Renata Hamvas

It should be, Renata

Hi Peggoula, please do, I will look into it for you, Renata

Hi Caroline, I'm not sure, but I'll find out and let you know. Renata

Hello all, Peggoula, a few houses can make alot of difference in waiting list position as people will be on the waiting list in all directions from the school. The further from the school you are, the greater the area that is covered by each metre of distance from the school, as you are dealing with increasing sized circles (I hope that makes sense!). Buggie, none of Southwark's community primaries opperate a catchemnt but I know of at least one school (VA) in the north of the Borough that does. Last year they had the problem where several families were rehoused when their housing was being redeveloped and their new homes were outside catchment. 12 siblings didn't get in then! You can't rent a property a few months if you own somewhere else for schools admission places. If you are found out you would loose the school place. If you are renting and move and then eg move again a year later, ie your main home is near a school, then you would be a legitimate applicant. Fly, I've posted on your thread. Prm, yes, late applicants are slotted into the waiting list. If an old sibling of a child on a waiting list gets a place at a school, than the younger sibling automatically moves up the list. Sometimes parents forget to tick the sibling box on their form and then their younger children move up once the LA is notified. Bonacara, you should be on the Horniman list. I don't think Lewisham are releasing waiting list ranking for a while. Renata

Hi Larter123 Places are allocated from waiting lists throughout the year. June is still earlier than English schools break up and I don't think it would make any difference than applying in May. Families in general tend to move during major school holidays. It is likely to be easier to find a place for year 6 than year 3, there are fewer children locally in the current year 5 cohort than year 2. The current year 4 are the group which initiated the upsurge in primary demand locally. If one of your children secures a place in a primary locally, the other child would go to the top of the waiting list as they would re-categorised as a sibling of an existing pupil. The other positive note is that the rules on class size are very strict for infant classes but less so for juniors, so if you get a place for one child and show that the classrooms could easily accommodate an extra child, you could appeal for your other child. You may be lucky and find a place is available in a local school for both children. Contact Southwark admissions and ask. Community schools allocate on distance and Faith schools either offer places 50/50 on distance/faith or on faith than distance for remaining places. If you move near a school that is currently full, you will be put on the waiting list according to your rank in terms of distance compared to the others on the waiting list. Renata

It will in part depend on what is available and how the school allocate places (eg do they have sibling priority). Mornings tend to be more popular. Renata

Hi all, you go on the waiting list for all schools above that offered from your CAF (or all if you were allocated a school by your LA). If you wish to be added to a waiting list, then you need to contact the admissions department for the LA where the school is situated. All local schools have all places currently allocated except for Harris Free School East Dulwich which still has vacancies. You need to apply directly to Harris for this school as it's not part of the common application process this year. The schools that I think have the shortest waiting lists locally are Southwark Schools Dulwich Wood (formerly Langbourne), Hollydale and St Francesca Cabrini and Lewisham schools, Turnham and Kelvin Grove (late bulge). If you have been allocated a school that's awkward to get to, you will need to contact the LA where these schools are situated to be added to their lists. This does not affect your waiting list positions/outcomes for the other schools you initally applied for, Renata

This is a primary school with nursery, the oldest pupils are 11. This primary is in my ward and I have had no complaints of this nature about the school. Renata

Yes to confirm LAs use their software, but the freemaptools gives a general idea of distances. A specific point is used on school grounds as start point. Growlybear is correct. To emphasis time on waiting list has no impact, eg a new resident moving to the area and applying late will go above you on the waiting list if they live closer than you, so you can move down waiting lists as well as up. Renata

Hi Fly, sorry that you're in such a difficult position. It may be that the place has been withdrawn as the social/medical need application was successful and you now have a place at your first choice school. I'm happy to take your case up with Southwark admissions, was your first choice a Southwark school? please pm, call or email me. Renata

Check with you local primary schools, as some primary schools have holiday clubs. Also check on the Southwark website. http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200016/childcare/2405/holiday_playschemes Renata

Hi Paddy, Fairlawn, Heber and DKH have all had years of sub-400 metre last place distances, the latter two, sub-300 metres, so this is not that unusual. You mention that you applied to 6 out of your 10 closest schools. I would suspect that you would be far out of last place distances for those of the 10 furthest from you. I would suggest you add your child to the waiting list to those you missed from the list of 10 closest, as a closer back-up than the allocated school. You will of course remain on the waiting list for all your original schools. I think just over half of the places at Ivydale went to siblings this year (this isn't unusual for a 2 form entry primary)a level that, so nothing like the 55 siblings there were last year. The 60 places at Harris ED were in the pupil planning for the area, without this school this year it is likely that two established primaries in the ED area would have bulged instead. With the independent application process for Harris this year the level of reallocation of places is likely to be higher than usual. Hello sailor, I don't have this information yet, once I do I'll post it here. Renata

