School places offers day tomorrow

[hpsaucey]

paddykelly Wrote:

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> I think it's worth pointing out that in 2012

> Ivydale's furthest catchment was 1062m and last

> year in 2013 it was 516m. We are within the 400m

> range and have not got a place and there are

> definitely a lot more families in the area than

> when we first moved. Where can I find out

> information on how many places were turned away at

> Ivydale? This seems like a vital piece of

> information for all those parents currently making

> decisions about accepting offers to schools they

> have deliberately not applied for.

>

> On your other point I appreciate that space needs

> to be accommodated up the line for new classes but

> surely with a new campus on the horizon that is

> less of an issue.

>

> I am concerned by the some of the suggestions on

> this forum that the best option is to either rent

> or buy near your schools of choice but to be

> honest that seems to be the only way. Of the 10

> nearest schools to us we applied for the 6 in

> order of preference, clearly I was under the

> illusion of there being some sort of choice in

> this matter. The council clearly are operating on

> the policy of placing children where it suits them

> rather than responding to the obvious needs that

> are being expressed on this forum and elsewhere.

> Paddy

It's such a hard time and I really feel for people going through this now. What would have been the situation WITHOUT the new Harris opening? 'Choice' is an illusion and has been for a long time - getting a place is an achievement! You (not unreasonably) apply to your nearest and hope to get in. After all, the sense of community and friendships are built on going to a school near to where you live. Sadly Ivydale isn't a tardis and has a good few years before any new extra school is up and running. If you had children there you'd know how cramped it now is. There are simply more children needing places as the population grows and a finite number of bulge classes can be added - here or elsewhere.

I remember friends moving to be within the 'catchment' area of a school and I am concerned about this like you are. In fact I'm personally morally against this as they are then 'denying' a place to someone else who can't afford to do likewise!

Really hope you get sorted out and get a place. It's probably not any consolation at the minute when you're going through it but usually children end up at schools they're happy in. Boy, for parents, however, its can be an agonising process getting there...GinaG3's post is spot on.

HP

[Ruth Campbell]

So for anyone wanting some distances

Horniman School - 315.78

Fairlawn - 345.11

Elliot bank - 322.82

Sadly we have missed out by 60m from Horniman and by 90 from fairlawn.

[Growlybear]

Bubblebob - I really do think it would be a good idea for you to visit Turnham when the schools go back next week. I really do think you will be pleasantly surprised.

[Yvi]

We also did not get any of our choices... Unbelivablly, as at least for a couple of them I really thought we should get in!

Been offered a school I never heard of, St Mary Magdalene CE Primary School in Peckham. Anybody any opinions? I will appeal, but meanehile, I will take a place at the new Harris Free School - though obviously as a new school they have no record on their performance, I have a feeling that this will be a brilliant oppurtunity, and perhaps exactly because it is a new school, there will be an extra effort made to be up to standard and above! I didn't apply inicially because of the fact that they had no building, at the time not even an allocated site. Anyway, perhaps not having gotten a place in any of my choice schools will prove a blessing in disguise?

[bluesuperted]

Yvi - I may be about a year out of date but have heard that St Mary Magdalene's is a really, really good school, I used to live nearby but not close enough to get in but knew two totally separate parents who raved about it and said it's very small and nurturing. I would definitely look into it before making your final decision, I'm very surprised you would have been offered it but maybe things have changed or they are taking a bulge - I always thought it was only one form entry... Just a thought!

[Honoroaky]

We got St Mary magdalen too and had never heard of it. Certainly didn't visit it along with all others just beyond the nearest 6. The ofsted report from 2009 says it's outstanding but can't find more up to date information. Think we'll probably still go with Harris as it's nearer to us (for now).

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Paddy, Fairlawn, Heber and DKH have all had years of sub-400 metre last place distances, the latter two, sub-300 metres, so this is not that unusual. You mention that you applied to 6 out of your 10 closest schools. I would suspect that you would be far out of last place distances for those of the 10 furthest from you. I would suggest you add your child to the waiting list to those you missed from the list of 10 closest, as a closer back-up than the allocated school. You will of course remain on the waiting list for all your original schools. I think just over half of the places at Ivydale went to siblings this year (this isn't unusual for a 2 form entry primary)a level that, so nothing like the 55 siblings there were last year.

The 60 places at Harris ED were in the pupil planning for the area, without this school this year it is likely that two established primaries in the ED area would have bulged instead. With the independent application process for Harris this year the level of reallocation of places is likely to be higher than usual.

Hello sailor, I don't have this information yet, once I do I'll post it here.

Renata

[Ruth Campbell]

I will visit Turnham. And we are considering it, I just think that it's sad that aware within walking distance of so many schools and will have to drive!

We are no. 9 on the waiting list for Goodrich which is better than I would have thought and will see what the second round throws at us.

[peggoula]

We got none of our 6 either and again we have a place in Harris which we are going for. I am confused how distances are calculated, we seem to be a lot further on the waiting list than a house 4 doors down (on crystal palace road) and even a house on lordship lane. I wonder how maps work and if you can contest your waiting list position (we are 8th on Heber but I am not that hopeful.)

Any info how this whole thing works is very much appreciated so please PM me.

