Primary school place allocation chaos has started!

[clux]

Is the failing school you're all talking about John Donne??

[mrs.lotte]

John Donne is not a failing school. It has just got a Good rating in ofsted.

We were allocated that school last year and would not have gone; because we dont live in new cross, wouldnt have known anyone, be able to get there, have playdates etc etc. Instead we were lucky enough to get a place in Goose Green on shakedown and love it, not least because it is local and so convenient for walking to school, getting involved in the life of the school and my boy sees his friends on the way to and from school, friends can pick up if we or our nanny can't and playdates are a doddle. Oh it's also a lovely friendly place with the most amazing reception teachers. I understand that all 60 places have been filled at GG and there is a waiting list at the moment as there will be for all the East Dulwich schools, and presumably St John's and DKH etc

For those near Goodrich who didn't get a place you may find that those holding Lewisham and Southwark offers will choose and thereby free up some places near you. My advice; put your names down on waiting lists of all schools that are nearby but dont write somewhere off just because it wasnt your first choice, you might be suprised.

This really doesnt sound as bad as last year when the forum was full of people offered John Donne, Peckham Park, Crawford and other schools that really were an awfully long way away and, in the end, that all came good. I dont know of a single person who didnt eventually get a local school. Good luck.

mrs.lotte

[tor]

apologies - the failing school i mentioned is on the nunhead/peckham borders. it's rye oak and it WAS in special measures a few years ago. in the heat of the moment i didn't really pay much attention to the exact geography and skimmed the ofsted report.

whether it's in nunhead or peckham is irrelevant as far as i'm concerned. i pay council tax and i am a british citizen and yet my child can't go to the school less than 5 minutes walk away. instead i have to somehow work out the logistics of getting a 5 year old possibly along with a one year old on a bus every morning in the rush hour. then in the afternoon i haven't got a hope in hell of finding a local childminder who will pick up from rye oak while i'm at work.

i'm sure plenty of you know how i feel but i honestly thought goodrich would be a dead cert.

[barrybrains]

Rye Oak is on the number 12 bus route, not really Nunhead at all, just the other side of Peckham Rye. Hopefully you will be allocated something nearer, especially as you are a British Citizen! God save the Queen...

[tor]

thanks for your support barry - i'm guessing either you don't have children or your child has got into a school of your choice.

[barrybrains]

I was just perplexed by your reference to being a British citizen. I guess you are implying that some 'immigrants' got places at Goodrich instead of you? Otherwise I can't see the relevance as most people applying for school places are likely to be British citizens.

[prdarling]

Chill out Barry...I really don't think Tor was immigrant bashing...who on earth has got time for that when we are all sick to the stomach over being allocated a school which is so far away we'd have to leave the house at 7.30am to have any hope of getting there in time for the bell??

If I may be so bold as to speak on her behalf, I'm fairly sure she just means that as a (bloody hefty) tax paying member of the British public, it's not too much to ask to send your child to a school she can walk to 400m away, rather than one 2 miles away, which necessitates a couple of buses at least.

I am in total agreement. There is no way I can get my little one to pre school and my eldest to Bessemer Grange which is completely in the opposite direction and then get myself off to work. None of this is feasible or financially possible as the only way to make it work is for me to get a nanny or similar or to give up work....

Meanwhile I can't park outside my own house on Ryedale after 3pm on a weekday for all of the parents driving to get their kids fom Goodrich.

It's just a shambles

[barrybrains]

I think a more sinister meaning lurks behind the British Citizen comment, but then I am a peace-loving liberal and am willing to not pursue it any further as it's irrelevant to the original post. I hope you all get your school places sorted out soon, good luck.

[Moos]

Classic passive-aggressive comment. If you were really willing not to pursue it further then you would have let the topic lie. Either actually leave it, or have the courage to say what you think.

Sounds to me as though poor Tor is just venting her frustration and feels that she should be able to get her child into her local school. But go ahead and look for a fight if that's what drives you.

[Fliss]

I can't see any sinister undertones to tor's post, I think she just means that as a longstanding taxpayer she expects something in return. Fair enough, I would say?

[prdarling]

I find it farking ridiculous that if you mention the word British you are automatically accused of something sinister. For God's sake we are all just concerned about having to traipse our little 4 year olds (and in many cases younger siblings)half way across Southwark rather than walking 5 mins up the road. It's not difficult to comprehend surely Barry?

[mumra]

You all have my sympathy. Went through it last year - we applied to a school where we were not to know that out of 23 of it's places, 21 were allocated to siblings. However after the shake down, we did receive a place at out 1st choice, and throughout this year in Reception have seen much movement with new children still arriving whilst others move onto their first choice or move away. Not much comfort I know, but with last years fiasco in mind (and this promise of 90% of children receiving their first choice?!) there surely will be greater efforts to ensure children have a place within walking distance by the time they actually begin. Am wondering if people who applied to Heber or St Johns as first place had better luck than Goodrich applicants this year- sounds from here it is worse in that part of ED this year?

