School starts this sep...we find out where dd is going this week?

[chocolatemummy]

nervous now and suddenyl thiking of potential problems if dont get first choice, Have many of you found out yet?
did many get first choices?

There's a few threads about this below. We found out at Easter (first borough to publish results) and are 19th ont eh waiting list for our first choice . Going to look round the local private school this week

Hoep you have better luck!

oh god thats not a good start

sorry, didn't mean to worry you. we are in a particularly 'nappy valley' area where 40-50% don't get first choice

we got our second choice, which i feel ok about now.

i don't know anyone round here (worcestershire) that got there first choice, everyone got their catchment school.

where in the country are you? was your first choice local?

We are in Cambridgeshire and we haven't heard yet..
I only put down one option so am hoping we are ok.

We find out this week too. It should be ok, as it is our catchment school, but there are 63 chasing 60 places.

I am in Norfolk.

I don't know exactly when we find out, will check with DS1's nursery class teacher tomorrow.

Letter came this morning, DS1 has his place at the local school, relief for all in the jingley house good luck everyone else who is waiting.

Letter arrived this morning here, ds1 got in to the school we wanted Very relieved as dd also goes there.

Oh and I'm in Cambridge.

i find out on thursday

Didn't get into any of the four schools applied to (all local, our nearest ones). Looking at appeals . I'm in London.

Foudn out we've moved up the waiting lsit three places. Still not convinced we have any chance of getting in . Going ot see local private school tomorrow

Ooooh, Staranise, that's terrible.

We've actually moved down one waiting list due to late applications

lalalonglegs - sorry to hear you didn't get in, we were in your position last year appealed and got in.

If you need any help or guidance do please shout

Bringmesunshine - help, guidance, simple hand-holding all appreciated. I'm shouting very loud.

Have a look at the threads with unquietdad and my old name Smurfs on. There is a lot of info there however it takes a bit to wade through

I presume you are going to appeal? I spent a week in tears and then hours on the internet. Be prepared for late nights redrafting your appeal and consider using an appeal firm we used one and it was very helpful and reassuring.

When you get your appeal form send it back within the two weeks? (may vary from region to region) In the section that says reason for appeal simply fill in 'reasons to follow' or something similar and that will give you some head space

Above all keep positive we got DC into a school there really was no strong reason to go to other than we wanted that school.

Oh dear - think we have fallen at the first hurdle as we put down the reason for our appeal. We were told the cut-off point this year was 700m and, if you measured one route to the school, we fell just within that but we only had that distance verbally. We put that down on our appeals form but have since heard from LA that the distance is 585m and we definitely aren't within that. Can we change grounds for appeal once we have sent appeal form in? Also, BMS, which appeals firm did you use?

lalalonglegs - I would get in touch with schools appeals link address below - sorry can't do links

We used them and they were very helpful. All in all it cost us somewhere between £800- £1000 for the whole thing but that did include me having to fly back from holiday for 2 days for the appeal And it is significantly less than a terms fees at private school.

www.schoolappeals.com/first.html

we are appealing on distance as well - we know for a fact that they haven't measured our route properly, making a difference of around 200-400 metres. However, the charmers at Pupil Services have already said that even if we win the appeal, they won't change the distance criteria for this year as it woud mean taking places away from children who already have them.

Don't worry about last cut-off point Lalalonglegs - they're not accurate and don't take into account children who got in later. Have they done the second round yet?

Looked at the local private school today and it was lovely and is sooo close, less than a 5 mins walk away. Will probably register DD as a Plan B.

I think the people at Pupil Servs are trying to blackmail you and talking rubbish - they can't take back places once offered. They don't want to increase class size because, once it goes over 30, they have to employ another teacher. I think that is the big difficulty of appealing in London - virtually all primary schools work to this 30-pupil limit so there is very little room for discretion and you have to have a very strong case for appeal. Surely if they have mismeasured your distance then that falls under procedural mistake?

Is second round when they offer places on waiting list when first round people drop out? If so, no one has dropped out yet and we are still in danger of people who do not get a place in Lambeth (neighbouring borough - border quite close - results out next week) making late apps and knocking us further down list.

They basically haven't taken into account two cut-throughs which they have applied previously and which knock off 100s of metres from our route. They've virtually admited this mistake already but it wont make any difference as, like you say, the classes are full, this mistake affects all teh children round where we live so woudl bump them all up. Do not have high hoeps for the appeal.

I can't believe that about late apps, it's happened here as well - so unfair. DO you think you'll end up at the school that's further away? I don't know what to think any more.

Yes, second roudn is after the first lot of acceptances and declines are in - hence us moving up 3 places this week. Was hoping we'd shift a lot more. Not feeling very positive about it now at all

An acquaintance was saying that lots of people hold onto their places until September "just in case" when have every intention of sending child out of borough or private. They don't consider the effect that it has on families such as ours and so there is a chance we will get into our second-choice school in Sep - don't hold out much hope for first.

We have accepted a place at - what sounds on paper - a very good school but it is 2.4 miles away (nb: just under the distance LA would have to provide transport) and will be complete nightmare to get to every morning. What is more, it means that our ds will be unlikely to be able to take up a local nursery place because nursery keeps same hours as schools and we will be ticking over on South Circ at start/finish times. Plus I have a new baby that will be spending far too much time staring at the car seat. We are going to visit the school next week to have a look around but it makes me weep with frustration that (a) the LA is relying on me not to return to work in order to become dd's taxi service (b) disrupt the rest of the family for same reason.