Been offered a place at Belleville?

[SeptMummy]

My youngest son is due to start at Shaftesbury Park Reception (Bilingual stream) this September but we have just received a letter saying he has got a place at Belleville Reception, this rather leaves us in a quandry as to what to do! Belleville has always been our No.1, and would love the boys to go there, but....
My eldest is currently at Shaftesbury and enjoyed his reception year, should we decide to accept the offer for Belleville for DS2 will DS1 be able to get in to Yr1 there too? We could be faced with them both being in different schools!
Shaftesbury Park is only a 3 mins walk from our house whilst Belleville is 15 or 25 mins walk depending which site he attends...
I'm also due a baby in October and with plans to move out of London next year should we just go with the current plans of Shaftesbury Park, which on the whole we are quite happy with, although it's not quite Belleville?

[SquirmOfEels]

How definite are your plans to move, and when do you find out which site?

[PatriciaHolm]

If you are definitely planning to move i would stick where you are; much easier walk, plus you could easily end up with them in 2 different schools if Year1 is currently full (which it almost certainly will be).

[SeptMummy]

In reality we have to move by next summer at the latest as we will have outgrown our house once new baby is on the move! Can't realistically afford to move within London...
Funnily enough Belleville just called us for more info and looks like it will be Meteor Street location which is closer to us, and potentially there is a place becoming available in Y1 for DS1?? More of a quandary now!

[StarCrossdSkys]

But then you'll be moving ds1 twice in as many years. That's really tough on him. Stick with Shaftesbury.

[SeptMummy]

StarCrossdEyes - true...
Such bad timing!

[EdithWeston]

I'd be tempted to put both of them into Belleville (Meteor Road) as it's still a very short walk for you and the move might not happen, or might not happen on time, or a windfall might mean you can stay in the area.

It's interesting that the second round offers have gone as far as the other side of Lavender Hill. I wonder if that's because the opening of Bolingbroke Academy mean families aren't moving away (so the school is taking local families rather than being over half full of distant siblings).

Very long term view is of course that Belleville is a Bolingbroke feeder but Shaftesbury isn't.

[SeptMummy]

Looks like we have made the decision to move both to Belleville, meteor street as EdithWeston it's true the move may or may not happen when we first thought! We feel meteor street will suit my youngest being the smaller location of Belleville as he has only just turned 4. It is still one form entry at meteor isn't it?
Hopefully my eldest will be ok as he does enjoy Shaftesbury and the whole thing will be a bit strange for him come September... Have no idea what reason to give him for the change? he obviously would understand had we moved out to the country, but still being in the same home etc and seeing his friends go to Shaftesbury could be difficult for him... I'm sure in time he will get into his groove and they will still be at the same school which is a priority!

[EdithWeston]

Pretty sure it's one form it's one form throughout on the satellite site (isn't is also called The Vines?) because of the size of the buildings there.

You'll just have to hope that he's OK with the idea that he goes with DS2 and that you think this school will be nice for both of them (and that he accepts that as sufficient reason - it is after all at the heart of the adult decision, but might not seem the same from the Year1 seats)

But pupils move around a lot in that part of London (you might not be the only family moving to Belleville/Macaulay/Honeywell if places have come up in the year groups they want).