Renata Hamvas

This year was highly unusual, all 60 places initial places were taken up by siblings/social+medical need/looked after (looking at other similar sized schools in the area that would be around double the expected number). The decision was made to bulge in 2013 exactly because of this issue. The last place offered distance would have been zero without the bulge. Following issues with Nursery admissions in 2012,the school did a survey of all families with children at the school, from eldest to nursery. There were several multiple birth groups amongst the siblings and many families with youngest child in the 2013 cohort. It does not appear at all linked with the 2012 bulge. It is a popular school and yes there are going to be some siblings next year, but this year was an atypical one. The impact of the Haberdasher's Free school is unknown;in previous years some children have been coming from Lewisham borough to Ivydale. There are also other good schools nearby, eg Turnham, St Francesca Cabrini and Hollydale. The distance figures this year needs be thought of in terms of 30 children offered on distance. Renata

In terms of distance Emski, the Council uses point to point distances, ie a certain point on the school grounds. Most web tools will just go postcode to postcode and this can give quite a difference. If you can show however, that the council has made an error in the distance calculation, this would be grounds for appeal. As, however it appears you are likely to be high up on the waiting list, you may be lucky and get a place by this route. Jb100, If you wish for your child to opt out of the nativity play or Easter bonnet parade at the Catholic school you can do so. The religious aspect of local primary schools is not huge eg I know that St Francesca Cabrini, the Catholic school in my Ward doesn't eg have communion classes. In my opinion it would be a bigger issue for secondary. Renata

Hi Kamath, the school only opened last year, so currently is reception/nursery only> Here is their website http://www.harrisfreeschoolpeckham.org.uk/ and maybe contact them and ask if you can visit? Renata

Abney, you were given this advice as by offering you a place, Lewisham have fulfilled their obligation to do so. If you turn it down, they have no obligation to find you another school place, so you could be left with no school place. Renata

Hi Farmer Barley, I've just posted what Lewisham have said on the main thread. Renata

Hi all, I've had clarification from Southwark about what Lewisham are doing. Lewisham will add 'out borough' children to the school waiting lists when LAs start the file exchanges on 26 April. Their waiting lists will be compiled from 2 May and these will include late applicants too. They will not give parents any waiting list information until after this date. With regards to waiting lists and offers. On offer day everyone was offered the highest place they could be or allocated a place, and then automatically placed on the waiting lists for Southwark schools higher than the school offered. This meant for example if you had applied to 6 Southwark schools and didn't get into them, you would be put on all 6 waiting lists. If you got your second choice school, you would be on the waiting list for your first choice one. Waiting lists are generated using the same admissions criteria as in the original application process. If offered a place at a higher ranked school parents can and often do turn it down, particularly if the place comes up towards the summer holidays and beyond. Renata

The Peckham Rye TRA Hall is quite large, if looking for a smaller space, Buchan Tenants Hall is good. Both have kitchens. Renata

Both are good schools, also Hollydale within the same area is highly spoken of. If you haven't applied to Hollydale and wish to do so, you could ask to be added to it's waiting list. You would need to contact Lewisham admissions with regard to their schools. Renata

Hi ABirney, there is unfortunately no magic formula. People move up the list if others who have been offered a place at the school eg if people move, go independent or take up a place from the waiting list at another school. You can move down too, if the ranking of children lower than yours change (eg if their sibling gets a place at the school or it is determined that they have a social/medical need) or if people move into the area closer to the school than where you live. Size of intake matters a lot, you have far greater chance to get in from 7/8th position to a 3 form entry school than a 1 form entry school. Gina, unfortunately, I don't think the waiting lists are likely to move as far as your position. Waiting lists move right up to Xmas, as sometimes families move over summer and a place can come up in Autumn and parents above you on the waiting list may be happy where their child has started and turn down the place. Renata

Gina, it is better to e-mail school admissions than ringing them. Put in details of your child's application number, address and DOB. I was informed that you need to check with other LAs about if they do automatic placement on waiting lists. It seems from what posters above are saying that Lewisham do. Goodrich last place distance offered was 457 metres. Heber had a last place distance offer of 263 metres. The reason I mentioned Ivydale is that Haberdasher's Aske Free School which is likely to have an overlapping "catchment" with Ivydale (and some nearby Lewisham schools) had independent entry this year. This means that applicants holding 60 place offers to the Aske's Free school will be holding offers at close by Southwark and Lewisham schools. It is really hard to judge what will happen here as Aske's Free School is a bilingual English/German primary, so a bit different to most community primaries and also pupils at this school will be able to move directly into the linked senior school. Kes, re your second choice school, you will be informed if a place comes up. If this happens you do have the option to turn down the place. This happens quite frequently if offers come through later on in the process when parents have bought uniform etc. Londonmix, all I know is that they have some money, the decisions were very much delayed, so at the moment, sorry, I have no update for you. Abney, the position of 14th could be possible, but it depends on where the school is, how large is reception entry no ie 30,60,90. There are some Southwark schools that currently have vacancies, some of these may be better than the offered ones in terms of location or transport links. You will need to contact Southwark if interested in any of them: Community Schools: ? Crawford ? Gloucester ? Keyworth -? Langbourne -? Robert Browning ? Townsend ? Victory Academy and Free schools: ? Harris Academy Peckham Park ? Harris Free School Peckham ? Southwark Free School Foundation Schools: ? Charlotte Sharman Voluntary Aided Schools: ? St George's Cathedral? St Joseph's Infants? St Judes ? St Pauls Renata

