Hackney schools, any experiences?

[CantStopEatingCheese]

DD1 is due to start Reception in Sep. We live in Hackney and weren't offered a place in any of the schools we applied to. So we find ourselves in the situation of having to apply again to schools which still have places. We have been given a list of the ones that still have places in our borough and have identified 3 that we can reasonably get to. We've been to see them all and read the Ofsted reports but I was wondering whether anyone has any personal experience of the following: Princess May Primary, Woodberry Down Community School, Sir Thomas Abney Primary. Thanks!

Some LEAs do insist that you make a fresh application, to get onto new waiting lists. I'm doubtful of the legality, but it may be quicker and simpler to do it than waste time arguing about it. You want to be on the waiting list asap, in case any places come up and you are in line to get one.

Are lots of children without a place? It may be time to put some pressure on the LEA to create some bulge classes.

SchoolsNightmare (very apt name!), what we were told is that we can go on other waiting lists if we want (whever we want) but we were also sent a letter with a list of schools in the borough which still have places. We were told that we can select up to 3 of those and have to send it back by the 9th May. They then do a 2nd round of admissions and will inform us about that mid June. They then do a 3rd round beginning of Sep (or thereabouts). In the meantime, the waiting list works as you'd expect (so we could get offered a place in one of the schools we've already applied) before the 2nd round of admissions happens. As we are close to the border with Islington, I also know that over there, they won't tell us where we are on the waiting lists or which schools still have places until the 3rd of May, which is when they expect parents to accept/decline the places they were offered. Though we could still go on waiting lists in that borough as well. So each borough seems to work slightly differently.

PanelChair: not sure how many children are without a place. Sounds like a few as I've seen other messages on here plus a FB group about it.

This happens every year and I think Hackney don't add bulge classes as usually the problem is there are enough school places, but not in the desirable schools. You should also be able to find out where you are on all the other waiting lists. Places will appear during reception year when there is a fair amount of movement and also in year 1: make sure you are on the lists of good schools where there might be high pupil mobility as well as the more obviously popular ones that no-one leaves. I know a few people who got their places in this waiting period, many more who moved in reception year & year 1.

Make sure your DD's name is down on waiting list for where you wanted her to go, as quite often in September kids don't turn up, so suddenly there are places. Sorry, can't help on any of those schools though.

Hi! I'm another one in Hackney with no school offer. I don't know these schools personally, but have heard good things about Woodberry Down. It's in the same federation as London Fields, which I was very impressed with. You can arrange a visit. I'd be interested to hear more myself, although it would be an impossible journey from mine.

Hodel: We went to see Woodberry Down. It has an outstanding Ofsted which made us feel quite hopeful but I'm not sure we'd be entirely happy with it. I got the impression from the Ofsted report that it's really good at bringing up to average children who start from quite a low level. They concentrate on literacy and numeracy but it didn't sound like they do anything extra (e.g. a foreign language). Also it's quite a big school (becoming a 3 form entry from next year which will involve some building work). Also it was a bit run down, needs a coat of paint, the outside areas were a bit depressing, there was two mattresses near the school entrance (within school grounds). I know this doesn't necessarily reflect on the quality of the teaching but it did get me down a bit.

I have also found that some teachers/heads are much better sales people than others. The lady who showed us around was a bit too honest maybe? So I'm not sure I'm compraring like for like. At our first choice school we were shown around by the head who is very dynamic and ambitious and good at explaining her vision for the school and selling it to us.

We will put it down anyway as we don't have much choice!