School nursery places

[londonhypnobirthing]

Does anyone know when all the school nursery places release their offers? We've had an offer from Goose Green nursery, but also applied to Dog Kennel Hill and haven't heard from them - is there a deadline by which they all need to let parents know by?

Thanks

Hollie

[hellosailor]

Every single Bessemer nursery place went to siblings this year, I can add, in case anyone is waiting

[MrsAk]

..

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Hollie, schools operate Nursery admissions, so there is not set date for letting you know if a place is available for your child. They also don't have a set admissions criteria, eg some give sibling priority and others don't and purely allocate on distance or date of birth.

Hi Hellosailor, do you know how many Nursery places Bessemer has? I'm asking as a similar situation with Ivydale in 2012 led to a bulge in 2013 as there was a record number of siblings there (2013 entry 60 siblings/other priority). Thanks

Renata

[MrsAk]

I think there are either 52 or 54 spaces in Bessemer nursery but to be fair the head teacher did say back in September that all the nursery places would go to siblings - we were just living in hope!

[hellosailor]

I put my daughter down for Bessemer nursery for sept start this year and when I handed the form in about a year ago the admissions person said we would have no probs as we were only the 4th people to give a form in. My friend put her daughter down a couple of days later and was told they were the 6th people to hand in a form so with 60 spaces (I think that's what they said) there should be no probs as we had forms in so early. My friend rang the other day to ask when we could expect to hear and they said every space had gone to siblings this year.

[lai lai]

We were offered a place a couple of weeks ago at DKH nursery for 2 1/2 days a week from September.....might be worth phoning them if you haven't heard yet.

[buggie]

Has anyone heard anything about Ivydale's nursery places? Called the office a few wks back and was told letters would be out last week and called again today (as we're away next week and I don't know how long we have to accept/decline the place).

Bit worried I might be getting palmed off and given that reception bulged last year, wondering if there'll be another big sibling intake for nursery this year.

[simonethebeaver]

We've only applied to a non-school preschool and are yet to hear from them about a place. I'm now panicking slightly that we won't get in there and I've not applied anywhere else. Do I have any chance of getting into anywhere with this notice?!

[londonhypnobirthing]

Thanks Lai Lai I will call them tomorrow. Simone my son is currently at Buds preschool at the Goose Green Centre which offer the 15 free hours. You could try them for September as I know they have some space at the moment? There's also Amott Road Preschool.

[simonethebeaver]

Thanks, London. I've heard good things about them too. We're down for Dulwich Village Pre-school at the moment which I loved. Does anyone know anything about the pre-school in the church hall opposite Fairlawn?

[Belle]

When my son was in Goodrich nursery there were definitely free places as he started and some were still being filled quite late in the year. (though that may partly have been younger applicants). This wasn't the current academic year though, it was Sept 2012. May be that nurseries are more crowded now.

My youngest has just started at Buds, and it's prob a bit soon to say anything definitive but we really like it so far.

[simonethebeaver]

Thank you. I'd gone for a nursery that would allow her to do three full days rather than the school ones with the half days, but I'd rather she did that if necessary than nothing! Can't have her sitting around slacking for the next year.

[buggie]

Oh cripes, have answered my own question - in amongst the election junk was a letter from Ivydale seeming to say that we're on the waiting list (although doesn't explicitly state).

They also seem to think we're nearly 100m further away from the school than we are going by google maps walking distance, know the mysterious Southwark distance tool throws out random distances, but thought they go by 'as crow flys' - surely est walking distance couldn't be 94m shorter than that?!

Argh!!

[Winklepea]

I applied to Ivydale !!! And got the same letter not really saying much and with my daughters name typed incorrectly. Although they came highly recommended by my health visitor I have had nothing but bad experiences from the school starting with being told I couldn't visit the nursery or the school ( was keen to see what it was like prior to application) !!! And when I phoned back and pushed I was then asked when my daughter's birthday was, and then promptly told that she wouldn't get a place anyway as she would be one of the youngest and they only take the oldest !!!! I was left open mouthed ....

[buggie]

Well, popped in to the office & all sorted, the letter was sent to inform us of the process, really lucky I went in

as we're away next wk so would've missed the letter & deadline otherwise. Found the guys in the office really friendly & easy to deal with. We went on one of the open mornings in Nov to look round the school - they were aimed at those applying for reception but did talk about early yrs too.

Their standing by the (v dodgy) distance (maybe as crow flys includes ascent/descent of the crow!), but we have been offered a place (phew!) - Winklepea think the letters are being sent out today so look out in the post from tomorrow & fingers crossed for you.