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Original poster

SURREY people- did you get your choice of school, heard of some strange decisions today !

136 replies

Themis · 10/03/2007 15:17

Obviuosly dont know all the details as to why people got into certain school but on the face of it some decisions seem strange. A friend of mine is concerned that the equal preference system wasn't used properly or fairly.

Whats your experience today ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Themis · 10/03/2007 16:41

bump

OP posts:
CarGirl · 10/03/2007 16:58

Hi I did but we are talking infant school and have older child there at the moment, as its SAturday don't know who has and hasn't got in.

Original poster
Themis · 10/03/2007 17:03

Yes, I suppose not much will be hard until Monday. I am talking about infant/primary school , so will be interested to hear. One of my friends is very disappointed at the moment as a school she thought was her nearest turned her down .

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CarGirl · 10/03/2007 18:26

She may have been turned down as siblings took all the places and those who lived nearer? I she going to appeal? Worth trying.

Original poster
Themis · 10/03/2007 18:37

Yes , I explained that to her. Not much can be done until Monday when they speak to LEA or the school.

But then someone esle in same village gets offered a school that I know is overscribed which is no way their nearest school ( at least two school closer ) but again not all details known.

will find out more on Monday.

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peegeeweegee · 10/03/2007 21:58

Oh gosh, getting very very worried now. Am waiting to hear about an infant school place for my dd. I have ds at the adjoining junior school, so that may count as a sibling.

Am starting to feel very sick now - just need to know dd has her place...

peegeeweegee · 10/03/2007 21:59

Themis, whereabouts in Surrey was this??

themoon66 · 10/03/2007 22:00

God what a nightmare. Glad we don't have this hassle in Lincolnshire. And you are only talking about infant school?

galaxy · 10/03/2007 22:19

I have been in tears for most of the day. We put a faith school as 1st choice and didn't get in as over-subscribed (and we aren't of that faith) so can accept that. However, 2nd and 3rd preferences were supposed to be equal preference, and the 3rd preference was, when we applied, shown on the Surrey website as our closest school. Today I get a letter telling me dd has been allocated a school we never put down as one of our preferences which is now amazingly shown as our nearest school. It is by road, but not by footpath.Nearest school is 6 minute walk from our house along a footpath running past our estate. Other school is 12 minute walk across town centre road.

I am devestated - can't afford to keep her at pre she is currently at for preschool and I don't know what to do.

I spent an hour talking to their contact centre before I did the order that I did on the form. I was assured that if I put our closest school down as apreference it wouldn't matter how I ranked it, if I asn't succesful on the 1st 2, I could be confident of getting her in there as it is our closest.
Gutted, can' stop bursting into tears. The school they've allocated was until last year on Ofsted special measures and not one I'd choose to send dd to for various reasons.

pooka · 10/03/2007 22:23

Oh Galaxy - what a nightmare for you. Is there any chance that you might be kept on the list for your 2nd and 3rd preferences in case anyone turns down their offers?

I'm waiting until 24th March to find out whether we've got a place at our nearest school (8mins walk, dd goes to pre-school there but very oversubscribed and all depends on siblings). My other 2 preferences are a good 20mins walk away.

galaxy · 10/03/2007 22:27

Pooka, Apologies for my rubbish spelling. Laptop keyboard is playing ip.

She automatically gets put on the school waiting lists apparently for the non-faith schools so fingers crossed Have written to faith school asking to go on waiting list.

She'll go into pre-school on Monday, and hear her friends talking about the schools they have got into and we can't say anything to her. (although she has been asking why mummy is upset today).

God, I'm off again.

galaxy · 10/03/2007 22:27

Pooka, Apologies for my rubbish spelling. Laptop keyboard is playing up.

She automatically gets put on the school waiting lists apparently for the non-faith schools so fingers crossed Have written to faith school asking to go on waiting list.

She'll go into pre-school on Monday, and hear her friends talking about the schools they have got into and we can't say anything to her. (although she has been asking why mummy is upset today).

God, I'm off again.

pooka · 10/03/2007 22:39

I'm not surprised. It's so difficult to put on a brave face when you're dealing with things affecting your children, isn't it.

With any luck you might be able to get a turned down place at one of the three schools you liked. You never know...

