Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
skinmysunshine · 18/04/2012 20:37

I got my place thankfully. Good luck to everyone else.

roadkillbunny · 18/04/2012 20:37

Oh and congratulations to all those who have got what they wanted, it seems that most people have but my heart goes out to the few of you who have not got what they wanted, or anything at all, keep the faith, there is offten a great deal of movement in the coming weeks and by September the vast majority of people have a schol place they are happy with.

kels1977 · 18/04/2012 20:40

Is anyone LB of Croydon? I am so upset, got my 5th choice which means 3 schools closer that I ranked at higher pref, including ones at 0.3 and 0.4 miles away, we did not get into (:o( It seems so harsh as the furthest line distance published for the 2011 intake seems to be double that of this year! I just don't understand as when I went to see both schools they said sibling intake this year should be lower than in 2011 and unless there has been a massive influx of births for this years intake, it seems mad!

fuckwittery · 18/04/2012 20:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sunnyday123 · 18/04/2012 20:43

just wandered if any of these areas do address checks? are all those applications legit?!

NinjaChipmunk · 18/04/2012 20:46

we're in kingston borough (surbiton) and did not get any of our choices, but got offered a school that hasn't been built yet. And even when its built will still be a building site as they want to build a walk in centre there too. I am pissed off. But with dc2 on the way we are looking to move about 25 mins walk away so I guess we get on waiting lists and appeal?

4goingon14 · 18/04/2012 20:49

NinjaChipmunk - The school we have been offered has not been built yet either, they have not even broken ground yet. They are due to break ground this summer...I am sure that will be delayed. In the meantime I guess our daughter will be going to school in the church hall next to where the school is due to be built. The school has no teachers, no policies, no uniform, no school!! lol

This should all be very interesting.

NinjaChipmunk · 18/04/2012 20:52

4goingon14 at least the one ds has been given has appointed a head teacher but that is it so far! Its very frustrating isn't it? Was yours actually one of your choices?

Pixipie · 18/04/2012 20:56

Lizzylu- you can only appeal if you feel you have been unfairly treated, ie if you have a sibling already at the school, or a special education need, or if you know someone who lives further away (not a sibling) who was been given a place over you. Otherwise you just have to go on the waiting list. Whereabouts in Richmond are you?

Mrsmost · 18/04/2012 20:58

so so so happy , my little one got our first choice , roll on september ,
looking forward to a good nights sleep tonight now !!!

OP posts:
Ilelo · 18/04/2012 20:59

Got our first choice school.

Now need to write to give up our independent school places before Friday.

4goingon14 · 18/04/2012 20:59

Ninjachipmunk - Yes the school we have been allocated had a headteacher appointed just a couple of weeks ago so that's it. We did put it on the list as our number 4 choice, it is in walking distance to us. Although it is a Catholic school and we are not Catholic and fit none of the entry criteria, we didn't think they would allocate it as Catholic schools in our area (Ealing) are quite difficult to get into if you don't go to church, have the letter from the priest etc, etc.

Council only approved the plans to build the school a couple of weeks ago, I know that the residents association in my neighbourhood are up in arms about the building of the school and have applied to have construction times and traffic to the site limited as it is a conservation area...so I can see a number of delays on the road ahead.

sunnyday123 · 18/04/2012 20:59

lizzyly - i believe you can appeal through fair access protocol - if ALL schools are full to capacity then a school in travelling distance can go over 30 to admit your child if no other school available (not necessarily your choice of school though)

lizzylu · 18/04/2012 21:01

Pixi, we are on Richmond hill, so I guess we will have to call our local/first choice and get on/see where we are on the witing list and the same with no 2 & 3, do you know if we can be on multiple waiting lists?

Victoria79 · 18/04/2012 21:02

A real bore DD didn't get a place at any of our choices, the school she has been allocated a place at is a shocker...

