Problem finding reception place in hampstead

[Markhampstead]

Hi, I need some pointers if someone can help.

I lost my wife and mother to my two children in 2011 to cancer and we are relocating from Lancashire to hampstead. The problem is my eldest who is 6 and going into year two has been accepted to Christchurch but I am struggling to find a place for my youngest who is going into reception class. I don't want to separate them as they are at a point in life when it would be good for them to be a the same school as they were in Lancashire. It is looking like it will be very difficult to place my youngest and need some ideas.

I am looking at the following options until a place becomes available unless anyone can suggest a better idea.

A. Do I split them up ( youngest will be no1 on waiting list)
B find a private school that is local
C. Send to nursery, some cater for upto 7 years

Help help

I have had a look at their webside and see it is indeed a VA school.

However, you are still entitled to an independent appeal. It is not really different to the LEA admission schools.

You need to contact the school and tell them you wish to appeal. I would suggest you either contact the school by e-mail, or summarise any phone conversation with a follow-up e-mail as you need to keep an audit trail. This is necessary in case something is said that you want to use at your appeal.

Also, they are not allowed to 'keep' a space in case someone else comes along. If a place is available and some-one wants it, it has to be allocated.

'website', not webside, clearly!

I echo MustStart in that your daughter will definitely be eligible for the 15 hours per week nursery funding in an eligible setting until her 5th birthday. It is NOT means-tested.

Anthony Keen is the Deputy Head of Integrated Early Years Service for Camden so he might be able to point you in the right direction. Don't tell him you heard it from me though

Link to the Camden nursery admissions page here

Panel and MustStart know much more than I do about appeals etc. (I am in the independent sector quite local to you) and their advice sounds very good.

If Camden start offering you places in nearby boroughs, you would likely be looking at Barnet (north), Brent (west), or Westminster (south).

Child's Hill School in Barnet and George Eliot in Westminster are to be avoided. Robinsfield Infants in St John's Wood (Westminster) has a great reputation. I'm afraid I don't know anything about Brent Schools.

Other Camden primaries around you (see the searchable map on the Camden website link above) are all fine, some like Fitzjohn's, Primrose Hill and New End are meant to be great, although I would avoid Holy Trinity TBH. But if Camden is saying there is no place I guess this is all moot.

If they offer me a school out of area is there a maximum distance from my home the school should be as its not so easy at peak times in the morning.

There is no maximum distance - if the nearest school with a place available is 5 miles away, that is what you'll be offered - but if the journey is more than 2 miles you should be offered help with transport costs. In London that generally means a bus pass for your child (but not for you).

Why would my 4 year old only get a bus pass? Surely they aren't expected to travel alone.

Because the LEA's obligation is to meet the costs of your child's journey to school. You travel at your own cost. Of course no four year old is expected to travel on their own.

Have you checked what Camden say on their website?

The website is not so good really and a lot seems out of date. I have started another thread about appealing if you wouldn't mind giving you opinion.
I can't beleive how stressful sorting this out is.

I would do nothing....there is a massive amount of movement in all the londons schools. (We've just moved from west hampstead and I have a couple of friends with children in Christchurch - which is a lovely school), as you've said she'll have a sibling place and its very likely she'll get a place before the start of the year.
Until then I'd either keep her at home or put her into a nursery, clowns in golders green has a more schooly pre-school, or fordwych in west hampstead or there is a new nursery at fortune green that will probably have places.
I hope your move goes well

Hi, I'm sorry for your loss and hope that your move goes slowly. I teach at a state school in Hampstead ( not Christchurch ) and would echo the sentiment to hold out. We are ridiculously oversubscribed in reception and people living on the doorstep don't get in. However, every year we find that places come up and then it is much easier to get a place. We have several children who have got in in year one for September. However, the school really doesn't have much control of admissions as it's all done by Camden so they are the people to deal with. Good luck. There are some lovely schools here!