intexasatthe moment

Using the menu the scanning process just wouldn't commence. Don't know why ,it just sat there for 10 mins with 0% completed. It was only when we unplugged it that it started rescanning for channels .

Jah Lush - we've just been struggling to retune our BT Vision box .In the end we unplugged it and restarted it ,and it went automatically to the scan for new channels option. We do have a remote ,but I notice that the box itself also has an OK/select button. But if you have a freeview TV maybe it's different.Have you checked if the TV has a an OK/select button?

" an agreed common admissions crtieria " Off topic for this thread so I'll try and be brief. There may be some agreed criteria ,like priority for children with statements ,but if you look at the criteria applied when places are oversubscribed you will find a huge variation in Southwark Secondary schools.( None of which are community schools under the control of the LEA ) Which is why Southwarks booklet ( find it here http://www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/educationandlearning/Admissions/startingsecondary.html ) on applying to secondary schools says Voluntary aided, academies and foundation schools have different admissions criteria, Because Academies and Foundation schools can determine their own admissions criteria. Bacon's has a stringent inner and outer geographical requirement ,the Harris Academy's mainly require children to sit a test and places are allocated by banding.In some cases this banding is" referenced to the national distribution of ability ". The Charter bases their admissions criteria around geographical distance ,and Kingsdale goes for banding ,only 3 bands as opposed to Harris's 9 ,but gives priority to " Children who satisfy our scholarship criteria based on aptitude for music or sport." over that of siblings. So huge variations.

Was your daughter higher up the school,ie not reception ? I think sometimes there's more movement in the older age groups ?

Re the straight line /crow flies criteria - Southwark's website refers to it as The straight line walking distance. So it can't be as the crow flies ...can it ?

James The problem with a non community school is that they have their own admissions criteria. What like all Southwark's secondary schools ,none of which remain community schools being either Academy's or Foundation schools ? Or is it only a concern if it's a primary school ?

Good suggestion Moos .

Article in Independant on getting your child to sleep ,not using controlled crying. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/how-to-help-your-baby-sleep-1791130.html

done

I think not....

I posted because I felt that reacting to the shortfall in school nursery places in the same way that people are reacting to the shortage of primary school places in this part of the borough was slightly odd. Southwark doesn't have an obligation to provide places for all it's 3 year olds in school nurseries in the same way that it does for primary school age children As far as I know there's always been a shortfall in nursery places,although the situation has improved in recent years. There is obviously a problem at present with a shortage of primary school places in this part of the borough and this clearly needs addressing. But I don't think that you can automatically assume that the shortfall in nursery places is a direct indicator of a shortage of primary school places.

Herne Bay ?

When I had a son at primary school I never dropped him off by car. But my guess is that some of the people dropping off by car are doing so because they are going on to work. And madly juggling lots of things and too busy to read this thread and respond.

Entry to reception years is governed by Southwark admission ctriteria but these don't apply to nursery places . It seems that the individual school decides this. Recent post from Mellors on different thread seems to suggest that primary schools file nursery applications by D. O. B. This was the case many moons ago at Goodrich and was another way the education system disadvantaged the summer born so I'm hoping it isn't still the system used.

Pointing out the obvious maybe ,but unlike the statutory obligation to provide education for all 5 year olds, there is no legal requirement for Southwark to provide nursery places for all.

Fraid it's true about being careful. Passing ( broad daylight ) some pavement diners ,I shouted to alert them to an attempt to take their bag. Then self and boyfriend persued and set upon ( no harm done ) by thwarted bag snatchers.

bump

Aargh - just read your other post. Sure smells and reminders are the least of your worries. So sorry - keep strong.

What a gorgeous boy ! What an awful time you had ...heartfelt sympathies. Be warned that if you have to go back to hospital environs ,some small unexpected reminder can bring it all back. I was completely undone by smell of hospital handcleaner which left me a quivering heap. Look after yourself .

