Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

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:

ChippyMinton · 11/03/2007 21:25

Ooh, and apologies to everyone else for this shamless thread hijack

Toothyboy · 11/03/2007 21:41

Yes, sorry everyone! Chippy - have started a new thread in Chat!

galaxy · 11/03/2007 22:18

LGJ and Mo2, thanks for your thoughts. LGJ, Would love to speak to you to get the "inside track" on what you think are chances are. Have writtent of Governors with copy to Mr H (well J wrote it as I was a useless wreck on Friday afternoon).

we will get on waiting lists for other 2 automatically. Just put decline letter in post box for the school we've been offered

Myermay.Where are you and what school did you get?

Am going to appeal of course even if we get into 3rd choice it is better thn what we've been offered.

hippipotami · 12/03/2007 07:59

Morning all!

How are those that are still waiting feeling?

I am so nervous I can't eat breakfast.
Some of the stories on here really scare me.
Feel even more foolish now as I did not put down a 3rd preference (arrogantly did not think I needed to...) so heaven only knows where dd may end up.

DS is at the junior school linked to the infant school, but that may not count as a strong enough sibling link, so I have no idea what will happen.

The SCC website tells us to phone if we have not had the letter by the 13th, I really really really want to know today....

galaxy · 12/03/2007 08:16

Good luck! Hope you're more successful than we were. Don't think it makes a jot of difference whether you put down 3 choices or not. They choose to ignore it anyway

Original poster

Themis · 12/03/2007 08:21

Good luck to you all today .
I am very sorry if I have scared some people by starting this thread.

OP posts:

hippipotami · 12/03/2007 09:11

Don't worry Themis, it has been a great thread, it is good to read everyone else's experience. I only hope those of you who did not get what you want are able to successfully appeal.

This whole school thing is such a nightmare..

In Holland where I grew up you went to the nearest school automatically. No applications/preferences/etc. Just the nearest as the crow flies. League tables did not exist and offsted reports were not published, so all schools were considered equal. It may not have been a perfect system, but according to my mum it was much less stressful.

Now, where is that postie?

hippipotami · 12/03/2007 09:13

OMG OMG OMG, POSTIE HAS JUST BEEN, AND DD HAS GOT INTO OUR FIRST CHOICE, THE EXCELLENT INFANT SCHOOL NEXT TO DS'S JUNIOR SCHOOL.

Sorry to shout, did not realise caps was on - am sooo pleased!!

I hope today brings good news for more of you, and those of you going to appeal, please if you can, keep us posted as we would like to wish you support every step of the way!

Original poster

Themis · 12/03/2007 09:15

Hippi - well done .

The junior school that we will be applying for next year is apparently 60 oversubscribed .. some very disappointed parents at the school gate

OP posts:

ChippyMinton · 12/03/2007 09:18

great news hippi

hippipotami · 12/03/2007 09:21

Am feeling very relieved.

Nightmare about junior being oversubscribed. We had the problem here when we applied for ds to move onto the local junior school (which is next to the infant school as has virtually the same name) the intake at juniors was less that the intake at the lower school. So automatically not everyone from ds's year would move into juniors. That was so stressful...

Will have to worry about that in 3 years time when we have to apply for dd to go there.

ChippyMinton · 12/03/2007 18:03

anyone else heard today?

Issymum · 12/03/2007 18:22

We heard today. We were in a rather strange position: DD1 is at a private school in Guildford and I applied for a State school place just in case something went wrong with DD2's admission to DD1's school (unlikely as it's non-selective) and as we were dithering a bit - well I was, DH wasn't - about educating the DDs privately at all. So I put down the name of just one school. It's massively over-subscribed and there are three schools that are nearer than it, but DD2 was offered a place. I'm very surprised and I wonder if it has anything to do with putting down only one school.