Hi all, here are the details of the drop in service at Cator Street for those of you who need help/advice over your primary school Offer: SPA Primary Transfer 2013 Post-Offer Advice Session Would you like to discuss your child??s primary school offer? The School Preference Advisor is on hand to offer independent, impartial support and advice to parents and carers concerning the school admissions process. The Southwark Learning and Business Centre, Cator Street, Peckham, SE15 6AA. Commencing: 19th ?C 29th April 2013 inc. (weekdays) Time: 9:30am - 12:50pm and 1:50pm ?C 3:30pm. ?? The School Preference Adviser is part of Southwark Parent Partnership, an arms length service funded by Southwark Council. ?? 20 minute slots will be available on a first come first served drop-in basis. ?? Please note this is a parent only event; There are no childcare facilities. ?? Parents are asked to sign in on arrival and complete the SPA referral form before the discussion begins. Alternatively you can contact Southwark Parent Partnership Liam White Tel: 0207 525 5211 Macarena Gajardo-Sheridan Tel: 0207 525 7545 Email: [email protected] www.southwarkparentpartnership.co.uk Follow us on Twitter: @southwarkpps

To clarify, you only automatically get put on the lists for your own Borough's primaries . For most of the posters above this is Southwark. The actual application process is PAN London, but the waiting lists are maintained initially by the LAs. If you live Lewisham and have applied to Southwark schools, you need to contact Southwark admissions. (Sorry, I am not very knowledgeable about Lewisham's processes!). Waiting lists do move. If you have been allocated a school too far away eg Langbourne I would suggest being added to additional school's waiting lists eg St Francesca Cabrini (does take non-Catholics who live nearby), Ivydale as it has bulged, Hollydale, Rye Oak, Bessemer Grange, Lewisham schools, Lambeth schools, ie whatever other schools are in close proximity to where you live. Abney, if someone gets a place from a waiting list, this frees up one at another school. In terms of proof of address, the welcome pack will come from the school and you will need to provide the school with proof of address, this may be council tax, child benefit etc. I agree with Cora, 6th on a 90 entry school gives you a good chance. Things that will impact on this are things like new residents moving in closer to the school than you; families securing a place at the school for an older sibling or children being recategorised on the waiting list eg due to social/medical need. So warn people that movement on a waiting list can be up or down. Renata

Yes it would involve going up and down steps. To avoid steps, I think he would have to go via Blackfriars. The alternative would be if you could pick him up from Queen's Road Peckham. Also steps to exit the station, but easier to Park here than at Peckham Rye. Renata

Ok, from above posters info, If Gina, if you live near the Grove Tavern, your closest school I think would be Horniman. You would automatically be on the waiting list on this and the other schools you applied for. The Grove Tavern is 1.8km from Langbourne (distances are all done as the crow flies), and this must have been the closest Southwark school to you with spaces. Renata

Hi Anna, the details of Southwark admissions are in my post above, they will know your waiting list position. If you email then, be aware that they are dealing with many emails at the moment and it may take a couple of days to get back to you. You will automatically be on the waiting list of the schools you applied to. As the school you have been offered is close to you, maybe contact the school and visit it. Renata

Jennifaah and those wanting to contact admissions: Tel: 020 7525 5337 [email protected] I would wait a few days though as there will be some people who will turn down places very quickly eg if they have a place at an independent school. Ryekids/Kamath/Bizzylizzie/LizzieF/Kes etc You are automatically put on the waiting list for schools on your list (higher than an offered one if you got offered a preferred school). You can get the waiting list information from Southwark Admissions. Movement on waiting lists can happen well into the next school year (eg some children don't turn up in September). Vez/Tomskip/Ellandi it is certainly a good idea to put down 6 schools as last place offered distances can vary a lot from year to year (eg sibling no fluctuations) and sometimes bulges occur due to demand after the closing date. If you have put a school down that has a late bulge class you may get it and not be in with a chance any more if you apply later, once the allocations are released. Gina3, do you live on East Dulwich Grove, if so, the schools you would have had a greatest chance to get into are Goose Green and Bessemer Grange. You don't mention these two schools as ones you have applied to. I would suggest requesting to go onto the waiting list of these two schools if you do live on East Dulwich Grove. If you were allocated a school place, this would be the closest Southwark school where there are places. This may not have been the closest school where there were places. If you live close to the boundary with Lewisham or Lambeth, it may be worth requesting to go onto the waiting list of schools that are close to you over the Borough boundary. Some of you have been offered Langbourne. Due to demand it bulged last year and it has also bulged again. Its normal admission number is only 30. This will have been the closest school to you that had places available. If you live near a C of E or Catholic school it may be worth adding your child's name to their waiting lists, as after the allocation to practicing C of E or Catholic applicants, remaining places are allocated on distance. C of E schools typically have 50% community places, but if there are not enough C of E applicants, or places come up on the waiting list, these could be allocated to non C of E applicants. Renata

