Ooer: ParentMail 'squashing rumours' of a catchment change!

[ampere]

Can I expect it to be imminently followed up by an official letter from the LEA explaining how 'to improve efficiency/whatever' they are moving the secondary school catchments- thus- and OK, I know I may be flamed for saying this!- wiping £50k off houses and consigning DCs to a school with a knife problem? There is no doubt about it, the 'desired' school has caused issues for the other secondaries around it in terms of intake.

I hadn't heard anything myself but our primary Head must have had some motivation for issuing this! We are told there are no plans to move the catchment etc etc., and I can't see why they would seeing as by and large the catchment is completely in-filled with housing and 3/4 of it follows 'natural' boundaries. A 1/4 does, however, meander between houses, up alleyways and along back hedges, to the south!

We are in suburban Hampshire. And I know there is absolutely nothing we can do about it, should it come to pass! I also know that there will some who will perhasp laugh!

How come it is ok for other peoples DC's to be consigned to a school with a knife problem?

Is the knife problem also a rumour?

TBH I'm not that sure I understand what the OP is trying to say?

It's not OK for other people's kids to be consigned to a school with a knife problem. It's also not in my ability to do anything about that. However, I can ensure my Dc doesn't go there.

Same as you would.

Ok, as a fellow Hampshire resident I am intrigued, is this in the south of the county as I don't think there are schools with knives up here in the north of the county??!! (I live a sheltered life).

It is in the south, near Southampton. The Head teacher of the school concerned themselves told me they'd seen 'an escalation' whne I asked, doing 'the school tour' thing, and DC I know personally told me of the police arriving with sniffer dogs (asking first if anyone in the class had a dog allergy!) to check the DCs bags.

I applaud the school's efforts to try and control these issues, but, given the choice, I'd prefer my DC to not attend such a school in the first place. A realigning of catchment, seeing as we live towards the edge of ours, might put us in a difficult position.

Are your DC moving up soon?

Sept this year. Got our confirmation of our first choice yesterday. I don't think the LEA could have legally moved the goalposts after the October '09 (was it?) deadline for this Sept's entry.

If the catchment boundary moves, DS2 would be 'advantaged' by having a sibling 'in' when the time comes 2 years hence but he will lose the 'feeder primary' advantage in the criteria.