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bonaome

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Everything posted by bonaome

  1. This year's application process has just kicked off. Forms were to be in by Jan 29. You could apply on Southwark's Common Application Form (CAF) for up to four schools. The schools are informed of all the applicants (without the preference order information). Places are allocated by the schools' own admissions staff; first to "looked after" kids and kids with special educational/social/psycological needs. Then siblings (regardless of where the family now lives) are allocated places. Then to the rest of the kids who applied for a place based on who lives closest to the school. This year Southwark adoped 'as the crow flies' as opposed to safest walking distance. If a kid is offered a place from more than one school, the LA offers you the highest preference and rejects the lower preference offer on your behalf, returning that place to the 'pot' the school has to offer places from. A lot of places get released quite late on when it becomes apparent that some kids are going to reject LA offers in favour of going private. If you get offered none of the schools on your list, the LA tries to find a suitable (close as possible) school and makes that offer to you. If that offer is not acceptable to you, you can appeal (waste of time in all but very limited circumstances) and/or go on to the waiting lists. Next year, there'll be a different system in London. All the London boroughs are going to be using the same unified application form (and I assume process). More like University clearing (as rediculous as that sounds). I guess you'll be able to apply regardless of borough (which you could have this year, you just needed to get the right borough's CAF and none of the local councils predicate offers based on borough residency) and (pure speculation) I expect you'll be allowed more choices. Then I expect allocation will go along much as I describe above - I think perhaps Southwark has changed some of this year's proceedures from last year's to move towards the common London-wide form and process - e.g. straight line, not safest walking distance as the proximity criteria. In any event, you're probably wasting your time applying to popular schools very far from you. Southwark publish data on how far from the school lived the furthest successful applicant - so you could see last year's figures on their website. Other councils will likely do the same. It doesn't make any difference which borough you live in. If you live in Croyden 50m from a Lewisham school, you've more chance of getting a place there than a Lewisham resident who lives 51m from the school. Here are some links for you to start reading up: Southwark's admissions info: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/educationandlearning/Admissions/startingprimary.html Southwark Primary Addmissions Scheme http://www.southwark.gov.uk/Uploads/FILE_43652.pdf Southwark's allocation mechanic http://www.southwark.gov.uk/Uploads/FILE_30482.pdf A Facebook group dedicated to this very subject http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120669739604 Finally - beware school league tables and ofsteads. They're not the whole story and I wouldn't take them at face value. They can hide more than they tell. Go and see the schools for yourself before you write them off / jump in.
  2. I'd recommend the Gran Melia Volcan in Lanzarote http://www.solmelia.com/hotels/spain/lanzarote/gran-melia-volcan-lanzarote/home.htm It's 5*, has access ramps everywhere so you never have to worry about buggy access, the rooms are big and have a kettle/fridge for sterilizing/keeping milk/formula/baby food. We got a portable steam sterilizer which worked well. They're happy to supply cot, baby baths etc. It's in Playa Blanca (a reasonably classy port) opposite the marina and there's shops, cafes and restaurants along the boardwalk - all buggy accessible. There's a couple of supermarkets which sell baby food etc. There's a beach and a more tacky resort nearby (10mins flat walk with the buggy) though the very little ones end not to mix brilliantly with sand - e.g. if crawling by the time you go. You can go independently, but its much easier and perhaps not much more to go package via the likes of Soverign http://bit.ly/dzv2Ex and I'm sure other package agents go too. Good facilities in the hotel, nice pools - including a false beach, nice bar etc. Hotel restaurants were expensive (but very good we were told) so we just put the little on in her buggy and headed off along the boardwalk each night - she slept through the lot most of the time. And when she didn't it didn't matter because it's Spain where children are actually regarded as a) a blessing and b) part of the community. So no snootiness / relucatance to accommodate her at all - lots of leaning into the pram and saying Hola and Que tal. Check out Trip Advisor for anywhere you put on your shortlist (bear in mind some bad reviews can be as motivating a factor to go as some glowing ones when you check who's written them etc). Finally - for the plane ride ... they can't equalise the pressure in their ears themseleves and it freaks them out, so they go nuts and scream the place down. Giving them a bottle / feed them milk helps as the sucking / swallowing motion helps the ear pressure to equalise.
  3. I'd say ask your doctor. Unless you're a statistician and able to review the publicly available data and form your own unbiased objective opinion balancing the risks. We humans (me included) are very good at gossip, subjective waffle and conjecture based on less than half the facts. We personally know someone who's had a terible bout of swine flu, or died, and we would never even question the value of the jab. Or, we know someone who's had a mild bout and we're really wondering if there's a point in having the jab. Of course both are each just one case out of millions; not at all the whole picture. For a view of that you need an expert, and your doctor is probably as close as you're going to get. You might also like to look at the Information is Beautiful post on is the swine flu jab safe http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/is-the-h1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-safe/ US data, but lots of links which could help you uncover more of the facts for yourself for the UK case.
