Southwark Primary School Admissions for Sept 2013

[James Barber]

Hi FionaC and buggie,

Well yes and no.

Since Lord Adonis local councils havent been able to build new schools themselves. Daft situation.

The government has changed this to presume local councils will seek someone to provide an academy/free school.If they don't find someone they get to build one. Ministers have talked about council opening new schools.

Expanding Ivydale means using some of this year ?12.5M given by the government to Southwark Council to expand basic needs i.e. school places.

IF however Southwark were to find a great school provider, as they are doing with working with Village outstanding school to open a new school on the Old Belleden School site, then the government pays all the capital nsd revneue set-up costs.

That difference in approach is circa ?5m capital loss to the local area.

It means that other school changes will be funded with ?5m less money.

[Fuschia]

Thing is most local parents are cautious of free schools, where qualified teachers aren't required

[oimissus]

sorry, James, to clarify - there's going to be a new primary school on the old Bellenden school site? Do you (or Renata) have any further details of this? Thanks.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Oimissus, this is provisionally scheduled for Sept 2015. It is being set by Dulwich Hamlet Juniors in partnership with Southwark.

Renata

[oimissus]

damn. Would/will be one of our nearest schools, but a year too late!

[gebbjane]

Will that be a whole primary or just juniors like hamlet?

[KatsuQueen]

A new primary school on the old Bellenden school site, wow that's interesting to know. Too late for my kids, but good news for our little area I think. I have always thought it was a shame that that big building seemed a little under-used.

[Renata Hamvas]

It will be a primary rather than juniors.

Renata

[James Barber]

Hi oimissus,

New Dulwich Village school in Bellenden road is good news. Email from them they're unsure whether they'd be able to make it happen for Sept'15 or 16. An awful lot of hoops to jump through including applying to the government for funding. Normally the application should go in this September to maximise time to make it happen for Sept'15 or latest January 2014.

Good to hear that some of the many people who didnt get one of their choices is finally getting a school they can be happy with. Congratulaitons. And you've had this good news with sufficient time for your children to get nicely excited.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi all, just to say, contrary to what James has stated above, the 12.5million allocated to Southwark to address our current need for additional primary places will not be used for the Ivydale expansion. These funds are for the bulges and expansions that are currently happening eg expansions of Bessemer Grange and Langbourned. Additional funds will be sought for Ivydale.

Thank you to all of you who have sent me a pm detailing your primary application. If you didn't get one of your original choices and were allocated a school, please pm me with the details of where you live and where you have applied. I am putting together this information for next year.

thanks

Renata

[James Barber]

Hi Renata,

so where is the money for thE Ivydale expansion coming from then?

It sounds like things are in the air and unconfirmed.

For the information you're asking people to PM.

Why don't you ask council officials for this - they have all this information in a database..

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi James, as you know the funding is allocated annually. The Ivydale expansion is not happening this year. The bulge was funded from this pot of money. Like you I know the ward breakdown of where people who were allocated places live. I am looking more specifically and not necessarily in my own ward, hence why I am asking residents to contact me.

It is currently school holidays, further discussions over Ivydale expansions will be occurring in the Autumn, once school holidays are over. I will post updates on here for interested residents.

The Bellenden submission is likely to occur in January.

Renata

[number 2]

Another happy story people! We were called today with the offer of a place at St John's and St Clement's. it's not our first choice but we are really, really happy with it. We would have put it higher up our list had we thought we could have got in and we've jumped from about 15th to being offered a place. Our boy is thrilled - when we went to look around he saw some children playing with Star Wars lego!

Good luck to all of you who are still in limbo.

[GinaG3]

Thats great news number 2! Hope everyone else is getting on okay too xxx

[number 2]

Thanks gina! I've been walking around as though a weight has been lifted. Silly I know but I just was so worried about the lack of space at Hollydale.

[buggie]

Really glad to hear things have turned out well number 2 :)

[number 2]

Thank you!