[Coach Beth]

I agree with Mrs.Lotte - put your name on all the waiting lists and see what happens in the shakedown. Even our friend who was first allocated John Donne, and then Rye Oak (where her child was for a term), then got a place at Goose Green which she was glad to accept as she and her child knew more people and they were happier with the school generally. So, there will be movement - although at the more popular school like Heber and Goodrich less so.

In regards to Bessemer Grange, I know two people who were allocated a space there last year, they were unsure at first and then went to see the school and are now happy with it - however it IS awkward to get to - that is true. But the school itself is supposed to be very good. And you can do your shopping at Sainsbury's very easily as well after school - so that's a bonus. The problem with Goodrich is that it is in an area where there are lots and lots and lots of young families and it so over-popular - not everyone can get a place. They put on a buldge class last year which went some way to solving the problem then - however, because it had the bulge last year, they obvisously couldn't put it on again - which effects parents this year. And then in the next couple of years, all the siblings from the budge class last year will have a serious effect on that school again.

[prdarling]

My problem is I need to walk my 2.5 yar old to Buds on the south circular, then jump on a bus down to ED station to go to work in Battersea. I can only feasibly do this if I am walking past Goodrich as it's directly on the way (or Heber at a push). It is physically impossible for me to get to both schools.

Do I take my baby out of Buds where he is happy? - No because where the hell else do i get a nursery place at short notice?

Do I get a nanny? - No can't afford it

Do I quit my job? - No can't afford it

Now I really really don't see a solution to this. I feel sick with worry

[Fuschia]

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.

[prdarling]

Fuschia

Not really any other schools on the way from Ryedale to LL. Am waiting for 9am for the LA to open. Incredibly frustrated that they released the info at 5pm last night when there was no-one there...maybe they thought we'd have calmed down overnight - ha!

Will Southwark not supply all of that info automatically? On my Lewisham rejection letters I was given distance from my door to the school and distance of the last place offered.

My son will be 5 next March, so would be due to start in January 2011. Are you saying that legally he doesn't need to start until after Easter or in the September when he is 5.5? I just worry that he'd be terribly behind if it came to that.

Anyway, let's see what Southwark say at 9am - not much until after 21 May I wouldn't have thought :(

[BeccaL]

Don't assume that Southwark will do anything automatically - we went through this last year and Lewisham were streets ahead of Southwark in terms of organisation and communication. I know it doesn't help now, as I wouldn't wish what we went through last year on my worst enemy, but we have seen children leave reception as their families have moved during the year, so places do come up. I know that doesn't help you now however. Hope it all sorts out soon...

[clux]

I'm sorry for repeating myself but I just wanted to say that things do move a lot - we were 7th on the waiting list for our school and we got in 2 weeks into term. It is horrible to have to sit and wait but all you can do is put yourself on waiting lists and regularly check in to see how things are going.

Good luck everyone. I've been there and its horrible.

[ryedalema]

PrD - do try other nurseries too. I know it's unlikely but you could be lucky, esp. if you are starting in September when all the rooms change and other kids move up to 'big school'.

It might keep you active and make you feel like you are doing something and more in control of the situation too.

Let me know if you want any help - I'm on mat leave so have time. And feel I have a similar situation coming up in the next year or two (G*d I hope not!)

[Cora]

Prdarling, does the P4 pass somewhere near buds if so it stops 5 mins from Bessemer on Red Post Hill then you can walk 10mins through to the station via Sainsbury's. Bessemer early years is fantastic and has much more outdoor space than all these poor schools like Heber and Goodrich that keep having to squeeze more kids in.

[prdarling]

Have just spoken to Southwark who are really way behind Lewisham in terms of organisiation/communication. The lady I spoke to didn't even know their email address which is the one I am supposed to use to put my name on the waiting lists. It was a bit embarrassing having her reel off the website address 3 times in a row when i asked for the email address as though she thought she was genuinely giving me a new address each time. Desperately worrying.

Anyway I have found out that the furthest distance offered from Goodrich was 440m and Heber 470m and Goodrich had 52 sibling places (52/90). Not sure about Heber sibling places as couldn't bear to wait yet again while the lady on the other end of the phone asked her colleague yet another question she couldn't answer directly.

We are 465m from Goodrich (according to their measurement) so who knows where that will put us on the waiting list

Be interested to know if anyone else has any more info

[prdarling]

I realise I am driving myself mad here but Southwark just told me that the furthest distance offered for Heber was 470m. Friends of mine live around 800m away and they have received a place (not a sibling or SEN place). How can this be?? My brain is frazzled but this just doesn't add up.

I have zero faith in the LEA and stuff like this just makes it more frustrating

[hoipolloi]

If Goodrich is your nearest school (rather than Heber) then even if your friends live further than you from Heber, if it is their nearest school then they would come higher than you in the allocation of places. That is the way the criteria were worded last year, anyway.

[Vickster]

Apologies if this question has been asked previously, but is the measurement used 'as the crow flies' or via the road network?

[emc]

am pretty sure it's as the crow flies