Southwark Primary School Admissions for Sept 2013

[number 2]

maybe james or renata would look into the facts about who holds the waiting lists now for us? (please?) i work in a school and i'm pretty sure that we haven't got our list and the school administrator is having to ring southwark and ask for names when other people say that they don't want their place. she's had to ask people directly, when she's contacted them to ask them to enrol, to contact southwark and let them know and they've just given a vague "yes". these are presumably the places that suddenly become available in september and make my blood boil!

[Kes]

Pretty sure that the lists are still with Southwark. I had an email with our latest places from them yesterday.

[bizzylizzy]

Yes the lists are still with Southwark. I called them today and found out our latest positions. Not good news for us, we've moved down the list 7 places in a week and a bit. I don't get it. I expected places at this point to change by one or 2 positions but for 7 children to have moved into the area/got an SEN statement or whatever in a week seems very odd to me!!

[number 2]

Oh blimey bizzylizzy. That's a bit of a kick in the guts! I'm sorry! I really don't get how you can have gone down so much in such a short space of time and at this point too!

[bizzylizzy]

Tell me about it!! We were first last week and I genuinely thought we'd get a place soon but when I called again today I was told we're now 7th. I just don't get where all the new people are coming from! I'd have thought that everyone who was a late applicant etc would have applied by now and I find it hard to believe that 6 kids have suddenly got a statement or moved into foster placements in the area in the space of just over a week :-/ I'm not sure what is going on with Goodrich's list as we are pretty static on the other lists we're on although no hope of getting into those schools as we're a long way down their lists.

[Emski]

Completely agree, busylizzie. There seems to be something fishy going on with Goodrich's list. I emailed Admissions to ask if they could explain where these extra people have come from - how come they're appearing so late in the day and why seemingly only at Goodrich. Needless to say, I got the standard answer about SEN, moving closer, siblings... It still doesn't add up for me. Very little transparency.

[mrs.lotte]

Oh I don't think it's just at Goodrich, I heard that there were lots of late entries to Goose green wait lists. It will be the same people on all the wait lists, they can only go to one school in the end. Hang on in there and good luck

[number 2]

I also think that there's something funny that goes on with who you speak to or who replies to your email. I seem to get very different answers. I think maybe email might be the best option. 1st to 7th is utterly rubbish!!!

[Abney]

I've gone down the lists in Lewisham too. Very frustrating.

[Renata Hamvas]

Many of the local primaries have places in the junior years. If families new to the area secure a place for an older primary child, than a younger sibling goes to the top of the waiting list. There are also instances where parents forget to tick the sibling box on the original application and parents who assume that they child having a nursery place means they don't need to apply for reception. There are also children whose waiting list status is altered due to social/medical need that may not have been apparent at time of application.

Renata

[GinaG3]

I haven't even checked my Lewisham lists since they released them, they were so far fetched I gave up from the off. I might check, just on the off chance, then again it could make me even more irate.

[AllyMcB]

Just wondering if anyone appealed, and of they did if they had heard the outcome of their appeal as yet?

[number 2]

Oh blimey I am now soooooo fed up. We've gone from 5th to 6th at ivydale which is our first choice and we only live about 50-100m from the last house to have been offered a place. How? How????

Then from 12th to 19th at St. John's and 13th to 17th at dog kennel hill. Grrrrrrr. So fed up of the whole thing.

[bizzylizzy]

Oh no number 2! It's so frustrating isn't it? I don't know where all these extra children are coming from - if we believe the admissions team that means a massive number of families are moving house in this last couple of weeks - or getting statements for SEN, which just doesn't add up to me! The bit I don't understand is why is there suddenly so much movement in the last couple of weeks. From what I've heard about appeals it is extremely rare for them to be won as the only reason you win is if you get an SEN statement or your distance between home and school has been incorrectly calculated.

[number 2]

Yes appeals are extremely hard to win. We even had siblings at our school who didn't win their appeals as the numbers are so strict. The only thing I can think of is that the schools are having a big push on filling up spaces higher up the school which would put any siblings coming into reception right to the top of the waiting list. The thing is with where we are is that there are great big bits of land in a 600m radius of the school that don't have houses on them so there seems to be so little scope for people going ahead of us, but going ahead of us they are. I just wish I knew who the 6 people above us were. I've tried to ask for some clarification of where they think our house is but I've not had much luck yet. Don't really know how to go about it....

[GinaG3]

I feel for you number 2. It's really hard to be optimistic in this whole situation. We've still had no movement at all, up or down. I don't know whats more frustrating, I think its all on par to be honest.

I'm trying not to think about it all at the minute, been constantly ill through all of this unfortunately and now battling bad wisdom infection myself whilst helping my daughter get through a severe skin infection. Hellish few months for us.

[number 2]

oh gosh gina, you poor things! hope things pick up soon.

so many people have said "oh, 5th? you'll DEFINITELY get in" - erm, not if the 5 or 6 people plus one who already has a place change their minds we won't!

let's hope it all gets sorted soon for all of us.

[cazbee]

I'm not sure if this has been posted elsewhere but Southwark has now published figures for last place allocated on distance for the community schools for September 2013 admissions. Thought it might be of interest to other parents.

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/downloads/download/3414/table_of_community_primary_school_place_allocations_for_september_2013

Also, with regard to the new Harris Free School proposed for East Dulwich, now is the time to make submissions about which areas should be considered for the three nodal points. The consultation is now open and it is local parents' opportunity to get their area considered as one of the 3 notional "front doors" for the new school. Once decided, these will be a permanent part of the admission criteria and not shift year on year based on need.

[number 2]

I've just heard back from admissions. They have about the right distance down for us - 604m we missed out by 87m. I still find it hard to believe that there are 5 other children of the sa,e age living in such a small area!! I think it must be people who've just got older siblings in. That trumps most things!

[simonethebeaver]

Hmm. Just found out this year we'd have been 7m beyond the furthest offer from our nearest school. I wonder whether we'd have got in from the waiting list. Am feeling a bit more positive about our chances when the time comes that we might have the tiniest chance.

[Kes]

We went from 3rd to 14th at our second choice school (no hope of Ivydale which was our first choice)!

There must also be people who didn't apply in time or didn't apply there originally and have now joined the list ahead of us, I can't believe that many kids moved into the area etc. and are closer than us!

[number 2]

Where are you kes and where is your 2nd choice? Ivydale has gone crackers over the last year or two. It never even occurred to me 6 years ago, when we moved here, that we wouldn't get in to Ivydale but the area's changed so much in that time.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hello all,

the movements downwards on lists will be for a variety of reasons, late applicants and new residents (including those with siblings at or joining the school). Also looked after children and those who have social or medical need which means a particular school would best suit the needs of a child; these need to be good reasons, substantiated eg by doctors and social workers. Be aware also that most schools allocate distance places on as the crow flies so people can move into the area any direction from the school eg in the case of Ivydale, on the other side of the railway line. Lists will stay with Southwark until 31st August.

Renata

[number 2]

thanks renata. it's just the fact that it seems to either get worse each time i come to it rather than better. i know there may still be movement, but i just worry that any more movement will be even further the wrong way!!!

[Carbonara]

number2 - a whole circle all the way round the school 87m wide and with a radius of 604m covers quite a lot of land, though.

Fingers crossed.