Kate - not a stepmother ,but sending my heartfelt sympathies. I do think teenage girls can be very,very tricky . Not to diminish complexities of step mother situation ,but feel sure awfulness would be in place whatever your status.

Bumpkin I completely agree . I read Pugwash's post with horror and thought sh*t ,my school age kids aren't doing that ! Still,perhaps their lives won't be ruined like mine was by excessive school work. Loads of A's ,good degree ,and absolutely no social skills ,no confidence and a life long belief that to get by in life and work you have to put in every ounce of effort you possess.

Still holding a good thought for you HeidiHi .

Oh you Charter parents are all so lucky... We couldn't get a place when it first opened ,middle of Barry Rd too far away.

Mscrawthew - yes my son has also had to say goodbye to a fabulous Science teacher . You're so right ,Pimlico used to allow children to be individuals ,now if you're bold enough to criticise the regime you're in for trouble. I know of a pupil who runs an alternative school newsletter/paper - guess what? She's threatend with exclusion and told on a weekly basis by the head that if she doesn't like the school she should leave.

My son's school ( Pimlico ) has become an Academy . Stakeholders ( including parents/carers ) were consulted about the decision and 94% voted against the school becoming an Academy. I think the " consultation " gave many of us our first taste of the spin that surrounds Academies. Some Academies show improved exam results ,some don't. The Academy at Peckham has improved exam results but GCSE results are still below the Government's minimum magic 30% achieving 5 A - C grades. Ofsted has 3 grades - outstanding,good and satisfactory ( the latter is defined by Ofsted as "not good enough ",which may give you an introduction into the workings of Ofsted )so for the Peckham Academy to get "good"is not quite the same thing as a "top report ". Many Academies ( and Kingsdale in the past ,don't know about now ) enter pupils for GNVQ's where one GNVQ pass is equal to ( but not recognised by most F and HE institutions as the equivalent of ) 4 GCSE's at A-C. I have been told by a teacher at my son's school that the English GCSE taken this year included an online test that could be taken as many times as necessary . I have also been told that weak students are removed from the classroom for one to one help that involves concentrating on bringing course work ( which is meant to be completed independently ) up to standard. So on the " improvement of results " front I have misgivings . I have other misgivings about Academies in general in that they privatise state education and remove it from the state sector. The sponsor can determine pay and conditions for staff ( existing teachers enjoy protection for 2 years ) creating a 2 tier employment structure for staff and teachers and fragmenting the existing education structure. They enjoy huge freedoms and are exempt from much of the legislation that applies to state schools - eg the legislation surrounding SEN ,the legislation around parent/carers right of appeal regarding exclusion. The government gives the impression that academies are subject to to the same rules of accountability as the maintained sector .The reality is that these rules vary from academy to academy and are negoitated by the sponsor. The sponsor determines the school's Governing Body - at my son's school we now have a governing body entirely dominated by sponsor representatives ,with one elected parent governor and no staff or teacher representation at all. My personal experience of involvement of parents in the life of the school is that it's all a facade. A campaign by the school ( to call it half hearted would give it undeserved praise ) to attract parent reps has resulted in a handful of parents attending termly meetings where the agenda and discussion is entirely controlled by the school . Consultations have involved 3 selfselected parents attending meetings during the school day . It all looks good in the school Newsletter and on paper - but the spin doesn't match the reality. All Academies benefit from increased state funding ( the sponsor's contribution is often minimal - the interest from a ?2 million trust fund ,on which the sponsor claims tax relief ,and can be a non financial contribution of "DNA " .) Quite why there can't be a level playing field with all state schools benefitting from extra funding is a mystery to me. Why do schools have to be infused with business ideals ?,why does art work by students have to carry the sponsor's logo ?sixth formers made to adopt a dress code on the grounds that it improves learning and prepares them for employment and university ?Should GCSE students be bribed to attend crammer classes by the promise of laptops ? Should so much of the way a school is run be uninformed by parent's views or wishes?