[Ryekids]

We have finally and thankfully been given a place at Goodrich. Does anyone know when term starts for reception kids and how pre-start administration process takes place as the school is officially on holiday?

[BB100]

That must be a huge relief. Most Reception classes have a staggered start with a few children starting a few days at a time so your child will probably not start right at the beginning of the term. Hopefully someone from Goodrich will see this and know more specifics.

[Belle]

My son is starting on mon 9th sept, and I'm pretty sure that's the earliest for Reception but that the rest of the school is back the week before - so if nothing else, would have thought you could call the w/c 2nd to check specific details. The teacher visits are happening that week too. Goodrich has a Twitter feed so could also be worth Tweeting them?!

[number 2]

Great news ryekids! Congratulations!!!

[edcase]

This thread came up on a search and I just wanted to revive the discussion further up the thread around the acceptability or otherwise of renting to be near a preferred school.

We were thinking of renting out our house next year and moving closer to our preferred school because proximity is one of the admissions criteria. The school says short-term rental is not allowed, but what about longer term rental?

Going by the earlier comments, this seems to be frowned upon, or even against the rules, but why is a decision to rent any different from selling and buying nearby? If we rent for a minimum of a year, doesn?t that satisfy the ?no short-term? rental criteria? It was suggested that the offer of a place could be withdrawn if you have another property ? is this really the case in Southwark and is it documented anywhere?

I expect I?ll cop some flak for what we?re proposing, but it is a genuine long-term plan and buying and selling in that time is not really an option.

[alieh]

They do check that you don't have a second property, but if you showed you had rented out your existing property with proof of a rental agreement for at least a year and had your own long-term rental agreement on a new house, I would imagine that would have to suffice?

They can withdraw the offer if it is found to have been made based on fraudulent information, but if both of the rental agreements are genuine and for at least 12 months I think that would be fine?

One thing to keep in mind is that if you're planning to move back to your original house at some point down the line and then commute to the school then this would become obvious to other people in the class (play dates, etc.) and it may be frowned upon if people know neighbours, etc. who live very near but didn't get a place in the school. Just something to bear in mind.

[LondonMix]

Are you eventually planning to buy near the school or will you eventually go back to your house?

If the latter, then there is a huge difference. You effectively are just trying to game the system to take a place that should go to a local child. You want the local school without having to commit to living near it. And I would heap scorn on you if you did that....

edcase Wrote:

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

> This thread came up on a search and I just wanted

> to revive the discussion further up the thread

> around the acceptability or otherwise of renting

> to be near a preferred school.

>

> We were thinking of renting out our house next

> year and moving closer to our preferred school

> because proximity is one of the admissions

> criteria. The school says short-term rental is not

> allowed, but what about longer term rental?

>

> Going by the earlier comments, this seems to be

> frowned upon, or even against the rules, but why

> is a decision to rent any different from selling

> and buying nearby? If we rent for a minimum of a

> year, doesn?t that satisfy the ?no short-term?

> rental criteria? It was suggested that the offer

> of a place could be withdrawn if you have another

> property ? is this really the case in Southwark

> and is it documented anywhere?

>

> I expect I?ll cop some flak for what we?re

> proposing, but it is a genuine long-term plan and

> buying and selling in that time is not really an

> option.

[Otta]

Cool people don't tend to buy then move a year later. Renting for a year is still short term.

People looking for a home to rent may well consider proximity to schooks, just kije buyers would, and that is fair enough. What youre describing is different though, it's not a home you're after, it's just an advantage you're buying.

It's a shitty thing to do, and just another way that people with most money can play the system for their own benefit. This is even worse than people with no religious beliefs taking their kids to church in order to secure a place in a good church school.

At the end of the day, it's behaviour like this that causes people like the ones on this thread to miss out all together on local school places.

The system is far from perfect, but it's onky maee worse by wankers looking for loopholes!