number 2

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.

I also think that there's something funny that goes on with who you speak to or who replies to your email. I seem to get very different answers. I think maybe email might be the best option. 1st to 7th is utterly rubbish!!!

Oh blimey bizzylizzy. That's a bit of a kick in the guts! I'm sorry! I really don't get how you can have gone down so much in such a short space of time and at this point too!

maybe james or renata would look into the facts about who holds the waiting lists now for us? (please?) i work in a school and i'm pretty sure that we haven't got our list and the school administrator is having to ring southwark and ask for names when other people say that they don't want their place. she's had to ask people directly, when she's contacted them to ask them to enrol, to contact southwark and let them know and they've just given a vague "yes". these are presumably the places that suddenly become available in september and make my blood boil!

yes, i think you have to have a very, very good reason to appeal like one twin getting a place and not the other, severe special/social needs, something like that.

hope something comes up for you gina!

good news on dvi and heber emski. not so good with goodrich. we're 50 something with them so have totally discounted it, but it could be people moving into the area (closer than you) or people trying other tacks like social or special needs. there's just no way of knowing and it's enough to drive a sane person crrrraaaazy. i keep on looking at the new houses that are being built close to us and growling to myself that they're bound to knock us further down the list for ivydale. i constantly have my eyes peeled for houses for sale/to let on the walk from our house to nursery (which is a similar walk as it would be to ivydale). obsessed? me? noooooo!!!

I think your neighbour deserves something unpleasant through her letterbox!!! How dare she?!

I have to say my 4.5 year old's tantrums are few and far between but when he has one, my god, you don't want to be anywhere close by!!!! I'm a teacher so it's doubly mortifying of he does it in public!!! Really wish I could offer some advice but other than "just don't buy into it" and agreeing with "ignoring the haters" comment I can't add anything.

Has anyone started to see more movement in their waiting list places? Apparently Ivydale are sending out letters this week so I have everything crossed that there will begin to be movement over there.....

Hi, spurred on by the school admissions thread, I'm going to make a plea.

If you have a state school place that you have no intention of using because you have a place at a private/independent school, free school, will definitely be moving out of the area or for any other reason PLEASE let the school or the LA know of your intentions. If you really have a good reason for holding onto the place - e.g. You're not sure, your job hangs in the balance and you're not sure whether you'll be able to afford the fees, you're waiting for the Judith Kerr school to sort themselves out, whatever, fair play to you. However, if you just haven't got around to it PLEASE let the relevant people know. There are people out there who have no choice, not one of their 6 choices (and I have to say I am not one of them although we haven't got our first choice) and you making the effort could make a massive difference to them and their child.

Thank you!

Yep, it's sad but true. I know of 3 or 4 people who haven't let the LA know of their intentions. Maybe I will start a new thread. Can't imagine it'll make much difference but I suppose it's worth a shot!

Thanks James. I do know of a number of people who haven't yet given up their places, I'm not just talking blind here. I don't think it's everyone, but there are people who just don't bother