Primary school place allocation chaos has started!

[mumra]

As far as we were told, (but definitely check this as I'm just trying to remember) there were 23 initial 'open' places last year (2009 entry). 2 are reserved for children who are hearing impaired (one of the admission criteria) and 35 places are church places. However, out of the open places are taken all the siblings, and in this particular year it was 21, leaving only 2 places. We live a couple of roads away and did not obtain a place initially, but were allocated one within 24 hours (as were 2 other people on our road) as not all the church places were taken. Whilst my child has been at St Johns there has definitely been some movement, though not huge, and I can think of 3 or 4 mid term admissions where a child started another school but then a place came up, and the school seem to have dealt with really well in order to include them into the classes.

Can't remember specifics on numbers, metres etc- apologies.

[sb]

.

[Fuschia]

sb Wrote:

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> Wow, thanks Mumra.

>

> We live 320m away according to Southwark council,

> and it is our closest school (and I understand it

> makes sense to always put your closest school down

> first? not too mention that I would like my child

> to be able to walk to school, make friends

> close-by etc) so that is quite worrying if there

> are so few places actually available!

Closest community school.

VA schools wouldn't normally come under that heading. Call Southwark to ask which is your nearest community school, to clarify this?

[Fuschia]

St Johns criteria here:

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/downloads/download/1164/the_schools_pages_33_to_66

Not a community school

[sb]

.

[bonaome]

Their admission criteria for 2011/12 are here.

[prdarling]

Anybody else frustrated with Southwak admissions team?

When I phone Lewisham admissions to enquire about my child's place on the waiting lists, I am asked his name and date of birth and told on the spot his current positions.

When I phone Southwark I am asked my postcode, door number, surname, first name, street name, child's name, child's date of birth and after all that I am told that someone will call me back in 3 working days. This is RIDICULOUS and what makes it even more ridiculous is that I last made an enquiry at 9am on the dot on Tuesday 1st June - it is now 5.45pm on Friday 4th June and I have not recieved a reply. I called the admissions number just before 5pm to be told that my call has been escalated and will be answered in...you've guessed it - 3 working days. IT IS BEYOND A JOKE AND I AM VERY ANGRY.

I feel like crying with the frustration of it all and the sheer inadequacy of the council

[Fuschia]

Southwark has a call centre.. you don't get to speak to tge relevant staff.

When I had issues years back with son no 1 and nursery place I rang and explained it all... inc fhe fact it was a nursery admission.

"Heber... that's a secondary school, yes?" was the response

[toast]

Mumra has a good point, 'open' places in a selective school are not expanding local places if it allocation is filled up with siblings. Any bulge classes in these schools would be an odd use of money if they did not create 'local' places.

Edited to add

Have a friend goting to appeals with good grounds, does anyone know if appeals places are held back or if they just goto the top of the list??

[Fuschia]

Toast, my understanding re reception appeals (as class sizes are limited by law to 30) is the grounds for an appeal are incredibly strict, more so than for standard appeals, and likely to succeed only "if the child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had been properly implemented or if the decision to refuse admission was one which no reasonable authority would have made i.e. it was unreasonable or wholly irrational."

In the event she was successful, then if a place didn't become available via movement, the child can be an exception for ne year only, after that if the class size hadn't reduced via mobility, the LA would need to establish a bulge class or have mixed age classes or something equally radical

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:0OGmepcBxhkJ:www.dcsf.gov.uk/sacode/downloads/ManagingComplianceSept08.pdf+uk+infnat+class+sizes+appeals+law&hl=en&gl=uk&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj6oG_t2yvN5vcKl71aIXyN5LVPU6i_dmNvZeY2Z5kLStVNmR8rpPErhAvRbfYS5BUfWM--Q1LobhpSp1ZnLxj6XiKkHakz88FoMDq141dir1NH-LPuCua0XI6qOaEIAiVp_QVZ&sig=AHIEtbTKMP_zgwbFKVLR9JshKNzn7uG6Xg

http://www.schooladmissionappeals.co.uk/?p=218

[toast]

Fuschia, blimey that was efficient! Thanks

[mrs.lotte]

Mumra, I was told by another st.john's mum that there had been new children join during the year as per your post but the lady who runs the office told me very firmly indeed that no-one had left or joined reception class all year - very odd.

sb - I seem to recall that there was talk of the way that distance is measured being changed to as the crow flies from safe walking distance which, if the case, may mean that previous years distance is not the best guide.

