Primary school allocation countdown- Thursday 16th April...

[MTWTFSS]

Is anyone else dying to find out which school they have been allocated?

This is for my PFB which makes it extra difficult for me :(

I can't talk about it in real life as it starts off as a nice casual conversation ending with some delusions of grandeur PFB nonsense

Thanks Giles and MTWTFSS for the good wishes. One of my colleagues helpfully pointed out that if I get selected for redundancy, I'll have plenty of time to take DS1 to far away schools. Undeniably true, but it didn't help my mood any. At least DS1 is my PFB, so no logistical problems getting DC to different schools if we don't get the first choice, unlike some others.

I've just been spending a long weekend at PIL's. Their internet is broken, and for some extremely complicated reasons, BT seem incapable of fixing it anytime soon. No public wi-fi in the vicinity either.

I have resolved to go nowhere near PILs on April 16th.

cos no one has better things to do than spend hours a week in traffic

wouldn't he an issue if LAs could actually fix the problems in schools so we wouldn't have to. Our kids deserve better than to he guinea pigs in failing attempts to improve standards.

yes yes yes avoid Internet black spots. You poor thing shadow

Agreed Giles, if LAs could manage to fix things so that every school was a good school, it would certainly help smooth the school admissions process.

It wouldn't solve the more kids than school places problem, but that's an entirely different issue.

Yes, why can some schools manage it but others can't, even when the intake is similar to other better schools.

yes I do feel very bad for those in areas where there just aren't the places. It's not even as if its not expected. councils seem aware of birth rates. You'd think something would get done instead of suddenly panicking or paying a fortune in travel costs to send kids miles out of towns.

The whole thing is a mess where there are too few places like near us. I am always intrigued by the acceptance of the Scottish to just take their catchment school - does that mean they they are all just fine ???

9 days!!!!!!

Argh down to single digits :( This week is going to be looooooong!

How are you Giles?

tired ha ha.

was thinking about it at god knows what time this morning.

trying to work out what to do and how to get them to school

How are you

Just feel generally run down and low :( I hope to wake up tomorrow in a better mood :)

Yes I know that one

It's worse cos I know what's going to happen. and then I hate myself for not being pleased for the people I know will get in over me because they have a sibling but are nearer (even though still out of catchment) and haven't long joined teh school whereas I've been there since reception.

Hi everyone - been following this thread. Does anyone know what time the emails will come in Hampshire? I can't find it on their website.

Thanks tiggy

Oh do you get emails? I've forgotten my password thing so I was just going to wait for the letter. I'd totally forgotten about this until I saw it trending on mumsnet!

I was a bit nervous when I put my application forward but tbh, the way I see it is that I've done everything I can to get DS in the school. If worrying was a sport, I'd win but I've decided to file this under 'things I can't do anything about' in my mind.

I'm applying in London Borough of Sutton.

Almost April - in Scotland practically everyone goes to their catchment school. It's not an annual guessing game and you have certainty in advance. Also no grammar system so you don't have one eye on that.

Schools are generally non-selective (there are Catholic schools, but generally Catholic schools are not seen as being "better" than other schools, they just offer a catholic education if that's what your after/eligible for - not my experience in England when families suddenly developed a mass habit).

catchment is everything and it doesn't vary year on year. I've never heard of a school catchment going down to 520m or whatever and siblings cancelling out places. Scotland overall hadn't had the same birth boom and levels of immigration that is squeezing some English schools.

Instead of good schools, IMO it tends to be people opting for good education local authorities, ie East Renfrewshire seen as a better local authority than adjacent Glasgow and families moving there, with less of an emphasis on the actual primary school. Of course,house prices move accordingly.

It does mean that people have to plan ahead and to move into an area with better primary schools, but you know the score from the outset and it's less of a postcode lottery.

Chris that makes a lot of sense. I guess then those that can just move into catchment for schools they like. It is certainly a lot less fraught. Ours is all on distance for first borns (with no lac or Sen or sibling). Faith applies for some schools. Some CE want church attendance some don't. RC tend to just want baptism certificate. There is no certainty for anyone

Ours lets you log on to the website a little after midnight to find out the results if you applied online.

Otherwise you have to wait for the letters to arrive.

Good luck, everyone.

Yes, people do think ahead and move into catchment areas for their preferred primary in Scotland, but there is not the cut throat competition for houses that you see in, say, London. Primary schools tend to be more even than in England with less variation. You can submit in a special "placing request" for a non-catchment school but that's more unusual. You don't really get a choice of schools or get to list six possibilities like in England.

8 days... My tummy doesn't deal with stress well :( I've got school mourning sickness lol

Lol well be all over in a week then time to actually eat.

Just received an email from the local council...

"Allocation emails will be despatched after 18:00 on 16 April 2015."

Also telling me to ensure I know my login details.

After 6???