We have a school place offer for sept 2015!

[Portlypenguin]

I am feeling a proud mummy :)

My just 3yr old has secured himself a place at our first choice school to start in reception in sept 2015. That means we won't either end up being bussed to a school miles away or sent to the local overcrowded-struggling school in the great local state lottery. These seem to be the options for the kids in the streets around us at present due to an uber local baby boom. Financially Poor but hopefully a good education and happy boy.

I was really worried because we had assessments at 3 schools but he missed the first one because he had D&V (luckily was our back-up anyway) so that only left 2. DS is tiny for his age (0.4th centile) and only 3.1 and when we dropped him off for the assessment he looked very young compared to the other boys. The teacher reported he came and asked for a step because the tiny-toilets were still too high up for him!!!! (Actually I was surprised he even made it that far given the usual no. of accidents...)

Sorry, pointless post really but I am pleased he will be able to go to a good school that isn't too far away. They will also be able to cope with his frustrating food allergies (although I still hope for the day he is back on dairy...) and inhaler routine (groan).

Hoping other 3+/4+/whatever+ assessments go well for people.

xx

Read your post again.

Is this a private school thing? Congratulations.

It does read a bit like a parody of middle-class concerns (dreadful state schooling, nappy valley, precocious child and multiple allergies), but I get it.
Congratulations on your clever boy.

Hahahaha. What did they assess him on? Peppa pig? Picking his nose?

He looked young?? He's only 3!

How does a 3yo secure himself a place?

Is this for real? I despair :(

Glad you got a place at the school you wanted OP. My ds has allergies too so its good you have found somewhere that will be able to deal with that.

Delighted you won't have to take part in the great state lottery like the rest of us, OP.

What can they assess for at this age? I don't think any of mine would have passed 3+. Are they expected to do numeracy and literacy for 3 year olds. Or is it drawing pictures, recognising name, numbers, like pre school does?

The 3+? Good grief

Another reminder that some people inhabit a totally different universe to me

Well done?

I'm glad you're happy, I hope it works out well for you.

Please keep reminding him how lucky he is not to be slumming it with us peasants
Definitely a different universe!!
Glad I read this. Makes me glad mine will be going to state schools

Well done OP. It's a lottery at that age as no idea who will do what on the day!

I have no idea what they did in the assessment. I suspect we were just high on the registration list. My DS is not advanced at all in any respect (least of all growth). I was totally state educated in middling schools .

Would be quite happy to send him to a state school close to us that would provide a reasonable environment and cover the curriculum to a reasonable standard but not one that is clearly struggling to reach a minimum standard in that 'special measures' business, whose headmistress 'doesn't have time to see prospective parents' and whose reception teacher refused to show me work on the grounds its confidential to the child who did it. (Also not so keen on 45min bus ride for a 4yr old due to lack of nearby places...poor 4yr old two doors down from us this year)

I would significantly have preferred my child to not have failure to thrive, need several long stays in hospital, special formula even at age 3...even if malabsorption second to allergies is middle class we could have done without it....two of the state schools we visited said they couldn't cope with his potential for diarrhoea frequently that is non infectious and that I would need to come in at lunch time to do the wretched inhalers daily (not possible due to work :(

Anyway, frees up another place for everyone else locally who is either happy with the offerings (everyone is different) or would prefer to go with state for moral reasons and not consider what is best for their child. That's my slightly bitchy return!!

I hope everyone else for sept 15 entry gets what they want in whichever lottery system they choose to use!

not consider what is best for their child. That's my slightly bitchy return!

Umm, yep, I'd agree that's pretty bitchy.

Did you mean to be so rude?

Do you really expect the head of a school to meet every prospective parent individually? That's bizarre.

People who send their children to failing schools are either "happy with them" or have "moral reasons" to object to private schools. Really?

If he is just 3 now, surely he won't be starting reception until Sep 2016?

If he was. 3 at the end of August he will.

I wouldn't be happy sending my child to any school willing to assess for a place at age 3. What sort of pressure will they put the children under when they are actually pupils!?

In my experience they mainly assess the parents ability to pay the fees rather than any ability in a 3year old.

I suspect a willingness to commit to pay and early sign up helps !!! I wouldn't pay for private either ladies

Sorry - great news for you op but lots of people can't afford to simply opt out, even if DC had additional needs .. Even less so those with 2,3, 4 children ...