Hello all, I am really sorry to hear that some of you have received a school you are unhappy with. I am happy to help anyone who has problems with their primary school allocation (see my contact details below). If you haven't received any of your 6 schools it means that in the first round there were people who were higher up the ranking list than you up to the admission number. Over the next few weeks there will movement on all waiting lists, so if you have applied to your closest schools, it is likely that you will get a place at one of those schools eventually. You may also decide to be added to the waiting list of other schools that you didn't apply to in the first round. To anyone who got their secondary offer resent. this was a glitch in the London wide computer system (the system is PAN London) ie not a Southwark issue. This was corrected by around 5.30pm. Notification was correctly sent out to those waiting on primary school allocations in parallel, so all on-line applicant parents should have received their primary allocation. Letters were also sent out as well, so a hard copy notification should be received by parents, most likely today. Overall more parents than last year received their first choice and more received one of their choices than last year. This is the letter that has been emailed out to all Councillors, with the details: Dear Councillor, Southwark has seen an increase in the number of children getting a primary school of their choice. In addition all primary school applicants have been offered a place for September 2013 and more children than ever before have been offered a first preference school. Figures to note are:- ? 100.0% of Southwark primary school applicants have been offered a place for September 2013 ? A total of 3,411 applications were received, 57 less applications than last year ? 2,804 (82.2%) children received a first preference school a 4.6% increase on last year's figure of 2,692 (77.6%) ? 3,272 (95.9%) children received one of their preferences a 1.7% increase on last year's figure of 3,269 (94.2%) ? 139 (4.0%) families without a preference and offered an alternative school, this is a 1.7% decrease on last year's figures - 198 (5.7%) ? 3,328 (97.5%) of online applications were received, an increase of 36.8% from last year's figure of 2110 (60.7%).​ Please note that our School Preference Advisers together with members of our parent partnership team will be holding a drop in surgery at Cator Street. for two weeks, (19th - 29th April), on a first come, first served basis. Renata

Hi all, I'm trying to do something about this. I know it is a major issue for many Southwark residents who use the trains from Nunhead/PR/Denmark Hill I actually was at South Eastern Rail Offices today. Renata

Zebra crossing. Renata

Oh James, I will stop on this one , I can see it dissolving into political disagreement yet again. Just to say average family income in Southwark 18k, the average Southwark family would not, therefore, be eligible for free school meals. The majority of families benefitting from free, health school meals are not wealthy. Many children eligible for free school meals weren't claiming them. I have raised the issue of stuff being dropped while bins are emptied. Renata

I haven't seen Councillor Rosie Shimell's letter. (this is not a Council letter but a letter from one of the ED Ward Councillors) There have been huge cuts to the Council's budget. Yes, there has been reduction in street cleaning, there has been cuts to the budget across all council departments. In my mind we have got our priorities right. For example, all libraries have stayed open and there is still a One O'clock Club in Peckham Rye Park. Recycling rates are up and amounts of waste to landfill down. People with dogs are supposed to clear up their waste. Most dogs owners do, but there is a minority who persistently don't. If there are bins that need emptying let me know and I will pass the information on. I will raise about litter and refuse collection on Ulverscroft. I do the same as you Kford! Renata

To add to what James has said, Liam White, the School Preference Advisor holds one to one sessions with parents to help them out if they are unhappy with their allocations. Tel: 0207 525 5211 Email: [email protected] www.southwarkparentpartnership.co.uk Waiting lists do shift quite a lot between offer day and September, so don't panic if in the first round your are unhappy with the school you have been allocated. Good luck everybody for tomorrow, Renata

5pm I think, Renata

I've now had confirmation from Council Officers; north end (discussed in this thread) is TFL, south of this it is Southwark Council's jurisdiction. Renata

Hi Supergolden88 Rye Hill TRA, by Peckham Rye Park. Harris Girl's (used to have a bouncy castle, I don't know if they still do).Buchan Hall, top of Buchan Rd in Nunhead, near the Cemetery. Local church halls. Upstairs at the Nun's Head? Renata