St. Matthew's Primary in Cambridge

[carbfuelledmum]

Hi there, we're relocating to Cambridge next summer and considering St. Matthew's Primary as it's conveniently located near the city centre and is "outstanding" according to last Ofsted (though that was in 2011). Reviews seem to be positive on here but I couldn't find anything very recent. Does anyone have experience of this school? Which other ones in or near the city would you recommend? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Fab new building :-) Big but friendly. No uniforms. No parking either (even for the visiting scientist with lots of equipment to unload) but my overall impression was certainly good.

More important though is does it have a space for your child. Outstanding schools generally do not have vacancies.

carbfuelled,

I'm sure you've already researched this thoroughly, but it is probably worth saying in case you haven't: if you are an 'in year' application (ie not one for Reception at the normal time for all admissions) you don't really get to choose schools UNLESS you find that several have a space for you.

If a school DOES have a space and no waiting list for that year, then you can be assigned that space wherever you live in the country at that point IF you can start almost immediately (we did this for DS - we were relocating, but DS's was a low birth year so many primaries where we were moving to had spaces. We visited several, and were given a space at our preferred school even though at that point we lived in our old house. We had to start within 2 weeks, though - in the end I took him by car while our removal van followed a bit later in the day!)

If, as is more likely, the best - or all - schools are full, then you have to apply to them all (councils have slightly different rules), and will be assigned a position on the waiting list in line with their general over-subscription arrangements (so, for example, if you move next door to a school with 'distance from school' as the main tie-breaker, then you will jump to the top of the waiting list). Then you wait... meanwhile...

It may be that one or more less popular / highly rated / more distant schools have spaces. Unless you wish to home ed or send to a private school, then you will need to take one of these as an interim measure.

You may very probably have to appeal for several schools if all schools in you locality are full OR you are temporarily given a space in a school you don't want. You will be given details of how to do this if all the schools you ask for a place at are full.

The Fair Access Protocol can be invoked if you are at risk of having no school place at all - but this forces you to be given a place at the school best able to cope with another pupil, NOT the school of your choice. This is a fairly common misconception that you can ask for a place at a school you want under the FAP and expect to be given it.

How old is your child? If Y3 or above, your life is somewhat easier as appeals can be won on balance of prejudice - whereas Y2 or below the Infant Class Size regulations apply, restricting schools to 30 per class unless there are very specific and quite extreme circumstances.

So don't pin your hopes on one school (though you may be lucky - places like Cambridge will by their nature have somewhat transient populations so in-year places may come up more regularly than elsewhere) - rather find out a wide range of schools that would be 'OK' and research which of these, if any, tend to have in-year spaces. The LA should give you details of any school with a place at this moment, though this will change daily, and may be able to advise on number of in-year admissions per school per year.

Thanks all for the replies. I should clarify we’ll probably choose to live in the st matthew’s catchment area as we want to be quite central and my daughter will be starting reception next September, so it won’t be in-year. Just wanted to know if anyone had up-to-date views and experiences of the school, or of any others near to it. Thanks!

The date for on-time applications for a primary school for September 2019 is January 15th 2019.

Places are allocated - ie parents are told which school they have been given - on 16th April.

It looks as if Cambridgeshire is a county with a formal 'second round' of applications / allocations (this isn't the same across the country). The deadline for that second round is 2nd May.

What that will mean is:

• If you move / apply after 15th January, your application will not be considered until after 2nd May, even if within that time potential places arise due to children deciding to go elsewhere - these places will be filled from other on-time applicants if there is a waiting list.
• By that point, some - or many - schools will be filled from on-time applicants, or from the re-allocations within that pool of on-time applicants who may not have originally been given a place, so there will be no possibility of being given a place in those schools.
• If you move and apply by 2nd May, your application will be considered for schools with places.
• The appeals process follows.
• If you move and apply after 2nd May, it is actually very similar to the in-year process. Remember that infant class size will apply.

Apologies if you know all the above. From the data available for the previous year, it does look like a popular and over-subscribed school (99 first preference applications for 90 places), so if moving between 15th January and 2nd May, it would be worth asking how many children are typically admitted in the second round of allocations each year.

My DD attends this school. As the other reply said it's big but friendly. Some very dedicated teachers who are quick to reply to concerns. Emphasis on a well rounded education with a creative curriculum and lots of clubs and sports on offer. The only downside is the lack of natural facilities like a field but the playground area is quite nice and there is astroturf.

cantkeepawayforever, thanks for the comprehensive details. We have a house in the catchment area and will state this in the round one application; I suppose there won't be any issues.

Thank you PurpleMammoth for your input. Good to know that it's a friendly place. I'm guessing your child feels safe and there's not much bullying then? Safety is my main concern naturally.

"What is my child’s home address?
It is very important that the address you give
on your child’s application will be your child’s
permanent or main residence at the time school places are allocated on 16 April 2019"

also check this document under 'Proof of Address"

If you own the house but it is not your current address - which is suggested by 'moving to Cambridge next summer' - be aware that many places are very wise to this type of admissions fraud these days and may well not award you a school place if you do not live in the house whose address you are providing for application purposes without very good reason e.g. building work that makes the house uninhabitable.

cantkeepawayforever - found on the document you mentioned:

Places cannot be allocated on the basis of intended future changes of address,
unless the move has been confirmed and the relevant proof can be provided;
 a letter from your solicitor confirming exchange of contracts and
completion date,
 a copy of a rental agreement for at least 12 months signed by both the
tenant and the landlord

Slightly confused, but if both of those prove that the house is your child's main residence by 16th April, then no problem.

What those refer to is e.g.

'I am applying on 15th January, because I have purchased a house with completion date of 11th February, so i will definitely be in it by 16th April'

or equally
'I am applying on 15th January because I have a 12 month tenancy agreement signed by me as a tenant and by my landlord, which starts before 16th April'.

My understanding is that it doesn't do away with the need for it to be your child's main residence by 16th April, just that you can apply 'on time' - ie 15th January - for a confirmed move (ie where contracts have been signed for completion or a rental contract agreed) between 15th January and 16th April, though you can't do so for an intended but not confirmed move between those dates.

However, if your understanding is different - ie that you can apply on time in January for a move after 16th April - then I would get that in writing in advance from the admissions team.

I hear it's good. Several other good primary schools in Cambridge too.

cantkeepawayforever - thanks for your understanding of this. If it comes down to it we can move a couple months earlier.

Thanks for the input, FredaNerkk. Which other good ones come to mind?