Fuschia

You need something that measures as the crow flies. Lewisham actually have such a tool on their website that tells you how far you are frome a school using approx the same system as they use for admissons, IIRC

prdarling Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- . > > The stats this year are even worse...52/90 places > at Goodrich have gone to siblings, plus probably a > couple of places to children with exceptional > needs etc so probably only 35 places which is why > the 'catchment' area this year has shruck > ENORMOUSLY. > > Last year the furthest distance offered was 683m > this year it is 440m. > > We live 465m and thought based on last year's > stats we'd be OK The reduction in distance is because the measure is now as the crow flies

barrybrains Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Not quite ED but still in the catchment for lots > of residents: Dulwich Village infants (SE21) and > Fairlawn (SE23) are outstanding, AS I said, none of the schools in ED are deemed outstanding

Maybe try cranial osteopathy ?

I bhaven't heard anyone say they didn't include in their list their closest community school. Pareents woukd be foolish indeed if they passed over that school, for which they have the best chance, in favour of other "better" schools. For information, though, I don't think any of the schools in ED are deemed "outstanding. The upset families haven't been allocated any close school at all, is their concern, same as last year.

I have also asked for confirmation that all children have been offered a place within the statutory safe walking distance (two mile) as parents have been saying that's not the case edited to amend the distance

Have posted a note there but as the booklet with the wrong info was produced under the previous administration, I suspect the new administration might have more chance of getting the correct info

I have asked a question of cllrs http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,463074 "James I have posted a question in the family room about why the admissions booklet sems to have incorrect and incomplete info about last year's admissions and asking for the same info for this year (no of places taken by siblings, no of places taken as closest community school with distance, etc People have also said they have been allocated schools they didn't choose, two miles away, I presume this is incorrect as the statutory distance for infants is one mile isn't it? I presume all children have been allocated a school within 1 mile?"

James I have posted a question in the family room about why the admissions bookelt sems to have incorrect and incomplete info about last year's admissions and asking for the same info for this year (no of places taken by siblings, no of places taken as closest community school with distance, etc People have also said they have been allocated schools they didn't choose, two miles away, I presume this is incorrect as the statutory distance for infants is one mile isn't it? I presume all children have been allocated a school within 1 mile?

mistic nutmeg i hope you nsver feel screwed by the system as many do here.

The information on page 2 of the school admissions booklet doesn't make sense (it doesn't add up to the full number of spaces for any of the schools, it seems to show approx one child per school got in on the distance criteria, and it doesn't include the bulge class at Goodrich. Also the distance informatioon shown is clearly wrong. Is it possible to get accurate info for this year and this for each ED school regarding no os spaces and how many filled by siblings, closest community school (and the relevant distance) as that will be immense help for parents...

Prd: suggest your first port of call is to ask the LA how many metres they measured you from Goodrich. Then ask for accurate information about last year and this year to see how many Goodrich children were siblings, and for those who were not, what the furtheest distance was. Later on, the distance from your house to the school will be what determines your place on the waiting list. When is your child 5? You aren't obliged to send them until the are actually 5, they don't hae to start until the term AFTER they are 5, so there is the possibility of holding on for a term maybe with them in nursery or wherever they are now. Also have a look at any other schools that might suit your walking route, and plan to get yourself on their waiting lists too. Try not to be too despondent at this point. There are lots of for sale signs up in ED... and some families will have applied also to church schools or to private schools and won't take up their Goodrich offer.

I am not sure you can accuse a 5m old of having bad habits. But there is a more to the changwe in sleep patterns at 4m than teething pain, I'm afraid.. it's to do with a change to the brain/sleep patterns/developmental leaps. Tiny babies under 4m do have a particular ability to sleeeeep which I'm afraid doesn't persist forever... http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/02/qa_what_are_sle.html

Info re infant appeals: "Appeals Involving Infant Class Sizes (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Classes) There are separate and different rules for appeals which involve limiting infant class sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils. Apart from some very limited exceptions, no infant class may contain more than 30 pupils being taught by one teacher. Any admissions which would increase a class to more than 30 pupils would require what are called 'qualifying measures', such as organising an extra class, appointing an additional teacher, providing an additional classroom or introducing or extending mixed age group teaching. When the Local Authority can show to an Appeals Panel that any further admissions would require qualifying measures your appeal could be upheld only if the appeals Panel decided either that a mistake had been made in the allocation of places according to the admissions criteria which had deprived your child of a place and if the criteria had been applied correctly your child would have received that place, or the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had not been contrary to mandatory provisions in the School Admissions Code and the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, or that the decision to refuse admission was 'unreasonable' in the circumstances of the case. 'Unreasonable' as defined by the Courts is construed as being perverse or irrational and is a very high threshold for an appeal to be successful. "

malcol Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Possibly it was compiled before the bulge class > was agreed or perhaps it makes it easier to stick > with the normal 90 places so as not to confuse > people who may think that 120 is their normal > intake amount. I can assure you though that this > academic year (09/10) they took in 4 classes > amounting to 120 children and next year it will be > 3 classes. It would be useful for parents to clarify how the places were allocated last year and this year and for the nonsiblings how far from the school the net was cast...

Underlying all this is the fact that the government merely expects a place to be offered at a school within statutory walking distance (2 miles for Infants) and if there are spaces at schools within that distance then there is no case for additional school places closer to the locality... ED by the look of it is absolutely full at the seams with primary children who are now being shipped out to schools on the perimeter. Will be interesting to see the stats and if the demand locally was as expected and places have been found at the schools the LA foresaw...

malcol Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Just to confirm, Goodrich actually took in 4 > classes last year (two in September and two for > the January in take) so they had 120 reception > children (09/10). This year they won't have a > bulge class but will still be taking their usual > 90 children (3 classes) again spread over two > start times (September and January). That's odd then.. why does the booklet give data for the allocation of just 90 places? Guess it's all just rubbish then!!

Page 22 for lAT YEAR'S CRITERIA (FINAL?) gOODRICH HAD 90 PLACES LAST YEAR 38 SIBLINGS 3 Special needs iT SEEMS TO SAY 1 place was issued on distance criteria, 683m from the school (last yr rule was shortest safe walking journey, this yr distances will be shorter as rule is as the crow flies) If that's correct guess all pupils for whom it was the closest school did get a place, and that would have been 90-38-3-1 = 48 places. As there are 60 places this year, you might surmise only 18 would have got in, everything else being equal... but I would guess there would be more siblings due to the larger existing school population since the bulge class. If there were again 48 pupils for whom it was the closest school, that would be 30 unsuccessful applicants...

You wil be able to find out how many places went to children under each criteria and what the distance was for the nonsiblings

I am thinking most places have gone to siblings last years bulge class will mean there are more goodrich siblings than prev years...

I am afraid due to limits on infant class sizes a successful appeal is virtually impossible however hopefully a place will become available is goodrich your closest school?

James, do you know what % got one of their first two or three choices?

Not that mine are ever anything but total angels, of course.

?Online offers will be available to view online from 5pm on 10 May 2010 ?Paper offers will be sent out by first class post on 10 May 2010 ?Acceptance of all offers by parents and carers is required by the closing date of 21 May 2010, any offers not accepted by parents and carers may be withdrawn ?A further round of offers is made for places freed up by any declined offers in May 2010 ?Appeals for school places will be heard June/July 2010 http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200172/school_admissions/1209/nursery_and_primary_school_admissions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rebBsXijoc