[Fuschia]

mrs.lotte Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mumra, I was told by another st.john's mum that

> there had been new children join during the year

> as per your post but the lady who runs the office

> told me very firmly indeed that no-one had left or

> joined reception class all year - very odd.

Are there two reception classes and movement between them? January starts?

[tadpole39]

Hi prdarling. I have had exactly the same experience with southwark as you, in fact your letter could have been my letter! I got myself all charged up to speak to southwark on tues and still have not spoken to anyone who can help me. We are currently without any feasible option for my son and I feel demented with worry, I need to be able to take my daughter to school also, and have only two schools in the right direction, neither of which we have got into. These are terrible times.

[prdarling]

Southwark have finally called me back and the picture is even worse than I anticipated.

Goodrich - we have gone from 4th - 7th

Heber from 13th - 15th

Ivydale from 8th - 12th

I can understand going up or down a place but this is horrifying

What is going on????

[intexasatthe moment]

I know when I was in same situation 2 decades ago ,it was down to offering places to children with special needs

[Fuschia]

Parents adding themselves to the waiting list who hadn't previously applied and/or families moving in (basically considered the same thing)

[ladywotlunches]

In order to help those out who need the spaces, I did call up Southwark when I got my letter saying I was waitlisted for all the schools (I live in Lewisham, on the border, so Southwark offered me nothing). I've got a place at a Lewisham school though so don't need to take up a waiting place.

But when I got through to the call centre, I was told that they couldn't remove me, and to email 'them' in admissions, on the email address. And I've not had anything back, so I'm assuming that it will take a while for me to come off the list. But PRDarling, we were on the list for Goodrich, Heber and Ivydale, so especially relevant - although no telling whether we were above you or not (I doubt it).

[toast]

Pr darling,

Sorry this is happening to you its truly rubbish and more stressful than people can imagine. If you guys (and there are a fair few!) are not offered places then we live in an area without local school provision and that is not ok! Email MP's, councillors (they DO want to help), and mail the press. 12 million is a LOT of money to have had such a small impact, especially in these times where money needs to be well spent.

The new councill will want to ensure that what is left of the funding is well used.

[Renata Hamvas]

PR Darling and others with problems with Primary School allocations please contact me and I will try to help you out.

Renata

Cllr Renata Hamvas

Labour Councillor for Peckham Rye Ward

[email protected]

07535932319

[prdarling]

Renata I will email you all the details. Victoria Mills has been trying to help as well but I can't see what can be done, other than find me a place at a school I don't want.

To be honest I'm pinning my hopes on Lewisham as I'm far higher on the list for both of my schools there. They see to have come through for all the other people I know who border both boroughs so fingers crossed

[toast]

Have a friend around who has just spoken to southwark. LOADS of people have not accepted or rejected places. Please, please, please let them know if you have not got around to it yet, or if you know someone who has moved out of the area give them a poke, it speeds everything up for those on the waiting lists. Thanks

[tor]

just to let you know that we have been verbally offered a place at the horniman school which is our favourite school. as for goodrich (from which we're only 450 metres away) we're still well down the waiting list....crazy!

[Renata Hamvas]

I'm glad to hear that you are sorted Tor, keep me posted on how things are progressing for you prdarling. It's likely that Southwark's offer replies are currently being collated and that in a couple of weeks the situation should become clearer.

Cllr Renata Hamvas

Labour Councillor for Peckham Rye Ward

[prdarling]

Is there anyone else who still doesn't have a place or is it just me?