DH is in the army and so children have had a pretty nomadic life, whilst Daddy heads off to Afghanistan for at least 6 months of the year for the past two years. We have just bought a house (rather than living in an army quarter) with the hope that there would be a bit more stability for them. First choice was the local catholic school, DH and children are all catholic and go to mass.

DD very happy at current nursery, which is near our army quarter in Wiltshire (moving into our own house in London in June, when builders have finished) and is already asking why she won't be joining her friends in reception in Wiltshire. Feel that we really have let her down, once again up rooting her with no decent school place to go to...

sunnyday123 · 18/04/2012 21:02

4goingon14

what happens to siblings as presumably in a year or 2 this school will become very busy and non RC siblings wont get in?!

designerbaby · 18/04/2012 21:03

fuckwittery well if you're being PC about it, yes we're all very fortunate not to live in a war zone, and really none of us should be on here at all, should we. We ought to just be thankful that there are schools and not landmines, and that, for the most part, we all wake up in one piece of a morning. Which I am.

But still, here we all are... Hmm

I visited the school we were offered. TBH honest it had more in common with a battlefield than it did anywhere where any actual learning would take place...

All 3 reception and yr 1 classes are in open plan, interconnecting classrooms, with a joint 'messy play' room at one end. That means 90 4-5 year olds milling around, and the whole bloody pace looked like 'messy play' to me. Or rather messy chaos.

How anyone knows which child is doing what, I've no idea. None of the classes in the whole school have more than 4 desks in them, as they believe that children 'work better in situations where they feel comfortable' which is this case means 'dens', beanbags, and, I sh*t you not, 'beds' in classrooms.

They also don't believe in hearing children read, because, and I quote the deputy head, they "don't believe the children learn to read by reading". At which point I decided to make a run for it an go and sit in a quiet, dark room.

If you'd seen my earlier post, I'd said I would no more send my children there than send them to Afghanistan. And no more would I.

Other than referencing that, it was an attempt at (rather black, admittedly) humour.

I'm now going to go and have a gin and try not to think about the £112k that we are going to have to find from somewhere over the next 7 years, because, TBH, the more I think about it, the more it makes me want to throw up a little bit.

Still, no landmines in Wimbledon, last time I checked. Maybe I'll just count my blessings and "fuckwittery" off.

db

Pixipie · 18/04/2012 21:04

Yes - you can be on up to 6 waiting lists I believe. I know of a few people on RH who haven't got into the Vineyard - was that your first choice? They must have had a lot of siblings, but I also think that a lot of peopl on RH apply for a state place but end up going private.

NinjaChipmunk · 18/04/2012 21:05

do you get on waiting lists via the school itself or via the admissions office at the council?

sunnyday123 · 18/04/2012 21:05

lizzylou - you can go on as many lists as you like regardless of what the LEA tell you!

playgroup · 18/04/2012 21:06

I am in Richmond too and your are automatically placed on the waiting list of your fo references which are ranked higher than the school received.you can be in the wasting list of 6 schools
I am sure there are going to be bulge class offered as there was last year after the initial offers where made here's hoping anyway

McPhee · 18/04/2012 21:08

My charge finds out tomorrow what school place she has got. We're all so nervous, and it's up to me to open that damn envelope and then call mummy at work Shock

If she doesn't get the one we're all hoping for, I think I might cry Blush

SparklyGothKat · 18/04/2012 21:10

Herts. Got 2nd choice.

gleemama · 18/04/2012 21:11

I'm so sorry for all of you who haven't got what you wanted. I think i will be in your position next week. A few more sleepless nights for me i think. Am dreading finding out, at least at the moment i have a small chance of getting the first choice, next week I won't even have that.

skinmysunshine · 18/04/2012 21:11

Kits that happened to me a couple fo years ago. I fought the council for my place. I got a lot of advice from here but ended up with a place at my closest school. If you need any help please PM me. I know how distressing it is so am more than happy to help.

Swipe left for the next trending thread