  4. Anyone been to Sharm El Sheikh? We're off for 10 days, me and the Mrs and the little one (4). Just wondering what to do about money. We're B&B. Neither of us dive but we'll snorkel. Anyone recently been with an idea of costs and the most convenient way to take money / pay for things? I thought maybe take some Egyption pounds for the airport / getting there and the first couple of days, then get cash from ATMs (the card we have has low costs - for a credit card - for money abroad). Is that sensible? Any idea of costs also much appreciated. Also also, any recommendations on things to do etc. Thanks
  5. If you're on Facebook, there's an "East Dulwich and Peckham Rye Primary School Places" group with lots of discussion about the ins and outs of it all. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120669739604
  6. Horniman is great - including the aquarium and gardens. Dulwich park has a great cafe and playground and also you can hire bikes, including ones with buckets the little one can be pulled along in - www.londonrecumbents.com Brixton Rec is close and has good softplay - ball pit and big foam blocks for the little one, and kind of a climbing labrynth of tunnels, towers, ballpits, slides and shoots etc for the bigger ones. Borough Market - unless the 9 year old is a budding Gordon Ramsey/Nigella, I'd give it a miss. It's a cool place for adults but as far as kids can tell it's a bunch of grown-ups staring at cheese. Locale by Goose Green is very child friendly, even in the evening, Pizza Express is usually chocca with kids at lunch times and so is the Greyhound in the Village. Finally The Herne on Forrest Hill Road is very child friendly and has a great big playground out the back which is normally stuffed with kids. Ours loves it, as evidenced by her recently having to be dragged away from it whilst shouting at the top of her voice 'I WANT TO GO TO THE PUB!' If something not local was allowed to go on the list I'd add the basement of the Science Museum - very good with lots of things the kids can build, and sand/water they can make a mess with etc plus the rest of the museum is great too, and it's all free
  7. Ofstead reports aren't everything. Some schools do better out of them than others. Better to go and see both schoos and then edcide what order you want to put them in on your list.
  8. Our little girl has been going for a year. The new site seems a big improvement on the old church hall and the atmosphere and ethos are as fantastic as ever. She absolutely loves it and is very happy there. SO as far as I know, it's all going really well for them.
  9. I'm afraid education here is in a bit of a pickle. If I were you I'd stay in Spain, for the kids' sakes, and not just their education.
  10. Start here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/level-term-insurance I went with Money World - you use their search tool (free) then pay them ?30 for them to make the application to whoever you choose. The ?30 is the total of their one off commission so the rates you get are much better than you'd ever get through a traditional broker / IFA / comparison site. There's no advice though, but life assurance is simple, read the content in the link above and it'll give you a solid basis for making a decision on what you need. One thing - and it applies to all life assurance policies however bought - get it 'written in trust' (speak to your solicitor) to make claiming the money a short and painless exercise for those left behind when you bite the dust. Also - life "assurance" is guaranteed to pay out (unless you've discovered the secret to immortality) which is why it's assurance not insurance and why it's so much more expensive than something that just pays off the mortgage if you croak before the final payment. Disclaimer: I aim to please but satisfaction is not guaranteed and I'm no expert on anything whatsoever and everything I say must be taken with a good pinch of salt.
  11. The Wing Yip in Brixton has a range of just add water curry sauce packets which might be worth a go including a Katsu curry sauce like that at Waggamamma and other japanese places. I think there's a Wing Yip in Camberwell and maybe one on Peckham Rye - certainly an asian supermarket so worth a look.
  12. The only department that could read the map?
  13. bonaome Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Barry - thank you so much for doing this. If you > ever stand for mayor you'll have my vote. > > Any possibility of getting some more overhead > cover on the London Bridge bound side platform to > keep the rain off. I know there's a shelter there > already but it's tiny and at the crowded end of > the train. > > Thanks again for doing this. Under a brolly there's only really room for one or two people - 3 if it's a golf brolly - under the kind of cover I had in mind the whole of ED could stand shoulder to shoulder as we cry with one voice, "Barry for Mayor!"
  14. Barry - thank you so much for doing this. If you ever stand for mayor you'll have my vote. Any possibility of getting some more overhead cover on the London Bridge bound side platform to keep the rain off. I know there's a shelter there already but it's tiny and at the crowded end of the train. Thanks again for doing this.
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