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Original poster

Primary school places !!!

500 replies

Mrsmost · 12/04/2012 21:10

Is anyone getting nervous for the primary school places next week? It's all I can thunk about now , the 18th simply can't get here soon enough , I would be happy if my DS got any of his 3 choices but does anyone have any idea of his chances if getting in one of them if they are all within a radius if one and a half miles from our home. My ideal choice would his first choice which is a catholic school which is 0.6 miles from home but is always oversubscribed, we attend mass every week and had all forms signed by the priest etc but don't know how much of a chance he has if getting it , any advice would be great as am worrying alot now the date is getting nearer.

Thanks for reading and sorry for rambling xxx

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JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 18/04/2012 18:53

Very pleased for you, MrsDV.

As always you're so quick to think of others x

4goingon14 · 18/04/2012 18:53

Oh no Kitsilano, sorry to hear that...makes me feel better about my 4th preference school. Our borough is highly subscribed as well. You will get a place before September, a friend of mine had the same thing last year. They allocated her a place in a school in a neighbouring borough and then 3 days before the start of school she was offered her second choice school under 'fair access'.

designerbaby · 18/04/2012 18:54

Kitsilano, that's appalling... Are all your local schools massively oversubscribed then? Hope they sort something out soon and a place comes up at your #1 choice... Sad

Gigondas · 18/04/2012 18:56

Oh no kit. Whereabouts Are you?Sad

Kitsilano · 18/04/2012 18:56

We will go private and have that lined up so it isn't total panic. But I was hoping we'd get a decent state school place and not have to. It's incredible they put people in this position.

SchoolsNightmare · 18/04/2012 18:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sunnyday123 · 18/04/2012 19:01

Kitsilano - can't believe this happens at all. Last year, in my area, when 1 school split siblings it made the papers etc as it was such a shock in our area - not getting ANY school is terrible. Glad you have a back up plan. Hope you do get a good state school though as its terribly unfair that you should have to pay for a decent school.

Guitargirl · 18/04/2012 19:03

Hi everyone, I just thought I would eavesdrop for a minute as a parent who went through all this last year and I remember what a tense, emotional time it was. DD was allocated our second choice, a school 2-min walk away as opposed to our first choice which is a 30-min walk away and where she went to nursery. I was SO disappointed, sobbed when we had the email, sobbed at DD's last day at nursery. Took her to her new school with resignation last September and continued to call to see where she is on the waiting list (she has gone from 32 to 12 since this time last year).

BUT both schools were Ofsteded this year, her current school has just been awarded outstanding, our first choice school a satisfactory. Now, I am not saying that Ofsted is everything but we are very happy with her current school, DS has been offered a nursery place at DD's old school which we have turned down. The staff at the school are great and she has made some lovely little pals.

No matter how desperate the situation might be now for those of you who haven't got your first choice it might all work out for the best yet!

Kitsilano · 18/04/2012 19:03

Thanks everyone. I know we are lucky to have an alternative. And I guess that partly what they rely on. But I have been keeping my fingers crossed we wouldn't have to use it.

I guess I will call them in the morning and see what they say.

Gigondas · 18/04/2012 19:08

I do feel for you kitsilano- we live in same area and didn't bother applying cos of concerns of same thing happening (opted to go private). And I thought I was being a bit Ott

FreudianSlipper · 18/04/2012 19:12

i got our 6th choice :(

really not happy, i only put it on the list as two that we are in the catchment area for i would not allow ds to go there

going to appeal very disappointed. what really does piss me off the school we are closest too flats aroudn there sit empty where parents rent them out jsut to get their children into this school, it is so unfair :( area is not good enough for you to live in but is for your to send your child to school there

going to try for private (probably too late)

GwendolineMaryLacey · 18/04/2012 19:13

Just checking back to say congrats to those who got what they wanted, good luck to those still waiting and hugs to those who didn't get what they wanted. I hope it works it for you all.

NoWayNoHow · 18/04/2012 19:30

kits that's absolutely awful - it's been my worst nightmare, TBH, and I'm so sorry that it's come true.

