WEST LONDON MEET-UP THREAD - MARCH 2007 (REST OF) - from Acton to Sunbury everybody welcom

[mellow2]

Hi,

Got this started 'cos I think the other thread is going to run out before the end of tomorrow.

xoxo - were you in the catchment area of the schools? A friend of mine moved next door to the school she wanted and discovered there were about 40 or so families living on her street alone for the same reasons. Needless to say people within the catchment area just a few more streets along were screwed! Good luck with the appeal. Montessori schools are suppose to be very good so definitely worth putting DS' name down.

And pls don't talk to me about council tax. We pay over £200 a month!

I thought the scrapping of catchment areas is only going to be for secondary schools????

If its primaries as well then we are all fucked!!

Sue, you are very close to kew Riverside. I suspect that Oxo falls between catchment areas like many people (sorry Oxo).

Oxo I would go down the appeal route if I were you as you have nowt to lose have you?

Blimey - very glad now that I go to church!!! Its true you have to either pay or pray to get a decent school, even in sunny Richmond!

yes foxie and I read their website in a pnic this afternoon but its a standard council admissions policy ie siblings then proximity. Must find head teacher and start bringing presents...

Sue - you are so close geographically I'm sure DS would get in (unless they scrap catchments for primaries of course - don't see how they can though - I'm almost sure its just secondaries)

We were over a mile away from our school when we were rejected - you are much closer to KR.

evening all

i'm suffering with a disgusting sinus problem - poor poor me !

quick dh update, i rang him at work today and we talked for a little while. he is promising to keep his comittment for next week.

i've told him he can't stay here so he's booking into a B&B and he's coming on Sunday to spend some time with dd.

i'm trying to stay emotionally unattached and try to work out some arrangement where we communicate better and he has more regular access to dd.

he knows what's in mind - as do some of you - and he's aware this is last chance saloon time........

regards schools - GULP! guess i will start factoring this in to my househunting checklist.

altho i fear i may just end up in single mother highrise hell in some dreadful part of hounslow at this juncture!

and I could alwys move in with SFX who is even closer . I actually thought this afternoon - "oh thats good, it's all cemetary and rubbish dump on one side so no actual children to compete with" .

Paddle - have no idea what they're like but there were new flats in feltham on sale in the Evening standard today for reasonable prices.

lol @ Sue, if there were any doubt about your assimilation into motherhood you just outed yourself as a pushy parent!

I know paddle {shock] I know I know when did that happen. I used to be such a nice girl!

actually Feltham is on my list but have to consider mother's already quite long journey.

i'd go housing association if it meant being closer to where i am now. altho i'd prefer to own outright as it were - leaves you more options.

decisions, decisions!

the first one being to get the other property on the market. but first must get some formal agreement regards claim on that property.

dh has verbally confirmed he never has any intention of making such claim or of cutting me off financially. i knew he wouldn't but i need it formalised.

I have searched and it is possible to stay in Isleworth with 2 bed flat in your price range

flippin hec you've got sharp eyesight then!

that would be a dream come true. am not going actively look till the other property is sold but am keeping close eye on things.

hopefully i'll get everything in place to be able to move really fast on anything that's available when i'm ready.

To change the subject - my mum just rang. We were supposed to be going down to my sisters house in IOW with brother and his family for August bank holiday. He just announced that if DS is going that they're not going

well done eleusis (wrt the school!)

xoxo I can only suggest you stay on the waiting list - someone round here did just that and has finally got a place (but it did take a while). Also, unfortunately, you can move up and down that list (so if a family move into the area, to a closer house, they take priority on the list).

I imagine you are near Orleans? it's notoriously hard to get into

why not sue?

sorry sue, took so long for me to read the thread, I'd posted that while you were posting.

sounds outrageous

Sue - what does he mean? That's horrible - was he joking?

hello all

xoxo - my sister, who has been through primary and secondary admissions just said to hold your nerve appeal, look at options but under no circs. accept rubbish schools. chances are he will get in within a couple of weeks of starting the term. not much help sorry.

sue - so your moving in next year then? not many kids here really. KR really like parents to be involved and welcome visits from prospective students, we will visit soon and attend every single fund raising fair and whatever

paddle - the housing association route, as in shared ownership, can just mean that you put your foot in, secure a place, have some breathing space then buy the rest quickly which can be done quite easily. just something to consider.

Ta, sfx.
this year is a 'bulge' year, apparently: 200 extra children to accomodate.

pushy angry mum on the loose

Sue - just means more for the rest of you.
And welcome to the world of shitty aunts and uncles

Sue why on earth? Sorry to hear all your school woes. Here we have several good schools and more or less certain places based on geography.

Sue - He was joking right???

XOXO - Really sorry to hear about the school thing. and OI what do you mean about Whitton schools? We moved from Isleworth to Whitton to be a street away from DS's desired school. If we bought a house just outside this catchment area, we would have paid ALOT less so I'm damned if we get rejected!! As for council tax, we just got our bill...£2,200. Please tell me I'm not the only one paying this amount???

TBH, I'm crapping it now as NOBODY from DS's nursery got in to this C of E school!!!! I was talking to a mum about it this morning and poor woman was in tears after I suggested that there is another good school nearby but she said her DD was also rejected from that one! I had no idea it was this bad. Right, I'm going to go and make myself known at church....crap, crap, crap.

Sue, call him up up and say "Right, what the fuck is this I hear you said?!" Men are dumb. Brothers, husbands, fathers, the lot! (oh, but not sons. They are sooooooooo cute)

no he wasn't joking.

I think my mum is probably sorry that she told me now as she could tell I was upset. Apparently he doesn't want to be bothered going away with a little one because they're "such hard work". We drove down to their house (becuase I thought it would be nice for them if we went to them ) for Mothers day and he didn't lift a finger! Not that I would expect him to, just so angry about all the times I have put myself out for his children in the past - all the plays (2 or 3 a year, every year, for about 10 years) I drove up to Hertfordshire to see. All the bloody child friendly things I had to go to when I was a single girl in my 20's because his children were visiting my mum. I never complained.

And the house is bloody enormous, its not like there aren't plenty of places to get away from other people (small or large people).

Apparently he will spend more time with him when he is older "say 5 or 6". Oh, and he doesn't mind spending an hour or two with him (big of him - didn't realise we were so honoured to have his presence) He didn't even have the decency to make up an excuse about why they weren't going to come, just "we're not going to go if Sue's DS is coming".

The trouble is Oxo, that without my borther and his wife and 2 DD's its just my mum and I and DS which though it would be nice is not exactly our family weekend away we noramlly do.

Arse.