Thanks in advance, Peggy

[buggie]

Find it interesting (looking on mumsnet at threads on primary allocation) that lots of areas prioritise in catchment children over out of catchment siblings - wonder how much of a difference this would make to catchment areas.

Paddy - I'm v curious as to where you are (not expecting you to say on forum) as I'm approx 350m from Ivydale & will be applying for next yr which will be 2yr post bulge & a year pre 4 form entry coming in.

[etta166]

But buggie - how would you define the catchment? What if loads of families move closer to the school than you live between your first and last child entering the school? Then there could be more people living closer with a first child trying to enter reception, but a family trying to get a sibling in wouldn't have moved out of the "catchment" for their oldest child. They should have a legitimate expectation that all their children can get into the same school.

Now, moving close to get a child in and then moving again safe in the knowledge that all the siblings will follow is a bit different IMO, but I'm not sure that you can penalise a family that doesn't move just because of a rising birthrate. Sending siblings to different schools would be a logistical nightmare and lead to pupils missing school time.

[Honoroaky]

I emailed Southwark today to find out where we were on the waiting list for our first choice school and they emailed straight back to say that we should have been offered a place there as we are first on the list and another family pulled out a few weeks ago. ..! Slightly confused. Also wondering if we would have known if I hadn't queried!

So do check!!

[buggie]

etta166 Wrote:

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> But buggie - how would you define the catchment?

> What if loads of families move closer to the

> school than you live between your first and last

> child entering the school? Then there could be

> more people living closer with a first child

> trying to enter reception, but a family trying to

> get a sibling in wouldn't have moved out of the

> "catchment" for their oldest child. They should

> have a legitimate expectation that all their

> children can get into the same school.

>

> Now, moving close to get a child in and then

> moving again safe in the knowledge that all the

> siblings will follow is a bit different IMO, but

> I'm not sure that you can penalise a family that

> doesn't move just because of a rising birthrate.

> Sending siblings to different schools would be a

> logistical nightmare and lead to pupils missing

> school time.

V good point & unsure how that works/hadn't considered that (lucky I raised it as discussion point on here rather than announce it as policy ;-) ). Guess that the areas I saw mention this have schools with a defined catchment area & reflecting on it, maybe a less dense population than we have here.

Had thought more in terms of the families that move quite a distance and as well as not moving their older child to a school nearer their new address, subsequently send their younger children to the "out of area" school - eg, commuting from Upper Norwood to Nunhead (met a family who do this & was agog at how much of a commute it was). Obv, the problem is that there sometimes isn't space at the local school, but if it became more the "done thing" then there maybe would be a bit more flexibility - after all, if you've moved somewhere different long term , it'd be nicer for the kids to have local friends/social network.

Plus, yes, it could stop the blips of people buying/renting purely to get into a school with their first & then moving further out but using sibling places.

The other issue I guess is quality of local schools, but again if the local schools were supported by local parents then things can change for the better (example being Goose Green).

[bonacara]

We are 300 metres from horniman and didnt get in! Whats going on? They say we are not even on the waiting list, as we did not meet the school's admission criteria. I tried calling on the two numbers given in the offer letter but one goes straight to message ( no one called me back) and the other just says call back later. I also emailed, but did not get a reply either. And now its Easter and I cant stand not knowing why we did not get in, or what chances we may still have? So frustrating! Does anyone have a phone number / email address that works? Thanks

[Fly]

.

[Smiler]

For what reason fly?

[Smiler]

Buggie, we live in surrey now, the most popular local primary has the system you describe, prioritises "local" children over siblings of current pupils now living further away.

It does prevent people renting temporarily (when I was in Dulwich Heber was popular and there was high turnover of rentals very nearby), but means that only those who can afford high housing costs for a number of years can get into the school. There seems to be around ?100,000 premium on the price of family houses in catchment!

[bluesuperted]

Yes there is a similar scenario around Redland Green secondary in Bristol - you have to continue living in the area of first or second priority (which I think is a bit wider than the actual catchment) to get a sibling in... Seems fair but like Smiler says it REALLY adds a housing premium to a finite number of streets.

[Mariamadeit]

Blimey Fly they didn't offer you anywhere? Have you spoken to renata? It seems very odd all of this.

[Ruth Campbell]

Bonacara, did you get in anywhere else? We are 370 from horn imam and were reused on distance but the last place was more than 300m

[Fly]

.

[hellosailor]

does anyone know what the furthest distance offered for goodrich was this year?

[prm]

Renata maybe you can help clarify this... If anyone can add themselves to any school waiting list does this mean they will be put in with everyone else who had originally applied to the school and is already in the waiting list ie does that explain why some people end up going further down the waiting list in the weeks following the initial offers?

[number 2]

Prm, as far as I understood it, everyone gets put on the same waiting list and everyone's distance is calculated the same. The other thing that happens to make you go down the list is when people either move into the area with a child of reception age and is closer than you, or they get a child in higher up the school and then their reception aged child goes ahead of you on the list, irrespective of distance. It sucks, but them's the rules I'm afraid. We started off at 4th on the Ivydale list and bounced from there to about 8th or 9th.

[prm]

Thanks number 2 that's what I thought. At least even if people put themselves in several waiting lists (understandable, I would do the same) they will only end up taking one of those places and if they live closer to the school I guess then that's fair.