Primary school allocations 2018

[Renata Hamvas]

Hello all

This is the information on this year's outcome for primary school applications sent to all Councillors. The number of applicants is very similar and the proportion of applicants getting first choice is the same as last year at 88% and getting a chosen schools is 98%. For those of you who haven't got a school you are happy with at this point, be aware that there is likely to be some movement on waiting lists between now and September.

I'm available via the attached email if you need some help or advice.

Renata

Dear Councillors

I am pleased to confirm that we have received a total of 3,111 on time primary applications for the September 2018 intake and have yet again been able to offer a primary school place to every on time Southwark applicant.

3,062 (98.4%) Southwark families have received a primary school place of their preference - the remaining 49 families that did not receive a school of their preference, have been allocated an alternative school place at the nearest school to each family?s home with capacity. During this evening (16 April 2018) from 5pm, Southwark families will receive an email from the eAdmissions system which will confirm their child?s offer and provide information on what to do next. We will send our message to the email address that was used by the parent/carer when registering to apply online. Families will also be able to find out the outcome of their application by logging into the eAdmissions website using their unique user name and password during the evening of 16 April 2018.

Starting primary school is an exciting time for families however, we recognise that those who did not receive a school of their preference and have been allocated an alternative school, often have additional queries and support needs. A personalised email from the admissions team with details of the alternative school allocated has been sent today to each of these families. Our phone lines will be open until 7pm this evening should they wish to contact us to raise any immediate queries or to discuss their options directly with an admissions officer. The Admissions team?s phone number is 020 7525 5337 and email is [email protected]. I am also always happy to be contacted with any cases that have been raised with you.

It is useful to note that the 16 April date is not the end of the admissions process. Parents across London have until 30 April to reject their offers if it is not required and we know from previous experience that this will create movement over the forthcoming weeks. Officers will continue to work with families up until the end of August to ensure that everyone receives an offer with which they are happy. We are continually reviewing vacancies at Southwark primary schools as they arise, to ensure that as many families as possible are provided with a school of their preference for September 2018.

Primary school admission - 2018 headlines

All data below relates to Southwark residents only and will be used to produce London-wide statistics that form the basis of the Pan London press release which is co-ordinated by London Councils and will be sent out at 4pm today.

? All Southwark primary school applicants have been offered a school place for September 2018.

? 3,062 (98.4%) applicants have received a place at a primary school one of the schools, listed as a preference.

? 3,025 (97.2%) applicants have received a place at a primary school of their first to third preference .

? 2,740 (88.1%) families received a first preference school.

? 49 (1.6%) families without a preference and offered an alternative school.

? 3,077 (98.9%) of Southwark applicants applied online this year.

Attached for your information, is a summary of primary admission preference satisfaction statistics for Southwark providing total number of applications and preferences offered from 2009 right up to the current admissions round.

Please also note that our school admissions officers will be holding a drop in admission surgery for families that want to meet to discuss their primary admission options face to face. The surgery will take place at Peckham Customer Service Point, Peckham Library, 122 Peckham Hill Street, SE15 5JR on a first come, first served basis on Wednesday, 18 April 2018, further details are attached. Families can also find further information on waiting lists, appeals and a list of frequently asked questions on Southwark Council?s website at:

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-admissions/primary-admissions/offer-of-a-primary-school-place

Best wishes,

Vikki.

Cllr Victoria Mills

Cabinet Member for Children and Schools

Labour Councillor for Peckham Rye Ward

[scarlettbanks]

Thanks very much for this information Renata. Do you know when the council will release details of 'longest distance admitted' for each individual school? I think I remember you sending a spreadsheet with this information in previous years. Thanks again

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Scarlett, this will be in a few weeks, when I get the information I will post it on here. Please note that it will be for primaries that are LA run only ie not for Academies/free or faith schools.

Renata

[worldwiser]

Hi Renata, are Academies required to publish this information separately?

[Renata Hamvas]

No they are not. They do sometimes put this information on their websites or tell parents who ask them

[James Barber]

Dulwich Hamlet admissions has gone a bit awry. 19 people were offered places who should not have been and these have been withdrawn and 19 people who should have been offered places are being offered them. A clerical error appears to have been the cause of this. I hope extra checks will be in place next year to spot this in future.

Southwark Council admissions team have telephoned each family to explain the place at the school was offered in error and why we need to remove it, the place will be removed and these children will be put on the waiting list. A follow up letter to these parents will also be emailed out to them to confirm we are removing the place and to advise how we will assist and support them. For out borough children the letter will be sent via their local Admissions team. Once we have completed our calls we will then generate new offer letters to the families where places should have been allocated to their children and these will be emailed and posted to them.

If you have been affected please get in touch with me if you need extra support working this through.

[James Barber]

It transpires that response form Southwark Council as I reported above has not been universally successful or accurate.

This is what one parent has told me so far:

?

