Bristol primary admissions henleaze/bishop rd/westbury Pk

[evey]

Anyone who applied for place in Henleaze/Bishop Rd/Westbury Pk area and not got a place locally, please get in touch with me so we can start a campaign. Our daughter got place at (undesirable) school almost 3miles drive away even though we are 450m from Henleaze. Anyone in same boat? We need to start a campaign like they did in 2009 when same thing happened!

What are the aims of your campaign?

Is the 'undesirable' school 'improving'? Might it improve if it had vocal and conscientious parents getting involved/ joining governing body etc. Obviously I know nothing about detail but just wonder....

I can see being 3 miles away a complete pain as I like to walk to school.

Evey - you might have more luck posting in "local". Sorry you are having a tough time with school places. Bristol seems to have been a disaster yet again this year. I heard Henleaze could only take up to 300m from the school - that's tiny! My dd2 luckily has a sibling place at our local school but I do feel for you and wish you well in sorting out your situation. Are you far from St Ursula's? I don't think they've allocated the supposed 60 places they are due to have yet......

Rita Morgan - 2 yrs ago in 2009 a very forceful and large parent voice managed to get bishop rd primary to take an extra class on as a "bulge year". If we all get together, maybe we could get henleaze to do same especially as they have space. plannin to go to councillors next surgery which is 2nd tuesday on month (i.e next wk) in westbury pk tavern. please come too.

Hi Eve and everyone - we're in the same situation as Eve, and I've set up a Facebook page to see how many parents we can group together and get some action. It's here: www.facebook.com/pages/North-Bristol-School-Admissions-Crisis-2011/218127551531918#!/pages/North-Bristol-School-Admissions-Crisis-2011/218127551531918?sk=wall.

Hi all,
we were in the same boat last year - we were offered none of our 3 choices but finally got a place at one of them in august. i spent alot of time talking to councillors and met with our MP. for what it's worth, here's some advice; first, don't lose heart - it's discouraging and worrying but there will be movement on the waiting list for school places, secondly - make a fuss! hound your councillors, meet with your MP, write to the education minister, talk to media people, go to appeal (it's unlikely to win you a place but the appeal board can make the admissions folk account for their late offers of second round admissions, etc) - anything to draw attention to the issue. it may feel like a waste of time but the situation in bristol is completely unacceptable and will only change when enough pressure is brought to bear. good luck.

300m is tiny, but I know someone who didn't get into Bishop rd 2 years ago and she actually lives on Bishop Rd.

Henleaze should take note of the situation and add another class, that would be the sensible thing to do. 2 years ago they were against it even though they have lots of space. Very selfish govenors and management I think.At least Bishop Rd did the right thing. Good luck

Reading this with interest as although I no longer live in Bristol I grew up there and went to school there and things were dire even 30 years ago!

The area I live in has similar problems and have bee trying to 'solve' the problem by adding bulge classes to several schools. In fact they have had to add bulge classes to 2 or 3 schools every year for 4 years. The result is that it has become nigh on impossible to get into some schools. At my ds school the furtherst away pupil was 50m this year. In another school, there were even more siblings than places, so some siblings did not get offered a place. Bulge classes work in the veru short term only.

It's disgraceful that the city council have still not sorted this out. Perhaps you shouls all be also campaigning for new schools full stop.

Sorry to but in!