tomskip

Yes, reckon they are.

I don't see how lying about having a religion is any lower than lying about where you live.

I find it actually sickening that people don't think fairness should apply to children. Ok, so life isn't fair and we grow up and get cynical and find our ways of living with that. But to parrot it as your mantra when talking about young school children is just not good enough, in my opinion.

You'd be unlucky for it to have 3 in 3 different schools wouldn't you? I have 2 in 2 different secondaries. The only time it affects us is when inset days don't coincide but really that's a very small issue.

This discussion is about a secondary school, which is rather different, blackhole. But, you do have a local primary which your child could get in to. It's just that you would prefer a different school. And that's the experience of many families, I would think the majority, all over London. The concept of choice with schools is utterly misleading. There are very few parents who genuinely have a choice of primary schools in this neighbourhood. Maybe there is some overlap in the catchments of St John's & St Clements and Goose Green, or St Anthony's and Heber or Goodrich although you can't opt to go to St Anthony's if you are not Catholic. The catchments of Heber and Goodrich no longer overlap. So your post suggests you think your child should get into a school of your choice rather than another child, and that is quite hard to justify other than "I just want the best for my child." But while schools aren't all equal (and I am talking about the state system here), then someone somewhere will always lose out under that system.

I'm so happy that Nina has been found but it just seems completely wrong that the scumbags involved in this case have profited to the tune of ?1000!

Quite.

Agreed DulwichLondoner. But I've seen teachers comment, on another forum, that schools LIKE the well off and middle class families with sharp elbows who'll go to such extraordinary lengths to secure a place. It demonstrates a certain commitment to the school and a prioritising of education within the household, after all. So many of the so-called comprehensive schools in London find a way to skew their intake; it makes you very cynical when you've been through the system a couple of times.

Jules-and-Boo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > what a clean, clinical place we live in. > > I'd rather have a garden bonfire than all the > traffic fumes. Perhaps a move to the countryside is what you need Jules? You will have respite from the traffic fumes (although will need a car to get anywhere other than the village shop if you are lucky enough to have one) and can light bonfires to your heart's content while simultaneously not being bothered by the bonfires of your neighbours. Would be perfect!

On the subject of brown bins, we have a 100ft garden and manage our garden waste via one compost heap and put out about 20-30 paper sacks (from the library) per year. We don't have a big fugly brown bin in our front garden, those things are empty most of the time and an eyesore.

Well the fire's still burning, two hours later. I will have to re-wash and re-hang all the washing I put out on the line today. We have a council who will drive up your road and collect your garden waste every single week - why would you need to burn it?

Which selfish so and so, living at the top end of Friern/Upland Road, is going to put their hand up and admit to lighting a bonfire every time we have a dry sunny day? Talk about anti-social! It's going to be light until 8pm ish tonight, can't you wait a bit longer?

Renata - it is much more complicated than that! Often people let their existing house outside of the catchment and rent another house much closer to the school for a year or two, get their first child in on distance and then all the rest can follow on the sibling rule. Meanwhile, the family move back to their first house which they've continued to own all along. It happens a lot in this wealthy enclave and the school should do more to get on top of it. Other schools do much better (for instance, not having the automatic sibling priority).

Sue, it turned out the girl in Oxford was not abducted. It was reported quite widely. Guardian link here https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/11/police-in-oxford-schoolgirl-case-say-she-was-not-abducted

Just back from a walk through Peckham Rye Park where I saw three toddlers in the charge of two adults running through clumps of daffodils and stamping on them, while one of the adults watched on and the other was on her phone. I was just about to open my mouth to say something when one of the adults came to her senses and gently chided Arthur for "spoiling the flowers". And that's exactly what she had allowed to happen right under her nose. Why do people need a flipping sign up to remind them not to do this??

Sorry, no you can't use your parents address as your home address. You must know that, surely?

I'm curious about where that photo in the article comes from. It is captioned "not caught in the act" or something like that, so how have police made the connection?

It was this exact black hole that people were worrying about when there were all the arguments about the new Charter catchment. I live near Goodrich school and my daughter goes to Sydenham, but she is in year 11. I understand that it has become more over-subscribed in recent years.

I've had a good think and don't think there is an English word for such a person, op. I bet the Japanese have a word for it though, they have some brilliant untranslatable words.

I am so terribly sorry that this has happened to you Andrew. What a horrific experience for all the victims last night. I can't think of anything else to say! Thoughts are with you.

I guess first you need to find another family who don't mind their child being looked after by an unqualified Nanny.

How awful that there was such a wait for the fox to be put down. Obviously the most concerning thing is that there is a baby sharing a household with such vicious dogs.

What a terrible incident!

Just seen this shared on Facebook and thought it warranted a thread on the Forum incase anyone can help the police with their enquiries ... Link to ITV News website: http://www.itv.com/news/london/2017-01-29/police-warning-after-despicable-sex-attacker-targets-five-women-travelling-on-bus-in-dulwich/

On a side note, why are there so many full sized brown wheelie bins out on the pavements? I live opposite a row of maisonettes with tiny back yards which have two outside each property. Wouldn't one between two flats suffice?