Primary school place allocation chaos has started!

[misticnutmeg]

yes you are right to say that, but normally the LEA will allocate a place at the childs nearest school. The problem is that all the good schools in ED are over subscried. I have meationed this before on this thread that parents should look into other schools that may onle have a satisfactory grade by OFSTED. OFSTED should only be used as a guideline and not be taken as gospel because some of the inspectors have no common sense and cannot really grade somewhere over a two day period. I feel too many parents in the ED and other border areas want the schools like Rosendale, Eliot Bank, and Fairlawn; In which case we all know taht the schools are way oversubscribed. If your nearset primary school happens to be graded satifactory or good you should choose that school;once in, join the parent society and make a difference for heaven sake!

[Fuschia]

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

[tor]

misticnutmeg said If your nearset primary school happens to be graded satifactory or good you should choose that school;once in, join the parent society and make a difference for heaven sake!

errr, my nearest primary school is graded satifactory and i did choose that school. it's called GOODRICH.

sorry to be blunt but do you know what you're talking about?

[misticnutmeg]

we are all screwed by the system, but what are you going to do about it????????????? Nothing, because the LEA work on the basis of the distance of your home to school. Really there is not a choice of schools for parents as the LEA decide what schools your child goes unless you are prepared to appeal. So.....the answer to your statement is that you choose your nearest school which you are most likey to be offered anyway that way when your offered the place you don't feel screwed!!

[tor]

i repeat my nearest school is goodrich and we didn't get in even though we live only 465 metres away.

[misticnutmeg]

TOR,

errr I don't recall replying to your message. Who cares what school you applied to.

[Cora]

But you didn't get in because there were more people that lived even nearer than you ie within 400 metres or who had siblings at the school - What would you want the school or council to do, make the school bigger? If so at what point do they stop building/adding on?

[tor]

good point cora - i'm not sure what the solution is but it's certainly an emotional subject for all of us dealing with it.

[Coach Beth]

You know what would solve all this mess?

If everyone were simply allocated one school. No choice. No putting down 4 choices. Because it is the illusion of choice that is causing the problem. Everyone should simply get a letter saying 'This is your school'. End of story. Then all schools would have a proper mixed intake I believe - all schools would be seen as fairly equal and acceptable. Ofted clearly doesn't work. As Mistic Nutmeg points out it is merely a guideline and you don't know what will happen in a couple of years when schools previsously marked as good are re-assessed using the newer stricter criteria. And what I find interesting is that a school like Bellenden - which has a glowing Ofsted actually - is routinely shunned by many in the trendy Bellenden area and residents of parts of East Dulwich it is near. If people were truly swayed by Ofsted, they would be flocking to that school! But since they are not, there must be other factors influencing their decision.

People are also too willing to dismiss schools without even giving them a chance - I was happy when I was allocated a place at Goose Green last year, it was on my list, it was our nearerst community school and I liked the vibe/teaching/ethos.

[misticnutmeg]

Well said - Coath Beth!

[toast]

Sorry posted but the debate had moved on.. nolonger made sense

[tor]

let's not forget that the issue isn't just being allocated a 'satisfactory' school in relation to an ofsted report but also the problem of getting your child to school, finding a childminder who will collect from a school etc when you're given a school which isn't within reasonable walking distance.

[misticnutmeg]

Your the only TROLL around here! Stop trying to be offensive TOAST! Say what you mean in English and stop using abbreviations! Using Abbreviations like that is for cowards!

[toast]

Ok, MN this forum is a very tolerent place, for which i am grateful as i have been banging on about this issue for... ever.

Please show the same politness that people have shown you.

[misticnutmeg]

That's ok Toast. You show me respect too, and don't use offensive abbreviations like TROLL - because I know what it means, and it's very rude. So if you demand respect...you need to give it in the first place! Treat people how you expect to be treated!

[Cora]

Tor, I know it's so scary and emotional when you want to provide the best for your child and you're not in total control of the choices but please feel reassured by the fact that the large majority of primary schools in this area are fine/good - I cannot think offhand of any so called 'sink' schools. You may not be able to walk to your nearest school straight away but the alternative should not be a disaster and remember the waiting lists do move and you may find yourself torn in the future of staying at school farther away that your child loves or moving them nearer because it makes life easier/was what you had planned.....that will be my dilemma should/when we reach the top of the waiting list....as a result I no-longer check where I am on the waiting list as I do not want to make that decision!

[chantelle]

Bellenden was mentioned earlier - does anyone have first-hand experience of this school?

[Belle]

I don't but it sounds great - not nearly as big as some of the ot her schools around here, graded as 'good' by Ofsted and when you read the report, it's really positive about things like teacher/pupil relationships. I'd be delighted if my son could go there but guess we'll have to see where the ballot puts us in a few years time - you all have my sympathies as it sounds incredibly stressful and upsetting.

[hpsaucey]

Agree with a lot of this. However its wrong to say that the LEA will allocate you your nearest school if you've put it down. You could, in theory, get in at ALL the four schools you've chosen, in which case they allocate you the one highest up your list of preferences. At least, this is what was meant to happen last year. In practice we know that you're probably going to get your nearest school, IF YOU'VE LISTED IT, because there is no way your going to be near enough to any others given the number of children needing places.

But I'll 'second' the supporting your local primary. They're mostly fine around here and there's much to be said for being near your school - play dates/better community spirit etc etc etc.

[Fuschia]

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?"

[snss75]

Chantelle, my son has been in the Bellenden school nursery since he was 3 and was now given a place in reception and I'm really happy! What I like about Bellenden is that is small, the staff are very caring and really seem to take an interest in the development of the little ones. It may have not had the most glowing Ofsted reports; if I remember correctly it was good but from experience in delaing with the staff I'm more than happy to send my son there.

[Fuschia]

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.

[barrybrains]

Not quite ED but still in the catchment for lots of residents: Dulwich Village infants (SE21) and Fairlawn (SE23) are outstanding,

[prdarling]

Oh barrybrains I'm not being funny but get with the programme

[barrybrains]

No, you are not being funny at any point in this thread. This is in response to Fuschia's comment above mine. It's a possibility that ED residents may end up at one of these schools.