Coach Beth

Looking forward to seeing people tommorrow - I'm one of the parents available to chat after the first tour. As Loopylou says, just turn up at one of the three times listed in the first post. There will be another open day in January as well. Cheers,

yes, the Wildlife Gardens let's out their info hut for a venue for kids parties - on Sundays. My little one had his third birthday there - perfect! They book up though - you do need to book quite aways in advance. Cheers,

yes, the Wildlife Gardens let's out their info hut for a venue for kids parties - on Sundays. My little one had his third birthday there - perfect! They book up though - you do need to book quite aways in advance. Cheers,

Hello, I wasn't at the meeting and my child is happily settled into reception this year at Goose Green. But I have been watching the discussions with interest. It is my feeling that the main thing is people are able to get a place at a local school - it was shocking this year how many people were sent to schools very far away. Therefore, it was good that Goodrich put on a buldge class this year - as for many people in the 'black hole' of primary schools, this is their closest school. My conern however is that schools like Goose Green or Bessemer Grange which are in the process of being turned around do not suffer from bulge classes being placed at other schools. We need schools that are mixed - Goose Green this year has a very diverse class intake and more people I know have been considering the school as an option for reception next year. This is a good thing for the kids, school and community! And, I'm so positive about Goose Green, that yesterday I turned down an offer of a place for my son at Dog Kennel Hill - which came up through the waiting list. I have also taken my son off the waiting list for St. Johns. I spoke to another parent who is sending her daughter to Bessemer Grange - she has done the same in regards to waiting lists. In the Bessemer Granger reception, there are only NINE children in this september intake with another 12 due in January. That school has lots of places available - and although it is abit awkward to get to, it is a local school for the East Dulwich/Camberwell community. And she and the other parents at Bessemer Granger are very happy with the school (and are liking the small class size as well!) I also wonder at the effect of even 5 years of bulge classes in a school - I'm not sure how sustainable it is. But those are my ramblings before this site goes on hoilday tommorrow!

Smiler - that is an excellent point. All schools need to be supported - as we've seen in the area, schools that we're given good or outstanding status several years ago can fall to satisfactory - it is very easy without local support or lobbying for schools to slip in standards between Ofsted reports - since the period is often many years.

Exactly Fuschia - it wasn't that long ago and now look at Heber. The most oversubscribed school in the area now.

Thanks scrambled head - all those acronyms seem the same to me...

That's fine - fire away with questions! I can't speak for the school office though - no idea what they do with booking visits to be honest!

Hi there - the Headteacher along with the reception teachers will be setting a date this week - it should be set by the PTA meeting which is next Tuesday evening at 6pm. It's envisioned that the open session will be organised so that propspective parents can view an actual reception teaching setting, have a chance to talk to the Head directly and also meet current parents whose children are in reception. It's my understanding that you can ring up and make an individual appointment to go and be shown around the school. When I was shown around Goose Green last year, I was shown around by a teacher as well as being able to talk to students. (a couple of the other primary schools just had it so you were shown around by a year 6 student) I found very helpful as is a limit to what the students could answer at the other primary schools that I went to see - for example about teaching methods, curriculam matters, etc. etc. Anyway, I'd check with the office again if you want an individual appointment to be shown around the school - it might be they thought you were coming to see the maths curriculam evening which is next week perhaps? And yes, the date will be advertised here on the forum when it is set - envisioned for the first week of November after half term. Also will be posters displayed in the area via the PTA network.

I managed to resist the yummy biscuits at the coffee morning!! Great meeting - a good mix of informal meeting other parents and then a good discussion with the Headerteacher. She told us they had a short inspection from Ofted last week and they said that the quality of teaching had dramatically improved which was great. Most people at the meeting said they felt happy with the school now, kids were happy and learning - parents of reception kids are very happy with the two reception teachers (new to the school this year but both experienced teachers). We talked about the new school website - which has lots of info on it. http://www.goosegreenprimaryschool.org.uk/ And the Head teacher is very keen on the open day idea - she suggested we have a one or two hour slot (looking at the 1st week in Novemeber) where parents thinking of sending their kids to reception can come and view a class or a segment (like a reading lesson) and then they can have a meeting with the current parents herself and they can ask any questions they like. So very positive!

Hi Goose Green parents, Just in case some parents missed the email, there is an informal PTA meeting at Goose Green school on Monday 5th 9 -10am - coffee, tea, meet other parents and the Headteacher! See you there!