Hi Theratprincess and Paddy. Paddy, I've responded to your message on the other forum. Theratprincess,Yes I have discussed Ivydale with council officer, I have also visited the school and spoken to the Head, Helen Ingham a few times. I've had a guided tour of the school buildings with other local councillors. In 2012 the school bulged to provide more school places to the Nunhead/ED area. There was initially no plan to bulge in 2013, this came about due to an exceptional number of siblings. Without the bulge, there would have been no places offered on distance last year. The school is due to expand to 4 form entry in 2016, but this involves using the site on Stuart Road. With the 2 current bulge classes there are already difficulties in serving all the children lunch and having assemblies etc. The playgrounds aren't big either. I have no idea at the moment what the last place offered distance was for Ivydale, nor how many people put it first. Those offered places there would not necessarily have put it as their first choice, eg they may have put another school first that they are further from. Other schools that may have shorter waiting lists are Turnham (Lewisham, but close to Ivydale), Hollydale close to Nunhead Station and St Francesca Cabrini. I would suggest you contact Southwark admissions and they can let you know your waiting list positions for Ivydale and the other schools you applied for. To add, if you accept a place at another school, you still remain on the waiting list for higher ranked schools from your original CAF application. Hi Miniko I've responded to your email. Hi bubblebob, thanks for calling me, for any Southwark school you apply for you need to go via Southwark admissions. They will also be able to tell you your place on the waiting list for the Southwark school on your CAF. Hi Gina, I remember your situation from last year. I'm glad your daughter is happy in her primary. Renata

Hello again, southwark admissions team are working late tonight. If you wish to contact them, their email is [email protected] If contacting me by phone, please use 07535932319 Renata

Information pack Primary transfer into a reception class for September 2014 We understand that applying for school places is very exciting for many parents and carers whose child or children are ready to start primary school and that you may have lots of questions. We hope this guide to primary school admissions will be helpful to you. Q. I have been trying to contact the admissions section by telephone to discuss the contents of my offer letter but it has been constantly engaged. What shall I do? A. All local authorities in London sent out their offer letters on 16 April 2014, so families will be receiving their offer letters at the same time. This is also a very busy time for the school admissions team, with a large number of people trying to contact us regarding their primary offer letters. Before you contact us you may want to read this leaflet, your offer letter or go online to view the Southwark ?Starting primary school? booklet as you may possibly find the answer to your question here. If you feel that you still need assistance then you can contact the school admissions team by: 1. Email - If you have access to the internet then this is probably the fastest way to contact the school admissions team. Our email address is [email protected] or 2. Telephone - If you are unable to send your query by email then you can contact our call centre where our trained staff will be available to help, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5 pm. The phone lines may still be busy at certain peak times of the day so please remain patient and someone should be able to assist you. We advise you to try and avoid calling at midday and if your query is not urgent, then please allow a few days to pass before contacting us. Q. Why didn?t I receive my offer letter on 16 April? A. The Southwark Admissions Team post OUT all offer letters by first class post on 16 April 2014. This means that most families will receive their offer letter a few days after this date. If you have applied online, you will also be able to check your child?s offer of a school place at www.eadmissions.org.uk after 5pm on 16 April 2014. You must log in using the same user name and password that you used when making your child?s application. Q. My child has not been offered any of his/her preferences. What happens now? A. The school admissions team will try to ensure that all children in Southwark are offered a reception place at a primary school before the end of the summer term. If your child has not been offered any of his/her preferences then we will try and offer a place at their nearest school where vacancies are still available. Your child?s name will automatically be added to any Southwark school waiting lists where a higher preference place could not be offered. You can contact the school admissions team for up to date vacancy information about Southwark reception places on Tuesday 22 April 2014 on 020 7525 5337. Q. I do not want to accept the offer that has been made to my child. What do I do? A. Southwark Children?s Services will only make one offer of a primary school to your child on 16 April 2014. It is important that you accept this offer for now. If it is possible for us to offer your child a place from a waiting list at one of your higher preference schools, we will contact you immediately. Alternatively, if you have accepted a place at an independent fee paying school please let the school admissions team know by 30 April 2014 so that we can update our records and offer your child?s Southwark primary school place to the next child on the waiting list. It is important to remember that the primary transfer process does not end after 16 April 2014 but continues right up until 31 August 2014. Q. Will my child remain on waiting lists for the Southwark school/s they were not offered? A. Yes, your child will automatically be placed on the Southwark school waiting lists for those higher preference schools where a place could not be offered. The school admissions team at Southwark Children?s and Adults? Services will hold waiting lists for non-community, free, voluntary aided, church, foundation schools and academies until 31 August 2014. If you wish to check your child?s position on a waiting list for any Southwark school please contact the School Admissions Team after 16 April 2014 on 02075255337 or mail your request to [email protected] Please also refer to your letter. Q. I want to educate my child at home if I cannot get them a place in the school I want. Can I do this? A. Yes, for further information please visit www.southwark.gov.uk/icss To request a home education information pack for parents/carers and their children please contact Southwark Council?s integrated child support service (ICSS) on 020 7525 2693. Q. I would like to appeal against the decision not to offer my child a place at the school/s of my preference. How do I do this? A. If you wish to appeal for a Southwark community school please contact the school admissions team on 020 7525 5337 to request an infant class size appeal form. If you would like to appeal for a Southwark non-community school (voluntary aided, church, foundation, free school or academy) you must contact the school directly to request a copy of their own appeal form. If you have applied to a school outside of Southwark and wish to make an appeal please contact the relevant school admissions section of the borough in which the school is located to ask for their advice. For example, if you wish to appeal for a Lambeth school, please contact the Lambeth school admissions section. (Please also refer to your offer letter). Listed below are the contact numbers for other London borough school admissions teams which you may find useful. London borough Admissions contact details Bexley 020 8303 7777 option 6 Bromley 020 8313 4044 Camden 020 7974 1625 Croydon 020 8726 6400 Greenwich 020 8921 8043 Hackney 020 8820 7501/7245 Islington 020 7527 5515 Kensington and Chelsea 020 7361 2210 Lambeth 020 7926 9503 Lewisham 020 8314 8282 Merton 020 8274 4906 Newham 020 8430 2000 Tower Hamlets 020 7364 5006 Wandsworth 020 8871 7316 Westminster 020 7641 1816/1817

