Primary applications new school Gunhild Way

[umf]

Primary applications for admission Sept 2011 are open from today.

I'd like to put the new school on Gunhild Way as one of our preferences, since we live nearby. But I can't find it in the online application system. Does anyone know if it has a name yet and whether one can apply to it?

Thanks!

(Excessive keenness in doing the application so promptly is cos new baby due any day now.)

Hi! It hasn't been officially named yet but I understand it's on the system as Gunhild Way Primary School.

Thank you!! I wonder which will be more over-subscribed: GW or Queen Ediths.

Dearohdear it's hard work being a pushy middle class mother.

They say on the website that the info is "coming" but still not there. There's also nothing about the catchment area that I could see (we're Queen Edith's catchment as was but might well be the new school, so would like to know)

Oh and [waves] as might be sending dc off to the same school next year

Hi NorkilyChallenged - the new school covers the catchment areas of Queen Edith, Morley and Ridgefield so you're in the right place :)

I saw that Babster, but I was assuming they would basically carve out a catchment area for the new school that just took a bit from each of those three existing ones (to ease the oversubscription). Is it just that the catchment for the new one is the same as the other 3 put together? If so, how will they choose which school people go to if you're essentially in 2 catchments?

My brain hurts

How does the school look like? Has anyone been inside? Is it similar to any other primary schools in Cambridge in terms of the architecture.

I don't think it's built yet Colourworld, don't even know if they've started building.

I assumed it has been already built if they started to accept the applications.

Building work has started. It is being built along 'eco principles'. The plans are all available here.

In answer to the catchment area question, the new school is a foundation school and so free to choose it's own admissions criteria. They have chosen to admit children from the same area as covered by the catchments of QE, Morley and Ridgefield. Those existing catchments are unaffected. It's a bit like how religious schools have separate admissions criteria. If you live in one of those catchments you effectively now have 2 catchment schools .

It's a shame the brochure for parents has so little information in it about the new school .

Oh, and they will choose which school you get based on which preference you express and by filling up the places at each school in order using the admissions criteria.

Living in catchment is not a guarantee of a place at any school. If you read the admissions brochure looked after children and thos with a SEN statement naming a particular school always get highest priority, followed by in catchment children with a sibling, then other children in catchment. If there are more of those than places then priority is given based on distance lived from the school. Next places are offered to children out of catchment with a sibling at the school, and then other children out of catchment. Most schools fill up before everyone who applies gets a place.

If you get your first preference, then you aren't offered a place at your second preference even if there would be a place available to you.

If you live in QE catchment it's a fair bet you might get a place at either school based on your 1st choice because distance-wise you will be closer to Gunhild school than most people from eg Ridgefield catchment. Unless of course you want QE, but live at the farthest reach of the QE catchment and everyone in QE catchment chooses QE over Gunhild school. In that case QE might end up oversubscribed in catchment and some in catchment might miss out.

I think I just made that more confusing didn't I .