Hotwells Primary - anyone know how often places come up....

[SugarPeaSnap]

We live in South Bristol so don't have a hope of getting our DC1 into this school for the normal reception places admissions round, but I'm attached to it because its near my mum to help with pick ups and my painfully shy child who goes to a nearby preschool and is just beginning to make some tentative friendships would be able to move up there with most of the cohort he is getting to know, as well as it being a small school. Am considering keeping him on the waiting list or HEing til a place comes up but can anyone tell me how often this might be, does the area have a particularly moveable population, any one with any contact with the school?

Many TIA

Hi - I would suggest getting the facts re places availability from the council or the school - as with all schools you hear all sorts of stories about who did/didn't get in/length of waiting list etc so its always worth a call to those who actually have the real information. Just a thought, if your child is very shy I wonder if HE is the best option? Would you consider having your child attend a different school, then if a place comes up at hotwells you can either choose at that time to move your child or if you find they are very settled where they are,you may choose to not move them? Also - its worth taking into account that not all those at the pre-school your child attends will be going to that specific primary school - you may find that they are going to a range of local schools so your child may well know others in the class even if going to a different school. It sounds like your child is beginning to build up friendships and become less shy - just not sure that taking them out of school environment all together to HE would be best option in this case?

HOpe whatever you do it works out! - good luck

I have had several friends move children to Hotwells outside the usual admissions process, everything from year 1 to year 5. Most of them lived in the Clifton area, so came fairly high up on the waiting list priority ranking system, but one was in Long Ashton. She had to wait a while - I can't remember how long, but it was more than 6 months - for her first DC to get a place, and then even longer to get the younger sibling in.

It is a popular school, and very small, but the population round there is fairly mobile, so there is always a chance. However I think reception is probably the year you are least likely to get a place, because everyone has just started, and there is also such a shortage of reception places in Bristol at the moment.

You can ask the school/education dept about current waiting lists, but I very much doubt anyone will be able to give you an idea of how long you are likely to wait - some years no-one leaves in a particular year-group, and if there is anyone living nearer the school or who already has a sibling/SEN or one of the other trump factors, you won't get the place anyway.