Hollybush

I'm very surprised you didn't get Goose Green being in Hayes Grove, I'd check with Southwark how far they think you are from GG and what current catchment is, people up top of Copleston Road have got in there. Espeically as they're taking an extra class this year. It's true though, Bessemer is not far through the (traffic free!) paths behind Sainsburys, and I've only heard good things. Anyway if you contact Southwark admissions [email protected] they'll tell you what no. you are on the DKH and GG lists. You are automatically on waiting lists for any schools you ranked above what you've been given, until Sept, when I believe you have to tell them if you want to stay on any lists. The advice is to accept place you're given even if you want to hold out for something else, although it isn't clear to me whether not accpeting a place means they treat you any differently. Certainly not accepting won't make you higher priority on other lists, but perhaps it legally means they can be less helpful later. Sure someone else will know this.

I agree that it seems that most schools in ED area seem decent, and if this is hte case we ought to all be happy going to closest one. Problem is that there are just a lot of little ones here now and you can live right in between 2 or 3 decent schools but be on the edge / out of catchment depending on how it goes that year. It does feel wrong if you can't get into your closest community school.

I'm confused about Chantelle's blackheath horror story, as that shouldn't happen surely - they would have got a place if nearer than others to the community school, regardless of preference order? Although there may be siblings or other children with particular special needs that may live further and would get priority. Have done the application process this year and the key thing seems to be to use all 6 choices and be realistic. There really isn't scope for tactics - the system needs your actual preferences, otherwise may backfire. All you lose by putting an unlikely/'dream' choice first is one of your 6 - it doesn't reduce your chance of getting no.2 as far as I know. If you only put 2schools you are effectively saying you will make other arrangements if you don't get these.

Wow I followed Sharls' advice and got a great reply in exactly 13 mins. It fully answers my queries, good for Southwark!

Another thing I saw on the website which people might find interesting is that if you want to defer a place that you've been offered until later in academic year (e.g. if summer baby, or until term after they are 5) then you don't lose it - school has to honor it.

I have the letter now too. Overall I find the info in it quite useful and detailed, makes things much clearer than when you just see the offer statement email without the info pack. E.g. it does make clear that you are on waiting list for preferred schools and also states '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'. THis is reassuring - for most of us it seems that all we need to do now is accept the place we are offered and then wait to find out how far down we are the lists. However they seem to contradict themselves on when to contact them. Page 2 of letter says 'all waiting list info relating to community schools will be updated after 4 april and for non community schools 19 april so please contact us after these dates'. But later in the info pack it says 'you can contact the admissions team for up to date vacancy information after 19 april'. So they shouldn't be surprised if they get a lot of calls!

Sorry cross post with Craigy! Is it a non-community school that you were asking about Vik?

Can't believe Southwark told you to call the school Vik! Says on the website admissions criteria document that Southwark will hold the waiting lists until 31 August and then hand them to schools. Also seems to imply that you have to apply to be on any waiting list (although perhaps they put you on automatically for schools you chose originally, I'm not sure). It also says parents have a right to be told where they are on the waiting list at any time, and also to be told about the criteria that apply to them. People have to accept places by 19 April, so it kind of makes sense that the waiting list will be more formed / meaningful by then. People will want to know how far away from the cut off distance they are though. I guess we have to wait and see what the letters say about next steps as it does say that the letter will tell us how to get on waiting list / accept /appeal etc.

I thought one of the councillors had said it would be Goose Green having the bulge. We are going there too by the looks of it, although was 2nd choice for us.

There is Bellenden Primary too. IUse this map: http://map.lgfl.org.uk/eAdmissions/Default.aspx Amazingly the application online form process that you have to use for SOuthwark is actually quite whizzy and links to this map so that you can click and add the schools to your application. Then when you find the schools, head over to ofsted to read the reports, if you want to. I've looked at a few locally and found they are mainly 'satisfactory', Lyndhurst is 'good'.

Thanks Mellors - is that a private nursery in Nunhead? If private nurseries can manage to do it then surely Southwark ought to in its own facilities!

Having another go incase anyone with experience of this is around today. Sorry to bore everyone!

Hmm think I'm going to start tummy sleeping at night as well for my little man, as he is getting worse at sleeping after being great like your little one!

Yes sorry for the generalisation Molly! Just meaning that if it is people's own kids it is a bit different from letting your dog lick someone else's little ones. I agree with your take on it.

Maybe try putting her on her front (if you usually put her on back?) This was a revolution to us when we started doing this with our first at 4 months. Suddenly got proper naps! We'd always followed advice about back sleeping but then my dad put him down once on his front and we realised why babies used to always be put that way. I still put my 14 week old down on back at night (becuase of the advice), but often on front during day.

I would hate that! Probably they will let their dog lick their baby - dog people are like that, the dog is seen as part of the family, but they should stop it from licking other small children for sure. I'm with you completely.

I know top up fees have been discussed before and although they shouldn't be charged, it is common practice. But we seem to be paying over the odds for our part time place - grateful for any advice from others in a similar situation on whether this is something we have to live with or is worth arguing about. Sorry it is a bit technical and boring but I'm hoping it makes sense to people in same situation... Our 3 year old is doing 3 days at a Southwark Early Years Centre - approx 24 hours, of which 15 should be 'free'. NB this is run by local authority so not an expensive private nursery. Southwark are charging over ?90 per week for the 3 day place even after the discount for the free hours. The rate for a full time place is about ?150 - with the three day rate being calculated as three fifths of the full time rate. A child doing 2 days would still pay ?60 per week. Southwark say the Free Early Years Entitlement discount is already factored into the basic ?150 full time rate. If this is the case, calculating the part time fees on a pro rata basis surely means that part time children are only getting part of the discount. But everyone should be entitled to same amount of free care. I'm going to contact Southwark directly and maybe try to get some advice from DCSF as well - not sure if this is all a waste of time!

Goose how come you have to separate glass & tins - I'm in southwark in a house but have a blue box and it all goes in together with plastic - only the paper has to go spearately. I agree it is nicer to be able to put it all in together (Greenwich do that too). Do you have to separate for communal bins at your flats? The waste truck puts it all in together anyway doesn't it (maybe not paper).

Perhaps we should be more honest about where we are and make plans for a PLACE or a SQUARE rather than a piazza etc. What is wrong with using English terms? Foreign terms can sound pretentious, like the 'Centrale' development in Croydon which noone seems to know whether to put a French accent on for!

Keeping this at the top of the list so more people will notice and add their names to protest (e.g. by emailing your MP as I have just done, as the cut of the East Croydon trains is bad news for our household). It is great to see the forum being used for SRUG posts and response from Tessa Jowell's office too.