number 2

They've just changed it to 5 years and up I found out today. Younger children are allowed in but they're not allowed to play on anything!!

Another happy story people! We were called today with the offer of a place at St John's and St Clement's. it's not our first choice but we are really, really happy with it. We would have put it higher up our list had we thought we could have got in and we've jumped from about 15th to being offered a place. Our boy is thrilled - when we went to look around he saw some children playing with Star Wars lego! Good luck to all of you who are still in limbo.

Our son has been at puddle ducks for 2 years and I can't recommend it highly enough. I have to say I didn't like magic minds when I went to look around.

Abney I think you get the place that you were offered for September but you just defer it until the January. There may be places due to people not having turned up in September or moving away (this happened in the school I work in which is a well thought of school, and we still had places left in January) but there won't suddenly be more spaces made available in January, just the same spaces that were left in September that haven't been filled. Does that make sense? I'm pretty sure that's right.

The same thing happened at the school I work at renata. 3 or 4 children didn't turn up.

So that is a possible 4 people who don't want their space at Ivydale. A space that we desperately want, and actually might have been able to have by now if Southwark would listen! Surely once a parent has put this down in writing, made it clear that they don't want the space, it's their look out if they then change their mind and the LA are absolved of any blame. I've emailed again today but still heard nothing back from admissions........ I'm also panicking that they might not have my mobile number if something amazing happens in August and have asked for them to confirm which number they have for me. We're away for a couple of weeks and I'd hate to miss a call and be wiped from the list (don't know how that works - how many different avenues they have to use to contact parents before they go to the next person on the list). Gahh!!! Fed up!!!

Sorry. Heard not hear.

Yes. I was told last time I emailed not to email again until mid July which I stuck to but I emailed last Wednesday, got the automated reply but have hear nothing since. I'll email again tomorrow.

Thanks for that Renata, it's just very, very frustrating when you talk to someone who has told admissions that she doesn't want a place, has told the school that she doesn't want a place and that she is still, 3 months down the line getting letters telling her who her child's teacher is going to be from the school that she's turned down. It's just not just j&m, another friend of mine has had the same problem, and I'm sure there are plenty of others. I know they have a difficult job but it's also heartbreaking being in this situation. It doesn't help when you email admissions with an enquiry and they don't get back to you. Sorry, I'm just really fed up with the whole thing.

Thanks for that j&m. I know someone else who is in the same situation as you are. Southwark really need to get their act together, as do the schools, as they'll be scrabbling about trying to fill places in September. I know this happens a lot, but perhaps if they sorted themselves out it wouldn't be so nerve-wracking for all the parents and potentially disruptive for children. Grrrrr!

I have one that you can borrow. It's quite old but it does kind of a lit up barometer when there's a sound at the other end. Might do the trick?

Just bumping this up again. Sadly I still know of people (admittedly only by hearsay) that haven't bothered to let Southwark/Lewisham/Lambeth know that they don't want their school place. I have to admit that this thread is certainly partially self interested as I know of 3 people who have places at our 1st choice school who have no intention of using the place but haven't informed the LA. Please, have a heart people! (Ps I know this is not everyone, just a few slightly thoughtless people)

New girl, I don't think they're allowed to deviate from the standard admissions procedures. Am happy to shot down about this though......

Mwhahaha!! Love it!

I am more than a bit worried about the plans for Ivydale. 4 form entry????? That's crazy! I would have thought that, rather than expanding a largish school that has already had a lot of money thrown at it, it would be better to relocate Hollydale which is looking tired and is incredibly cramped to this bigger site rather than create some kind of "super school". I just think this will effectively kill off Hollydale. I am pretty sure I would feel this way even if I had a place at Ivydale rather than Hollydale. I just think 4 form entry is too big for a primary school. Renata, do you know if they even condsidered doing something with Hollydale instead?

oh no gina!! i'm sorry to hear that! and for you too emski. it's infuriating. it's the whole thing that you have ABSOLUTELY no idea of what is going on in these lists and you often get 2 different stories from 2 different people. i hope it resolves itself soon.....

That is fantastic news Gina! So pleased for you. With 90 places I'm sure you'll be there in September or shortly after!

2nd vote for the Peyton and Byrne place in St. James's park. Lovely surroundings and there are always kids in there. Lovely cakes too!

Hmmm, I know carbonara but there is a fair bit of uninhibited land surrounding Ivydale which takes up a fair bit of the radius. I found a handy map tool thing though that showed how far 600m reaches and there are a fair few streets I hadn't thought of. Ah well, we'll just have to bide our time and see what happens.....

thanks renata. it's just the fact that it seems to either get worse each time i come to it rather than better. i know there may still be movement, but i just worry that any more movement will be even further the wrong way!!!

Where are you kes and where is your 2nd choice? Ivydale has gone crackers over the last year or two. It never even occurred to me 6 years ago, when we moved here, that we wouldn't get in to Ivydale but the area's changed so much in that time.

I've just heard back from admissions. They have about the right distance down for us - 604m we missed out by 87m. I still find it hard to believe that there are 5 other children of the sa,e age living in such a small area!! I think it must be people who've just got older siblings in. That trumps most things!

oh gosh gina, you poor things! hope things pick up soon. so many people have said "oh, 5th? you'll DEFINITELY get in" - erm, not if the 5 or 6 people plus one who already has a place change their minds we won't! let's hope it all gets sorted soon for all of us.

Yes appeals are extremely hard to win. We even had siblings at our school who didn't win their appeals as the numbers are so strict. The only thing I can think of is that the schools are having a big push on filling up spaces higher up the school which would put any siblings coming into reception right to the top of the waiting list. The thing is with where we are is that there are great big bits of land in a 600m radius of the school that don't have houses on them so there seems to be so little scope for people going ahead of us, but going ahead of us they are. I just wish I knew who the 6 people above us were. I've tried to ask for some clarification of where they think our house is but I've not had much luck yet. Don't really know how to go about it....

Oh blimey I am now soooooo fed up. We've gone from 5th to 6th at ivydale which is our first choice and we only live about 50-100m from the last house to have been offered a place. How? How???? Then from 12th to 19th at St. John's and 13th to 17th at dog kennel hill. Grrrrrrr. So fed up of the whole thing.