Ivydale School to Expand

[lameduck]

Thank you Matt

I have lived here so / too long and have seen to many changes not all for the good

Lynne

[lizbells6]

For anyone interested in how the new Ivydale school is going to look, the plans will be on view at a so-called "public" meeting tomorrow, Wednesday 10th December at Ivydale school, 3.30-7.00.

This meeting was publicised by an A4 notice being pinned up outside the school.

So unless you have children currently at the school or happen to have walked past and spotted the notice, you wouldn't know about the meeting.

[picapica]

If you'd looked at the school's website you'd have seen that both dates were advertised - including a pdf of the poster.

[Righty]

I went along - it was a really helpful set-up, and good to chat through some of the issues (and look at the proposed building!). I hadn't realised that being towards the Cheltenham road end of Nunhead my eldest stands (if admissions for the new site run from existing Ivydale) basically no hope of getting in. That would be a rather perverse scenario given that, by far, it's our nearest primary school. If that applies to anyone else, there is a form to fill in to voice your concerns!

[henryb]

Thanks for that Righty. Did they have any indication of much the catchment area would grow? Last year it was 386m. The black hole of provision seems to stretch all the way to Forest Hill Rd.

[Righty]

Hi Henryb - the blurb seemed to suggest catchment up to Inverton road (assuming admissions measured from the existing Ivydale site). So despite living in Hichisson Road (not very far from the new site at all!) we'd be in real difficulty by the sounds of things!

[helsbells]

The current catchment (reception 2014) already includes Inverton Road, so when it expands to 4 form entry it must surely expand as far as Cheltenham Road.

[midivydale]

Is the new site going to be an infant school? I was advised that as we are now Living directly opposite the existing entrance (about 100m) would then mean we no longer get in if catchment starts on new site?

not loooking forward to joining the anxious wait for 2016 intake

[Righty]

I was told that the decision re catchment would be made around the Summer of 2015 so you have good time to figure out your other options ready for the 2015/2016 applications process.

I don't think the new site is to be an infant school.

[DenmotherSmith]

In a parent forum discussion about the expansion the school explained they planed to put the juniors (years 4,5&6) in the Inverton road site. And with 4 form entry the catchment will definitely expand considerably. When it bulged the first time my daughter had a classmate who after a few weeks in the waiting list got in from Mundania Road.

[henryb]

The catchment in 2013 with a bulge class, so a 3 class intake, was 516m which takes to part of Cheltenham Road. Even with 4 classes I can't see it getting past the golf course. There are lots of unknown variables but it still not ideal at all.

[buggie]

Having gone to the open morning regarding primary school entry on Tues, the head said plan is for KS2 to move to new building & nursery/KS1 staying at the current school (with reconfiguration of classes/space).

Once new site is open, anyone applying for place will have distance measured to both sites & the shortest distance will count thus improving catchment & not reducing - it'll remain in name as one school so not like one of the schools in DV (I can't remember which) where the infants & juniors have different catchments & so infants aren't guarenteed a junior sch place.

The big issue is for those of us applying for places for Sept 2015 (as we are) or the next year.

Even once the new site is open, they'll extend to 4 form bottom up meaning if we miss a place this year the expansion won't benefit us.