@southwark.gov.uk rather than via pm as it's hard to read the ED forum from my Blackberry! Please let me know which schools you applied to, your son's name and address and DOB.

Renata

--------------------
Cllr Renata Hamvas
Labour Councillor For Peckham Rye Ward
Renata.Hamvas@southwark.gov.uk
02075255223

Ward Surgeries
1st Friday, 6.30-7.30pm Rye Hill Park TRA Hall, Peckham Rye SE15
2nd Saturday,10-11am East Dulwich Community Centre, Darrell Rd SE22
4th Thursday (3rd in December), 6.30-7.30pm Nunhead Library, Gordon Rd SE15

Peckhamryelabour.blogspot.com

Just wanted to share the next stage of my story. Thanks for your reply to me Renata. Now I've managed to calm down a bit I want to take stock of the situation (I got my sixth choice of school, Deptford Green - missing out on Harris ED and Kingsdale - even though live a couple of minutes from Harris). This morning I got a letter from Deptford Green and a DVD about the school. After you emailed last night Renata, I thought I must give the school proper chance. From the letter etc, It actually looks amazing (remember I never actually visited it before, just bunged it down on my form for really no reason.) could it be a Kingsdale in the making? What do people think? - looks like a lovely school, the headmaster seems so switched on - the curriculum looks great, the building looks futuristic and really quite incredible, the website is buzzy and busy. So, need to check it out properly - put all prejudice and the hype about "good" schools and "bad" schools to one side. Worked out the journey is only as bad as the one to Kingsdale for me. Maybe this is fate, maybe, weirdly, this will be the perfect school for my son - just by a weird stroke of fate. So I'll report back what happens.

I visited it when we were doing the rounds and yes I thought it had lots going for it. The deputy head showed us round and she was really impressive and lovely.

They had Bill Gates visit only a few weeks ago...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16726193

Thanks Emily

To remind parents who are unhappy about their allocated school, Liam White and the Team are at Cator Street from today onwards (see details above).
Renata