Bulge classes are negative.But most schools will have them next year.

[Oblomov]

Unpresidented Baby Boom Year, for admissions next year, for Sep 13.
All our local schools are talking about having bulge classes, for next year.
But lets be honest, not much about them is postive, are they ?
They affect everything. Everyone. Throughout the school.
When I mentioned this to mums in the playground yesterday, they were very saddened and talking about how disruptive it was to the whole school.
I just can't see a positive spin on this.

Locally we only get bulge classes when parents switch around for places in whichever school got the best recent Ofsted report.

We moved into our area last year because it was a lovely area with lots of families and lots of primary schools in the area. We got none of the 'local' primaries (4 within 0.5 miles from our house) and allocated a school we have never heard of 2 miles away. I went to see the school and the school is full to bursting (already taken 2 bulge classes in the last 2 years and the lady who showed me round thinks it's going to be 3-form entry now permanently) with failing results. I have spoke to the council endlessly and hounded them as to why a bulge class isn't put into any of the local schools where there is clearly demand (I know a lot of parents in our positions) and it was hinted that the school governing board of the local schools, which included parents, have refused to take ANY bulge class.

Luckily, DS has now got a place in a lovely private school. Will have to cough up the fees and go on wait lists for our local schools and see if we get a place in the next 2 years as DS2 goes to school in 2014 and will benefit from a sibling place. We are absolutely gutted that he won't be going to school with the little girl next door (who got a sibling place) to our local school or playing with his school friends in the park behing our house. But I also realise we are very lucky we have the option of a private school. But I would have done anything for any 1 of the 4 schools to have taken a bulge class. I know it's not the end of the world but am my DS1 won't be involved in the local community as such.

Could that really be true? That governors at the "good" schools all refused bulge classes so the LEA just dumped them on the "failing" school?

This is an extract of an email I got from the council primary admissions team head:

"The borough has been adding classes to school sites since 2008 and many options for bulge classes have been used, particularly in the *** area. Governing Bodies, which include parent governors, have been resistant to adding more pupils to small sites and any available space has already been used."

This is their 'reason' excuse when I questioned them as to why this particular school my DS has been assigned to is taking a bulge class as it

• doesn't have extensive grounds (like most London primaries!)
• and in fact, the lady who showed me round already pointed out a portakabin that will house one of the reception classes for September. If they can stick a portakabin there, surely they can stick one in any of the other 4 local schools???!!!!

BTW, not all of the 4 local schools are 'outstanding' schools - varying standards from satisfactory, good and outstanding so we won't be 'choosy' either! I just think the email sounds like someone from the council is trying to 'blame' the schools for not wanting to take on any bulge class.

Same thing in my council. Schools that were expanded this year are ones that were either under-subscribed in remote parts of the borough or not good. Makes no sense. I was told that school governors of a particularly popular school will not accept any extra classes - despite having the space to accommodate. Sigh.

We still have no school place.

Hodel Still no place? They have to offer you something right? Have they really offered you nothing?

... also I got a bit annoyed the other day with someone discussing this very issue. Their point - extra classes are not good for "their school". My point: it is not "your" school. It is the community's school, paid for by local people. If the school needs to expand, and perhaps be a bit worse, so that local children can be educated in their own community... so be it. (Obviously the context here is that a load of local children were unable to get a place at any local school this year.)

I live very close to Oblomov and one of the reasons why we need so many bulge classes and there is a shortage of junior places as well is because Surrey LEA went around closing infant and junior schools despite being told about the huge rise in the birth rates.

It was all about saving money.

My dds infant school has been converted to primary, the field and grounds are tiny, they have gone from 6 classes to 11 so the main hall is too small etc etc Junior children shipped in taxis all over the place as not enough local places anymore.

It's a mess for everyone.

Hi angel! Yup. Still no offer. LA is not being helpful... but I won't bore you with the details. Ironically, the neighbouring borough told me today that they were going to do "everything in their power" to find me a place in their schools. I have a strong desire to divert my council tax to them :)

Hi Random

Attitudes like the OP's make me very very glad we moved the hell out of Surrey. I've just had a horrible flashback to the school playground when DS was small

Extra children means extra funding. I cannot see what the f*ck you are worried about. Leave the logistics to the teachers and heads- they are extremely good at running things like schools.