Because the problem is because of a change in demographics - I believe there was a noticable 'baby boom' in the area a few years ago - resulting in this years school intake being so oversubscribed. A friend who is the mother of a 7 year old had no problem getting into her 1st choice school St. John's - even though she lives about 700 meters away. Whereas last year, children over 200 meters away couldn't get in. So you will be seeing children who are older than reception age (and who possibliy also have siblings at the school or who got in on a church place) travelling further to those schools.

Fushia - well said. The distance is a very, very rough guideline and just changes every year depending on the intake. This year for example, St. John's accepted no one who was outside 200 metres for instance - two years ago, a friend of mine child got in (not on either a church nor a sibling place either) who lived 700 metres away. The best thing is to put your closest Southwark state school somewhere on your list - even if it's number 4. Otherwise, you might end up at a school very far indeed as Mrs. Lotte said.

Isn't the story about imagining life as an early settler in Britain (as suggested in the top right hand corner of the story)? Therefore there would be swords (and knights) and being dirty would be part and parcel of life as an early settler? Story could be about adventure, quests, overcoming great odds - not neccesarly being a trouble maker.

And don't forget to look around and consider other schools in the area other than Heber/Goodrich etc. Several parents who on the forum who didn't get into Heber/Goodrich/St. John's and who didn't even consider the alternatives ie. Goose Green and Bessemer Grange have been pleasantly surprised when they actually went and looked around the schools and are now sending their kids to these schools (which they got into on waiting lists).

That's great Wiz! I've heard many positive things about Bessemer Grange and if our boy didn't get into Goose Green, that would have been definately on our list of schools. For parents worried about admissions for next year, the best thing to do is look around the school and talk to parents who are already there. Also look to see if there is a PTA presence - however small it might be. I went to the PTA coffee morning this week at Goose Green and it was great to see a diverse range of parents getting involved. To me, that's more important than any Ofted report!!! I also recommend that parents make contact with each other through the forum - GG parents who use this forum going into reception formed a group over the summer, meeting up in the playground on the weekends so when our children started reception, they had some friends already. And we parents knew each other as well.

I agree with Mrs. Lotte - don't make the mistake that many parents this year made of putting down only very oversubscribed schools - with the baby boom and lack of primary school places, many were allocated schools several bus rides away. What happens is that if you don't put your nearest community school on your list, then you lose out to parents who did put that school on their list - even if they put it at number four. We live near Goose Green too and put Goose Green School down on the list although it wasn't our 1st choice. But as it is our nearest community school, I put it on. (as a church School, St. John's doesn't count as your nearest community school). I'm very glad we did as my friends had tales of woe at being offered schools near Queens Road Peckham and near the Old Kent Road!!!! Anyway, it's all working out fine - the school is working hard to turn around and the reception teachers are lovely AND are experienced teachers (one of the benefits of being in Special Measures is that they can't hire inexperienced teachers) My boy is with several friends from nursery and they are all settling in fine. Good luck!

Hi there! My boy also had a good first (and today now second) day of school at Goose Green as well. Quite smiley and happy both going in and coming out. When I asked him what he did at school he said 'When the bell rings, we sit on the carpet and then we tidy up!' I hope his enthusasiam for tidying up at school carries over tidying up at home!

CRAP - I haven't yet checked my bank account! Sigh. Approach the nursery in Forest Hill?

I LOVE this book!!! It is absolutely brillant - really amazing. So thoughtful. I recommend it to every mum-to-be and new mum as well. Cheers,

Thank you so much Smiler for all the work you are doing - and for providing such a detailed report. Although my son is leaving Bojangles to go to school, I am happy to support parents in whatever option they decide to go with. Coach Beth (Sam's Mum)

I have to be honest and say that our son was in nappies at night till just a couple of months ago - and he is 4.5 years old! He was out of nappies by 3 years old in the daytime but everything I read suggesting waiting till later (but not saying exactly how much later!) to do the night time thing. Anyway, it is very variable whether the bed sheets stay dry - invest in a bed protector sheet!!! Amongst my friends, it's been a wide variety of experiences - some people did this much earlier some as late as us.

Best of luck to you Nick!! Melbourne Grove is a lovely road and it'd be nice to see that shopping parade really take off. Cheers,

I started really enjoying my son when he started talking and was able to walk/play without me constantly worrying about him falling down, walking randomly in cafe's/pavements, etc - about 3 I think!! I found it all much easier after about 8 months - I did find it most difficult from newborn to 8 months. I'm with snss75 - I find it more enjoyable the older he gets, I love having 'proper' conversations with him - he is about 4.5 years old now.

We had a birthday party for our son when he was 3 years old at the Wildlife Gardens - which was a great venue. You can do a scanvanger hunt in the gardens which is always good fun and arrange the visitors centre how you like for the food/refreshments and indoor activities.