Anyone in Alverstoke?

[LovelyKay]

Hi (am all newbie and dim, apologies)

DH just got papers for move to Portsmouth posting in March. Tantalisingly close timing for being able to get DD into her first Primary school via "normal" application dates.

We'd really like to live in Alverstoke if possible and apply for her to go to Alverstoke County Infants School. But am hearing that Type IVs there are like gold dust. So, is this true? I need a spy to take a look at empty-house-numbers but I don't know anyone there.

Or here! Hoping this isn't bad forces sweetheart etiquette but would really like a few tips. Never moved before and DH newly promoted too so over excited at thoughts of extra bedroom and porches or whatever!

Cheers all.

20th Nov eh? Thanks. The Housing Office (some unmemorable acronym or other) said not to apply before November. But then again they did say I'd hear within 14 days so if I put in on the 1st...

Also aren't orders supposed to be as good as confirmed addresses as far as LEAs are concerned? Have a feeling that this is probably one of those things that are true in theory but not in real life. Am hoping that applications can be edited after they are submitted (like in Plymouth) so that I can get all the info down on the scary on-line form and then stick final address in as soon as hear.

You're all being super helpful, thanks.

p.s. the 'patch' I live on now is neither very friendly nor backstabbing. Barely spoken to anyone more than 2 houses away from us. High turnover & v mixed Navy/RAF/Army/Red Cross/foreign Services (iyswim) and chaplains etc so perhaps that's why. Can't get all incestuous, everyone has mutually incompatible gossip!

not had a move that involved sorting out schools for children so can't really be of much help in that area - sorry. I'll save that complication for a couple more years!!

HAHAHAHAH at mutually incompatible gossip

Surely life is dull without, how ever have you managed?!

Hello LG&T, thanks for the hahaha. Have never been much good at gossip - one of my greatest failings. Kept forgetting what it was I wasn't supposed to be telling to who it wasn't.

Do you think I should post a post asking for 'Anyone in Old Portsmouth' just to see the view from the other side or will that mean pistols at dawn? Alverstoke very alluring but should seek balance perhaps.

Am lairy of upset having, foolishly (naturally foolishly, what was I thinking?) dipped a toe into the AIBU forum and then frittering hours of my life arguing the toss with a bunch of total strangers. It was fun. But I know from experience it is also addictive and dangerous and should probably come with a health warning...

Much safer here with the sweethearts!

Oh Kay i'm not a sweetheart

Post for another side by all means, AIBU is for masochistic maniacs...

Alloveryet, what is not alloveryet?

I live in Alverstoke too, on the same road as the infant school! Unable to be of any help I'm afraid but agree that it's a great place to live.

Oh do you howfunny...

[suspicious]

Ooh am still being drawn into AIBU (is like crack - not, I should add as people grasp their children to their bosom and refuse me access to Alverstoke, that I have ever used or seen sight of crack but still).

They are all mostly mental and appear to think logic is a foreign language; one specifically designed to ENRAGE THEIR SENSIBILITIES. It's fantastic, like shooting fish in a barrell!

So, am examining the Hampshire.gov forms and, working on the principle that the most weird AIBU mob won't be in the mob and therefore Alverstoke, taking the plunge with school application preparation.

Wish me luck, I'm going in.....

aarg aaargh portsmouth.gov deadline for on-line school applications is this Friday! Am tempted to apply in case we get Old Portsmouth MQ and then apply separately to hampshire.gov as is different process.

Would this be:
a) very wrong
b) likely to lead to rucks with officialdom and dd only being accepted to borstal (junior division)

I think you have to do it Kay. School is a cut throat business. Hope it goes well!

You're all so lucky.

I'd live in a pillbox and home educate as your best course of action.

There is not a chance in hell i am HE my lot. I need a break.

It would be nice to lie in in the morning occasionally and just say to the kids "Today is a HE day, we are going to study sleep patterns"

There was an interesting study done once where a man was locked in a cave for months to see how his bodyclock responded without natural zeitgeibers such as light to inform it. You could try that? There's the consent issue, but tell the dts it's a science project and you're good.

I do feel lucky that can apparently hedge my bets in this way due to geographical happenstance. And then (due to infectious nature of DHs brand of pessimism) I start to think that it can't possible be that simple and there is bound to be cross checking what with Portsmouth being marooned in a sea of Hampshire.gov.

Hey ho, will plead ignorance and stupidity (which may also get me out of home schooling, hurrah!)

Anyway this will be a good check of the validity of my Assignment Order privileges in respect of school admissions. So HAH boo sucks to them and away we go.

Most of them may buy that but B would need it wrapped in lolipops of the Chupa Chup variety.

His only bribery atm.

Go Kay and sod the lot of em

Apply to both - deny everything if asked. (Even I wouldn't HE! Never teach your own!!)

Crikey! I must sound v arrogant. Kay's not MY name. Ooh lumme had better think of a more suitable alias...

I didn't think you sounded like a Kay!

The more senior ranks get allocated bigger houses because we have to host soddin' dinner parties and entertain!

Kay's are sort of waist high and bimble on about Moomins all the time. I have no waist so god knows how I measure this but there you are.

I am about so high and, err, bimble on about Moomins all the time. That's how you can tell.

Annoyingly have just been going back over the paperwork re: housing locations and discovered that all sorts of places where I thought of have no Type IVs at all (this is due to my earlier mistake belief that we would get a Type III). There are hardly any Type IVs in Alverstoke. The manual doodah says we might get a Type VS if we had only 1 or no children. So what happens if no Type IVs are available and you have 2 kids.

Oh god, oh god, oh god, this is just mind-numbingly dull yet complicated AND makes me feel silly as involves talking about entitlements all the time (as though living in strange fiefdom).

It's all getting to me. Grocers apostrophes indeed (poor grocers).

Don't set your heart on a certain Type of MQ - think of the money you would save in a lower Type!

Hi,

TBH I have no idea what the difference is in cost. All I know is how much cheaper they are than market rents and so am pretty happy with whatever (although, you know, any hints as to whatever might be always appreciated! nO clues from DH as to increased rent)

I expect to be more concerned about location so will still put Alverstoke down top, although presumably this means will get a 3-bed Type V or VS. Don't really mind though would be nice to have bigger kitchen we could get a table in maybe?

Speaking of size, did someone say Alverstoke gardens were a bit on the small size? Are we talking cat swinging or is it just smaller than average for MQ? Am planning to expand the family to the tune of one dog so am hoping at least they are big enough for one of those...

Hello LovelyKay, I live near Alverstoke but not in a MQ. DH is Navy and I am ex-Navy.

So I'm no use to this thread at all actually am I?

(I can tell you where to go for coffee and bacon butties though!)