Get yourself on the waiting lists immediately - don't forget that a lot of places that are offered don't end up being accepted because parents move/appeal for their own first choice/go private. You may still get a place.

Glittertwins · 18/04/2012 19:31

Kit, that's not good news. Hope it gets sorted out to you satisfaction soon. It's not pleasant having seen a colleague have this last year.

lucysnowe · 18/04/2012 19:33

Anyone else in Oxfordshire? We find out on Friday Shock

Peachy · 18/04/2012 19:47

Kit you poor soul Sad hope somehow it works out and you get somewhere you elarn to lov.

We're only allowed to apply to the one school so we got it. Can't actually say I am thrilled (faiths chool) but at least I never had to panic about getting a place like so many others.

AwkwardMaryHadAnEasterLamb · 18/04/2012 19:53

Oh Kits what a massive blow. Sad

Freudian It wouldn't be too late probably for a smaller prep....

and can I just say to those who are worried about their first DC....the reception year is not THAT important...if you end up with no school or one you hate, I would say with the benefit of hindsight that to keep a child out for a year would do no harm.

sunnyday123 · 18/04/2012 19:55

Peachy im in lancashire and up until last year we could only apply to one school and for some reason it worked out so much better Confused

since the lea introduced equal preference, loads of people getting schools they dont want etc and lots complaining!

Pixipie · 18/04/2012 19:55

Kit - I am in Richmond and got 4th choice which I'm really not happy with as it's pretty far away from us (we have 2 schools within 1km of our house, didn't get in to either). Whereabouts in Richmond are you?

answers · 18/04/2012 20:04

We had an issue a couple of years back ... for secondary school .... only put down one ... in a different authority to where we lived as we moved and sister was there ... no offer of a place but did get a place in a school 20 miles in the other direction !!!! ... appealed and also put name on the list for the school where I work ... went to appeal ... lost but in that time got to the top of the waiting list for my school (even though we started off in 9th place) ... so worth ringing admissions (and every school) and getting your name on the waiting lists ... ring every other day and see where you are and hopefuly with natural wastage and movement you will get something that you want ... my thoughts are with those of you who haven't got what you wanted.... by the way my daughter loves been at my school and it turned out best in the long run even though at the time it was pretty grim....

lizzylu · 18/04/2012 20:14

Kit, we live in Richmond too and received the same response of NO place. I am totally stressed out as we have no back up option, we live very close to our first choice school and when I did the school visit and was shown the catchment area our street was one of those where you were pretty much guaranteed a place and historically children have always been admitted where we live, argh!

FreudianSlipper · 18/04/2012 20:22

Kiy and Liz how worrying, what does that mean that you have to take up any offer they find for you

playgroup · 18/04/2012 20:28

also in richmond upon thames teddington and did not get first choice

lizzylu · 18/04/2012 20:31

I think so, however am hoping (but hey I was over optimistic thinking we'd be ok) we might get on the wait list for our first or third choices (I know our second had a v v high no of siblings this year so am not totally surprised it was not offered). All in all am just v stressed as one of the main reasons we moved here a few years ago from central London was because of the good state schools and we researched whereabouts here to live in terms of having a high chance of getting one of the good local schools.....if anyone local (Richmond) has any advice of on how to pursue the appeals process it would be greatly appreciated!

roadkillbunny · 18/04/2012 20:35

lucysnowe I am Oxfordshire and waiting for Friday. I am anxious and just want to get it done and confirmed but the reality is that we shouldn't have a problem, already have dd at the village school, catchment includes a couple of the surrounding hamlets/very small villages but we are in the village with the school (although right on the edge of it). It is also a fairly low birth rate year in the catchment so all in catchment children should get in and also the out of catchment siblings BUT the school is very oversubscribed, about 60 applicants for 20 places although the vast majority of those are out of catchment, trials of being one of the best primary schools in the country! I just want that bit of paper so I can relax and get ready for my last baby going off to school!
How likely are you to get the school you want, that last 3 years have been awful for Oxfordshire reception admissions, our school have taken extra children who travel in from the city (over 5 miles away) as the LEA could not give them a school place in the city, I wonder what it is going to be like this year...

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