Hi Bubblebob, sorry to hear that you didn't get what you wanted. Did you get one of your preferences, or were you allocated a school? I'm happy to help, please email me details. Sent on behalf of Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle, cabinet member for children's services Dear Colleague In a climate of increased demand for reception places across London, in Southwark we are pleased to confirm that every single on time applicant, all 3,389, has been offered a reception place for September. Just under 80% of these received their first preference and 94% one of their 6 preferences. Letters confirming these offers have been posted to families today. 98% of our applicants applied online this year. They will be able to view their offers online from 5pm this evening. There are some families who did not receive one of their preferences, a high number of these only nominating one or two schools. A personal email from the admissions team has been sent to those families today informing them that phone lines will be open until 9pm this evening enabling direct contact with an officer to discuss the offer and possible options. Southwark has been proactive in planning for an increased number of applications. Sufficient capacity has been established to cater for the majority of preferences. It is also important to remember that 90% of our schools are judged as being good or outstanding by Ofsted. There is also a new free school opening in September 2014, to serve the East Dulwich area, offering 60 reception places. It is important to recognise that the 16th April date is the beginning of this process. Parents across London have until 30th April to refuse offers and we know from previous experience that this will create movement over the forthcoming weeks. Officers will continue to work with families up until the end of August to ensure that everyone receives an offer with which they are happy. We are continually reviewing the situation with an endeavour to ensure that as many families as possible are provided with a preference.

Good morning everyone, 5pm onwards is when offers via the CAF system go live. There will be 60 families holding 2 offers, Harris ED (separate application as location for school was unknown in January) and the one via their CAF form (eg Mariamadeit and Gemmamala above). The 60 places have gone into the council's calculations of places required for the ED area. This will lead to more movement on the waiting lists than usual as parents holding 2 offers turn one down. You will automatically be added to the waiting lists of schools higher than the offered on your form, and all of them if you have been allocated a school. If you are unhappy with the school you have been offered, you can request to be added to the waiting list for other primaries. Renata

That sounds like a great idea, Tiddles, I'll raise it with officers, Renata

Hi Katesonic, I agree a lido would be lovely in hot weather, but unfortunately the cost would be prohibitive. Renata

Hi Lindsay, yes you're right. Katesonic, definitely not, plans are for specific areas, the main focus is a new One O'clock club building and improvemnent to play facilities in general, not negatively affecting a very important community green space! The reason why the one o'clcok club is being removed is due to the mature trees adjacent to the current building, they are taking over the space! Edanna, I'm getting this sorted, Renata

Hi HP, I know the court is to be moved, and that the picnic area adjacent to the adventure playground will remain (this gets sooo busy in summer!), but don't know more of the detail, I'll find out and get back to you, Renata

As far as I know, there have been no changes to the dogs on leads areas, just new signage in the current areas. Renata

Hi all, I have posted more on the other thread, I will look into yours suggestion katgod/hpsaucy. I will ask if more information for residents can go on the Southwark website, particularly as I know not everyone who wants to will be able to make it to one of the consultation sessions. The next one is Saturday 19 April 11am to 1pm at the park football pitches 2pm to 4pm at the children?s play room As far as I know there are no changes planned for the adventure playground itself, nor the picnic area or the current inside space. Renata

Hi Lee, I'll make some enquiries, Renata

Hello again all, this is not a done deal! That's what the consulation process is for, to find out all your opinions, so please do comment. The current One O clock club was used to house Italian POWs during WW2. Since then large trees have grown next to the hut making it impossible to use the same site. The plan is that the area around the adventure playground would increase. The basketball court would be shifted along. The picnic area would remain. There would be improvement to both the playground area near the cafe and the playground near the football pitches. As a local parent, I know the adventure playground well (our most recent visit was this week). The indoor play space for table tennis etc will remain. There is likely to be an outdoor table tennis table in the new area too. These are the current loosely determined plans. There has been comsultation eg with the Peckham Society about the hut. The one O clock staff (Ivydale children's centre) and the adventure playground staff do know about this! There is another consultation date soon. I'll ask officers if more information can be made available on-line for those of you unavailable to attend. Saturday 19 April 11am to 1pm at the park football pitches 2pm to 4pm at the children?s play room Renata