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I think these are all the options but would appreciate anyone who can tell me if there are more...

7 replies

tumtumtetum · 26/02/2009 16:22

So now I'm having a PFB panic about DD.

She will go off to Primary next year and I've just found out the school we assumed she would go to has a catchement area of just 1/4 of a mile

The other two in walking distance are religious - I am an athiest - and they have quite strict having to go to the church for at least 3 years type stuff ie they are proper religious not just in name.

So my options as I see them are:

  1. Drive/bus to school
  2. Go private
  3. Find god


My problems are

  1. Surely the whole point about nursery is walking to school and being in walking distance of all your little friends? I just never imagined i would have to load the car/hop on buses for primary school
  2. Can't afford it
  3. Athiest


That's it isn't it - there's no other way. So I'll be going to a school friggin miles away.

We live in v residential part of London BTW.
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Seeline · 26/02/2009 16:27

does the school actually have an official catchment. In this part of London there are a list of criteria which prioritise applications ie having a sibling, social/medical need, child being in care. After that the places are allocated to the children living nearest to teh school. Therefore if it is a low 'sibling' year, and therefore more places up for grabs, children living further away from teh school will be offered a place. Check with the school for their admissions policy.

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tumtumtetum · 26/02/2009 16:31

Seeline it's the same here. First care etc and some other things then siblings then straight line distance from school. DD will fall into the straight line category and this year the line was 1/4 mile.

We are .4 of a mile away (looked it up how sad is that) and given the boom in births in this area (DD was one of about a trillion babies to take the services by surprise) i can't imagine it will be better this year.

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Seeline · 26/02/2009 16:36

You may be lucky and have a low sibling year - or maybe lots of teh others will 'find God'! I do sympathise, it was tough and go for us when DS was going 3 years ago, but we were lucky. How far away are the alterantives?

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tumtumtetum · 26/02/2009 16:42

They're not far really but definitely a bus/car.

I just had an idea in my head that DD would walk to school like I did, I remember it so fondly, holding mum's hand and nattering away. And of course it's really good for children to have the exercise.

To load onto transport just utterly utterly depresses me.

I suppose I've got a touch of the "notfairs" as well that so many (80% at least) of the primaries around here are religious, and I'm sure 80% of people aren't...

Never mind

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giantkatestacks · 26/02/2009 16:43

god 80% what a pita...can you move before reception year?

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pinkteddy · 26/02/2009 16:49

One positive thing about living in London is that there is a lot of movement and you may find that even if you don't get a place immediately - you might do by September.

You need to weigh up whether its worth going on the waiting list and holding out for a place. I know people that have been offered a place the first week of term that were 5th or 6th on the waiting list.

Anyway, you never know - you might get a place, I would never have got a place at dd's school if she'd been born a year earlier but there were not many siblings in her year luckily for me! Good luck with it all.

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tumtumtetum · 26/02/2009 16:54

I need to keep my chin up and hope for the best don't I - and after all it'll be alright in the end I'm sure.

Moving's not really an option for various reasons...

My friends have said just get DD christened and go to church

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