It's not the head and teachers that I have an issue with, it's the flippin LEA!!!

They let another school deteriorate so badly, wouldn't fund desperately needed reapirs etc until they then discovered the playing belonged to the church and not the school so they couldln't sell it off...

No bulge classes aren't great as it compromises every child that attends and often they are created due to the LEA's refusal to address the issue of needing extra schools. Certainly in Surrey I think they heavily rely on some parents to go private.

Oh and did you know according to Surrey LEA representatives families don't live in flats so the building of 500 2 & 3 bed flats in a small town won't increase demand on school places

My DS is in Reception and was part of a 45-pupil intake, instead of 30 - there's a mixed YR/Y1 class. It's a fantastic school and the only downside of the bulge class seems to be lots of parents fighting for a seat at the Nativity etc

I'm glad there's a bulge class, as without it 24 of the 30 places would have been allocated to siblings. We would have got in as one of the 6, as we only live 300m away, but still.

This is a result of my county (Cheshire East)'s GENIUS decision to close THREE local primaries a few years ago

Hodel Bore away! I have bored everyone else, including myself. I am now having a 'text' conversation with my immediate neighbour as she cannot believe we are in this position and coming up with all sorts of solutions, all of which I have already looked into. I wish I could just bite the bullet, pay the private school fees and be done with it and be glad to be out of the 'system'!

But that part of me that still wishes DS1 could walk to school with our neighbours kids and play with them in the park over the weekend still wishes we had got a place in a local state primary!

They need over 4000 extra places in my LA for Sept 2013... many schools have doubled in size, and we now have a fair few 4-form intake primaries, and even a 5- and 6-form primary!

The main objection from me is the lack of outdoor space- many schools have very little outdoor space already, with temporary classrooms encroaching on that, and/or new building works, it means some pupils don't have space to run around at all during the normal school day.

Bulge classes aren't negative for the parents who benefit. I have been that parent, stressed and worried that my child was going to a school some distance away. I always mused that the parents who thought they were negative could always consider moving their child to a less oversubcribed school to avoid the bulge. This might mean a long commute across town / county but hey, if the negatives outweight the positives...

Random, we have that here out in Devon. According to the LEA, building 450 3 and 4 bed houses out of town but in catchment for a very well regarded primary and secondary will generate only 30 secondary age children and 50 primary aged children. So they don't need to build any more schools as they can bus them 4 miles down the road down a narrow windy lane to a tiny village school with a playground the size of many people's gardens. (well regarded primary and secondary are absolutely chocka)

Like that's going to happen.

I think I might live in the same part of Surrey as the OP. The junior school DC1 is going into in September has bulge classes planned. It's not ideal, but better than local schools not offering local children a place, which happened this year.

Well two local schools are adding an extra class from now on. Both are very popular schools and I think it will be very much welcomed.

No putdoor playing space for my reception age child as 2 reception classes plus nursery equals too many kids in one space. Main playground at lunchtime only.

We're ok for funding this year as they guarantee to pay for 30 although we only have 24 in the other class. Later up the years we will not get as much funding but still have to pay for the teacher etc

As we have a few spare places we will always get the ones kicked out of other schools as you can't refuse them. Oh joy. More kids getting beaten up in the playground to look forward to

School being extended over the school playing field. Bye bye open space and community football pitch, but hey these inner city schools have too much green space already, right

I have no idea what the positives are tbh, my other kids had a nicer school experience. Still think about moving the youngest to one of the many other local schools that have places and one form entry. And a playing field. And won't go through school with the flipping nqt for every year, as I suspect will be the case

I know this bulge management thing has happened for decades (I guess in Victorian times they just shoved more in on each bench), but at what point does an LEA decide that the bulge is there to stay and make suitable provision for the extra children? Or do they just leave the prefabs up and running for all eternity or until they fall down?

Our school is going for broke and expanding on the assumption the bulge year continues. So larger school but no playing field. Then if/when numbers fall, a larger space to heat, pay for, maintain. But the head gets paid more so he's happy.

In fairness a recent build will be a lot better insulated etc than an older building so potential fuel savings just from having new buildings might mean no bigger bills.