I've decided that if dd doesn't get into the preferred school, I will still keep her name on the waiting list with a view to thinking about moving her should a place come up in year 1. Obviously, will wait and see, but I want ds to go to the pre-school there in Sept 08 and it's going to be pretty difficult managing to deal with both school runs if she's at one of the other schools.

It all depends on siblings - have practically been counting children who look about dd's age at the school pick up, factoring in on top of that the children I knwo live closer and children I see around and about. Rdiculous because it's impossible for me to work out and do anything about it.

I do hope that you get good news from the waiting lists. Fingers crossed.

SherlockLGJ · 10/03/2007 22:54

Galaxy

I am so very very upset on your behalf, texted J last night, convinced your DD was in. Got her reply and was gutted for you.

Your offer place, is not acceptable.

Go to appeal, and make sure you turn up to the appeal and blind them with science.

I am right behind you on this.

peegeeweegee · 10/03/2007 23:10

Oh Galaxy, am so sorry to hear this. Do you stand a good chance at appeal for the second or third choices you put?

Can you go on the waiting lists for all 3 schools? I really hope this can be resolved for you.

It is such an emotive issue this school thing isn't it.
At our preschool on Friday there was a heated argument for and agains the sibling rule.

Original poster
Themis · 11/03/2007 07:51

peegee In answer to your question - Elmbridge

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Original poster
Themis · 11/03/2007 08:09

Very helpful that the OFSTED website has been down all weekend aswell which may have helped looking at distances again .

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ChippyMinton · 11/03/2007 08:18

galaxy, i really feel for you, what a horrible situation for you and your DD.
This link may be helpful if distance is an issue surrey interactive map You can use it to measure distances between two points ie home to school by following the footpaths. Reading the admissions criteria it's not entirely clear what measurement is used , as it states that mode of transport is not taken into account. The ability of your child to walk to school (and safely) could form part of your appeal?

rolledhedgehog · 11/03/2007 18:29

I am Elmbridge too. We got our first choice even though it is a vastly oversubscribed church school and we are not church goers. It is our nearest school by a nearly a mile. Seemingly there was not enough places to go around and this school agreed to add another class. So DS will be going with all his little pals whose parents thought they had zero chance but put it first because of the equal preference system. To be honest none of us were convinced that this system would be applied fairly so were crapping ourselves that we would get none of our choices.

I suppose tomorrow at the pre-school gates we will hear who got in at the other schools.

CarGirl · 11/03/2007 18:50

not relevant but with ref to the siblings rule I think that should stand provided that parents have not since moved IYSWIM, it would stop people moving to get their eldest in and then moving away again therefore you would hopefully end up with those who have siblings and live nearby - which surely as to be fairer than the current system.

Good luck ladies.

hippipotami · 11/03/2007 18:50

I suppose we should hear tomorrow....
Am feeling very nervous now due to all of your stories, up until last week I thought it would be a dead cert dd getting a place at our first pref...

Oh well, will see what the postie brings in the morning...

(it's peegeeweegee with an identity crisis by the way)

Original poster
Themis · 11/03/2007 19:36

Well keep posting as to how pople get on tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how this equal preference system works out.

I am not applying for schools at moment but will be applying for Juniors come Sept/Oct so am interested to see how this system has been.

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Exmouth · 11/03/2007 19:44

How has the Surrey system changed? Is catchment area no longer the main entry criterion after siblings and special needs?

Original poster
Themis · 11/03/2007 19:57

It used to be three choices of school, if you really want a school then you put that first, the other two choices would be considered only after all the first choices for those schools.

Now it is the equal weighting preference system ( except church schools), so you put down your three choices and all three are considered equally.

Those closest to the school getting in , after SN and sibling.

explained here

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NorksBride · 11/03/2007 20:11

Galaxy - sorry to hear that. If it's any comfort, we've just had a girl transfer from a school in the town to our oversubscribed faith school Reception class. She has settled in really quickly despite only knowing a couple of the children in her class. She has taken the place of a girl who went to a private school last September and who's parents didn't bother informing the school.

Tbh I was surprised the place wasn't filled sooner but none of the local schools are bad which must make it easier for parents to accept the places they're offered. We're Sussex, not Surrey btw.

I also know a boy who had no school place until the last week of the summer holidays - and then got his first choice - again because someone else had gone private.

So good luck!