In fact, I don't think we'll take the place for all sorts of reasons, not least because, having spoken to the school today, they were clear that they can't guarantee DD1 a place there for September. We'll make the decision finally this evening and send the letter off first thing tomorrow. I'm going to fax it to the school too so at least one family on the long school waiting list will get really great news tomorrow or the day after!

CarGirl · 12/03/2007 18:24

One of the local junior schools was over subscribed and not everyone who applied got in - 7 got turned down. Just sad for them really but it's not surprising as it isn't their nearest junior school.

CarGirl · 12/03/2007 18:25

Forgot to add the children were sent home with their letters in their book bags which I thought was insensitive and unsuitable tbh considering not everyone got a place!

Original poster

Themis · 12/03/2007 18:29

Agree with you there Cargirl about the bookbag thing.

OP posts:

Issymum · 12/03/2007 18:30

And I forgot to add that I realise the irony of the fact that we, the family who had a totally fine alternative and were very touch and go about this over-subscribed school, were the ones who got offered the place. Life is unfair.

hippipotami · 12/03/2007 20:30

Well, some strange decisions at our local infant and junior. A handful of mums were in the unenviable position of having to apply to the junior school for their child currently in the infants school, AND a reception place at infants for their youngest child. Two people were given a reception place but not a junior place, meaning they are going to have their dc at different schools. They are not happy.

Another lady has two children at the local infants and applied to the junior school for the eldest - and did not get in.
Now she does not know whether to move her youngest too as she can not be in two places at once. But the youngest is in reception and she is unsure if any other schools will have a place.

Lots of stress and strange decisions in these here parts!!!

Original poster

Themis · 12/03/2007 20:34

This 'not automatic' follow on for juniors from infants is a bloody 'mare !

Although not always on the same site they are usually a short distnace from each other.

OP posts:

CarGirl · 12/03/2007 20:38

to be fair this not automatic rule exists for a good reason. Where we are people try and get their children into the infant school so they get into the junior school neither of which is their nearest school. But the junior school also serves another infant school - so some of those parents from the 2nd infant school need their children to go to their local junior, as the other junior school is much further away from them. This is all thanks to the m25 being buit and ploughing thru various roads etc!

hippipotami · 12/03/2007 20:42

That is just it Themis, the local infants and junior are set in the same piece of parkland. Both wear the same colour jumper (but different polo shirt) Both share the same name (the name of our village and then either Lower School or School (for the junior school)at the end.
Both have a joint PTA and PTA events take place at both schools depending on suitability of facilities to event. Heck, even PTA meetings are alternated between Lower School and Junior School staff rooms.

Y2 children from the Lower School go to the junior school to watch the Christmas Performance. Y3 children from Junior School go to the Lower School to watch their Christmas performance.

The schools are so closely linked it is untrue. Yet you have no automatic follow on from one to the other. To add insult to injury the intake at the junior school is 9 pupils less. So 9 Y2 children have to watch their 81 classmates move to the local juniors whilst they themselves get sent heaven only knows where.

It is madness!!

hippipotami · 12/03/2007 20:46

But Cargirl - if the infant/lower school gets its entrance criteria right (distance to school, siblings etc) the only those who should be elegible to go there get a place.

To my mind it should be no different to those straight through primary schools were you start in reception and stay till the end of Y6.

Whereabouts are you that the M25 cuts through your village?

CarGirl · 12/03/2007 20:51

There are more infant schools in the area than junior ones - although they plan to shut one so that should improve the situation longer term.

So the situation is that some parents are closest to the individual (very good) infant school but their nearest junior is the shared site one! A complete mess generally!

We are J11.

That is appalling that they have fewer junior places though!

Original poster

Themis · 12/03/2007 20:52

You are right Cargirl, I will admit that the parenst who didn't get in to the Junior with us have a closer school. The infants school is very good so people will do their utmost to get into it even if they have to wait on list up until the last minute.

Surreycc clearly say that admission to infant school does not mean an automatic right into a junior school but people tend to forget that.

OP posts:

dinny · 12/03/2007 20:52

Themis, where are you in Surrey?

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6