Jump to content

Primary school place allocation chaos has started!


Recommended Posts

I'm really angry and frustrated,as the Lid Dems decided to defer the Southwark primary school allocation results by a month this year (conveniently after the elections) those of us who live near the Lewisham border need to decide about whether we want the school Lewisham has offered us (5th May deadline), before we get the outcome of our Southwark application. This is particularly going to have an impact on parents living in East Dulwich, Peckham Rye and Nunhead Wards. Interestinbgly, East Dulwich and Peckham Rye are both marginal wards. Are any other parents in this situation?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are on the borders too, we didn't get the Lewisham school we wanted, but one lower down our list. I think it's bad that due to the delay in the Southwark results that there will be alot of parents holding places in Lewisham while they wait for the Southwark outcomes. If many of the boundary parents get Southwark places, there may be a sudden wave of Lewisham places becoming available later. This is so unfair on parents who didn't get sny local school place for their child. I know that next year there will be a common application form for primary school applications, but by deferring it this year, the Lib Dems will have extended this stressful time for parents. The government has given the council 12 million pounds to help with the shortage of primary school places which particularly affects East Dulwich and Peckham Rye, Honor Oak and Nunhead so I'm hopeful that the situation ought to be better than last year, we shall see-after the election!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi


Had some feedback and looks like they have done LOTS!! So I am going to put off panicking and goto the park. prdarling, think i may know you? I will PM you. Would be nice if Lewisham did publish sooner, pleeeeeese.


Toast

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would be good to know what has been done. Not moving the date back to after the election would have been a welcome step.


I've got a place in Lewisham - not my ideal - but I'm going to have to hold onto it till Southwark announce just in case the Southwark situation goes mad and I don't get my first choice. I feel that I'm being really unfair to those in Lewisham who may not have got into the school I'm holding onto but Southwark haven't really left me with any option due to the delay to their announcement date. It seems like Southwark are being crap but it's Lewisham who have to pay. I imagine that most of the parents around our way are in the same boat - which probably amounts to quite a few places being held simply as insurance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in the same situation as nunheadmum. Have been offered a place in Lewisham (our last choice, but at least it was a choice) who want us to accept or decline by 4 May. I was hoping we might still be offered our first choice (in Southwark) but I phoned Southwark Admissions to ask if we could be offered a place in a Southwark school as well, and was told no, you only get offered one place - mind you the guy I spoke to had to put me on hold twice while he sourced that information, so I don't really know if it's correct.


Am I the only person who finds the application system absolutely bewildering??? And *why* do they take children into the nursery class if they are not then going to get a place in the reception class??? My son will be heartbroken if he has to change school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fliss it's really out of order that Southwark results haven't been released. I have messaged James Barber on his page but am sure I'll get no joy. They are utterly useless.


I'm afraid I don't know the situation for sure but I did think you could be offered something from both boroughs...can anyone clarify this please????


As far as I know, the reasoning behind the nursery class situation is that many people who would be at the front of the nursery queue based on distance citerion etc, may not take up a place because they ned more than 2.5h nursery provision a day. However they still need a school place and are entitled to that place based on the normal citeria. Does that make sense??


What I mean is that if I worked full time and my son couldn't take up a nursery place because of short hours, it wouldn't be fair to lose my school place because it's filled by someone who may be further down the list than me, but who doesn't need full time nursery care.


Stop me if that sounds double dutch!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back from park


Met up with lots of parents who are in the same boat, and to put it politly, not happy bunny's.


It would make parents, esp Lewisham parents lives easier if places in Southwark were released sooner. It would be a show of cross borough support and of confidence by the lib dems. If, as they are suggesting the problem has been resolved by bulge classes they could allocate early, before the election and put pay to the idea that they are acting out of self interest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fliss Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm in the same situation as nunheadmum. Have

> been offered a place in Lewisham (our last choice,

> but at least it was a choice) who want us to

> accept or decline by 4 May. I was hoping we might

> still be offered our first choice (in Southwark)

> but I phoned Southwark Admissions to ask if we

> could be offered a place in a Southwark school as

> well, and was told no, you only get offered one

> place


Really?!! That is AWFUL if it's true... you will have to give up the chance of a Lewisham place in the hope that Southwark will come good. Makes Southwark's decision to delay their offers look thoroughly negligent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fliss Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm in the same situation as nunheadmum. Have

> been offered a place in Lewisham (our last choice,

> but at least it was a choice) who want us to

> accept or decline by 4 May. I was hoping we might

> still be offered our first choice (in Southwark)

> but I phoned Southwark Admissions to ask if we

> could be offered a place in a Southwark school as

> well, and was told no, you only get offered one

> place - mind you the guy I spoke to had to put me

> on hold twice while he sourced that information,

> so I don't really know if it's correct.


Lewisham Admissions booklet just says


" If you accept an

offer of a place in another borough, please advise

Lewisham Admissions Team in writing." So it doesn't look they mind you continuing with the admissions process elsewhere up until you get an offer (or not)


Southwark's booklet says "Your offer of a primary school will remain

available unless we are informed by you in

writing of any alternative suitable arrangement

for education that has been made for your child"


Prior to the Common Application Form it would have been quite easy to hold on to an offer frpm one LEA while waiting for the other. But I don't know if under the new onlone process, if you accept a Lewisham Place, will it delete you from the system with regards to your Southwark application? Totally nonsense if that is the case!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last year we accepted places in both (4th choice) and only rejected the lewisham place when we were given a place in the goodrich bulge class. Agree not fair on others wanting that place but we were allowed to so we did. Hope you all get what you want - wouldn't have wished what we went through last year on my worst enemy...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last year Southwark and Lewisham definitely didn't link their systems as I rejected a place in Southwark and then later accepted one in Lewisham, and then I still got a letter 6 months from BOTH schools thinking we still wanted a place.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BeccaL Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Last year we accepted places in both (4th choice)

> and only rejected the lewisham place when we were

> given a place in the goodrich bulge class. Agree

> not fair on others wanting that place but we were

> allowed to so we did.