After we suspected there had been an error, I tried to speak to the council yesterday and was told they could only provide information to me over email, even though the two officers I spoke to could see Xxx file and they knew whether they had a place or not. They would not provide me with a telephone number for anyone who would speak to me. I phoned the head teacher, and she immediately told me what she knew, but confirmed that she had also not been given any information from the council.

Today I received a phone call only telling me that Xxx place had been withdrawn. The council officer could not tell me what their waiting list place was, nor the chance of them getting into another school. She also couldn't tell me why it had happened. I was told to re-contact her at the start of July!

An email was then sent to me from the school telling me (correctly) that the waiting list had moved very quickly, and that Xxx now had a place. This was followed by an email from the council blaming the school for the error and telling me Xxx didn't have a place and suggesting I keep in contact via the number that wouldn't give me any information yesterday.

?

If you're impacted please get in touch.

[Sol]

Edited

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Sol, are you one of the affected parents? If so please contact me and I will try to help. The school is an Academy so would administer admissions ranking according to it's policy. It's policy is the same as the council's one. The applications go to Southwark, then they send the data as a spreadsheet to the school. The school then looks at the admissions criteria, such as looked after children, exceptional social/medical need, siblings, once places are allocated under all the other categories in order, the remaining places are allocated on distance. A spreadsheet with the data then is transferred back to Southwark and Southwark issues the offers letters.

At some point there was an error in data transfer. This is still being investigated. There was also an issue with exception medical/social need applicants as the school didn't receive the supporting evidence submitted by parents to Southwark. This to-ing and fro-ing of data increases the likelihood of problems.

Renata

[Sol]

Hi Renata,

I will Pm you

Thanks

[James Barber]

Hi Sol,

Great to have received your PM's since Thursday.

Great you're also made contact with Renata.

Ideally you'd only use one councillor to follow-up your admissions casework otherwise complications can arise.

[Sol]

Hi James and Renata,

Thank you both for your replies.

I am hoping the school will sort it out, I will contact one of you next week if I need your help.

[buggie]

Is it really a problem with the council as you have quite pointedly suggested James, or as

others have pointed out, is the issue with the school (and have the school admitted this?)

You seem to be being very quick to blame/point everyone towards the sitting councillors - seems a disingenuous attempt at point scoring with the election coming up - especially as neither of the labour councillors on/mentioned on this thread are in direct competition with you.

[alex_b]

buggie Wrote:

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

> Is it really a problem with the council as you

> have quite pointedly suggested James, or as

> others have pointed out, is the issue with the

> school (and have the school admitted this?)

>

> You seem to be being very quick to blame/point

> everyone towards the sitting councillors - seems a

> disingenuous attempt at point scoring with the

> election coming up - especially as neither of the

> labour councillors on/mentioned on this thread are

> in direct competition with you.

I can?t see anywhere in James?s posts where he blames the situation on anyone. He does state that the council?s statement about communications was inaccurate and quotes a parent?s communication to back it up. He doesn?t mention councillors at all.

[hpsaucey]

alex_b Wrote:

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

> buggie Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Is it really a problem with the council as you

> > have quite pointedly suggested James, or as

> > others have pointed out, is the issue with the

> > school (and have the school admitted this?)

> >

> > You seem to be being very quick to blame/point

> > everyone towards the sitting councillors - seems

> a

> > disingenuous attempt at point scoring with the

> > election coming up - especially as neither of

> the

> > labour councillors on/mentioned on this thread

> are

> > in direct competition with you.

>

> I can?t see anywhere in James?s posts where he

> blames the situation on anyone. He does state that

> the council?s statement about communications was

> inaccurate and quotes a parent?s communication to

> back it up. He doesn?t mention councillors at all.

This! Buggie you have misinterpreted.

[James Barber]

I've not criticised any councillors. I hold Renata Hamvas in high regard and also like her personally. So baffled at my end.

It is frustrating that as a sitting councillors with East Dulwich residents impacted by the problem with Dulwich Hamlet admissions that council officers did not tell councillors with impacted families but only the immediate ward councillors. Something separately I hope to get changed if any future problems occur.

But this is nothing compared to the families impacted- and hopefully everything will work out swiftly for all families impacted.

[Renata Hamvas]

All Councillors do their best to assist their residents when issues such as the one with Dulwich Hamlet admissions arise. I know at least one affected family was in my ward. They now have a place for their child.

I have spoken with the Head of Dulwich Hamlet Junior School, Sonia Case, about the situation. The school and Southwark are still investigating what happened. The school is working hard to assist all affected parents, most of whom have met with staff from the school. Many of the original 18 have now been offered places at the school from the waiting list. Any parents for whom a place has not yet become available may contact the school on 020 7525 9188 for further information and assistance. They can also contact Southwark Admissions on 020 7525 5337. Southwark Admissions can give them advice on alternative schools for year 3 entry if this is required. I hope all the affected parents and children get an outcome they are happy with soon.

Renata

[Pootle]

Hi Renata, have this year's 'longest distances admitted' for primaries been released yet? Thanks.