THis year is the first year of the common application process though, isn't it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

clux Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Last year Southwark and Lewisham definitely didn't

> link their systems as I rejected a place in

> Southwark and then later accepted one in Lewisham,

> and then I still got a letter 6 months from BOTH

> schools thinking we still wanted a place.


THis year there is a common system for the first time. As long as that doesn't mean accepting a place somewhere removes you from the other LA's request list, it's OK...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"As far as I know, the reasoning behind the nursery class situation is that many people who would be at the front of the nursery queue based on distance citerion etc, may not take up a place because they ned more than 2.5h nursery provision a day. However they still need a school place and are entitled to that place based on the normal citeria. Does that make sense??"


Yes prdarling, I see what you mean. The nursery 2.5 hours is quite tricky - we've had huge childcare problems since he started nursery class because the excellent childminder he had been with for 3 years couldn't do the pick up and drop off, so we had to leave her and it was very difficult finding someone else. But we thought it was worth it because I thought he'd stand a better chance of getting into the school if he was in the nursery class, and also I just felt he was ready for "mini school", and he has been loving it and learning lots.


Also - I wish I knew for sure whether or not you can get offers from both boroughs - can anybody clarify??? His current childminder says yes, but then the man at Southwark Council said no. Should I start a separate thread asking this question?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fliss Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

we thought it was worth

> it because I thought he'd stand a better chance of

> getting into the school if he was in the nursery

> class, and also I just felt he was ready for "mini

> school", and he has been loving it and learning

> lots.


The latter is true but the former is expressly not, and the admissions booklet states that.. there are even schools like the one where I work, (not SouthwarK) with 80 part time nursery places but only 30 reception places! (Though we will have a bulge class and are going up to 60 this year)

>

> Also - I wish I knew for sure whether or not you

> can get offers from both boroughs - can anybody

> clarify??? His current childminder says yes, but

> then the man at Southwark Council said no. Should

> I start a separate thread asking this question?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And yes I agree that it's terrible if there are lots of parents holding places just as insurance - makes a nonsense of the whole system - but parents are going to have to do that since the boroughs are not announcing outcomes at the same time. I gather you can go on a waiting list for your preferred school, but in that case you relinquish any place you have been offered. So if the waiting list doesn't come good, you could get sent *anywhere* that has a spare place! Chaos!! There must be a better way of doing it!! And then of course there's round 2 in June - late applications and appeals. I'm soooo confused.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fliss Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I

> gather you can go on a waiting list for your

> preferred school, but in that case you relinquish

> any place you have been offered.


I don't think that is the case. Not in the LEA I work, for sure.


And not in Lewisham either - http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/Schools/SchoolAdmissions/PrimarySchoolAdmission/PrimaryAdmissionFaq.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fuschia Wrote:


> THis year there is a common system for the first

> time. As long as that doesn't mean accepting a

> place somewhere removes you from the other LA's

> request list, it's OK...


I think the common system starts this year, so families finding out now went through the old system.


Also it would be mad if you could stay on the lists of schools in one borough but not other. In the scrutiny they discussed talking to lewisham and finding out which parents were holding accepted offers in both which seemed fair. But not staying on the list of both given the shortage of places on the boarder would be unfair. One has my nearest school, the other my second nearest school etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fliss

I'm afraid having a nursery place bears no relation on a reception place. This is why you apply to the school for a nursery place and the local authority for a reception place. I think they try to hammer it home in the literature but it's obviously not as clear as they think.


I do feel for you, it won't be nice if you have to pull your son from the environment he's familiar with but many of us will be dealing with the same issues - all of us whose kids go to non-school nurseries for example.


The whole nursery/school business is heart in the mouth stuff! At least it should be straightforward for siblings (frantically trying to pin a rusty old silver lining to a looming black cloud)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Plenty for sale online from various ticket vendors but you'll need to part with £250 and upwards by the looks of it. Out of interest i kept an eye on the prices for the England and Italy Euro final. At one point they were on offer for a couple of grand each. On the day sellers were obviously getting itchy feet and prices dropped somewhat but never went any lower than £400. That was a few hours before kick off. There was plenty still available half an hour before kick off.   Having been to Wembley a couple of times for play off finals i found it to be not a great place to watch football. Sat three rows back from the pitch side advertising hoardings for one game and way way up in the gods for the other. We felt to far away from the pitch on both occasions. Up in the goods was just stupid because we felt cut off as well.  I don't think it was rebuilt with acoustics in mind either. Even with most of our 25k fans singing it never sounded loud because it's pretty much uncovered and too open.   Happy hunting!
    • It doesn't work as a commercial venture.  Bit churlish to say I told you so.  I told you so.  I'll send less greetings cards.  What pees me off is international postage where you can no longer send light letters at 10 grammes, normal ones up to 20g, now all at the much more expensive 100 g  Didn't we vote to take back control and price everything according to irrational units like ounces? That's some obscure humour btw   
    • Available from Monday April 8th 2024, 2on2Walkies take pride in doggie care and only walk 2 furry friends at a time. I make sure that they get plenty of doggie interaction and socialisation in the park as well as making friends. Back home happy and tired I always check that the water bowl has fresh water and always make sure the doggie is left comfortable before I leave. I'm fully insured and have a couple of slots available for local walks to either Peckham Rye Park or Dulwich Park.  Thank you!  
    • Why would they only send them recorded delivery? I used the signed for option yesterday.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...