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Original poster

Are there plenty of places in primary schools at the moment ?

36 replies

mummyloveslucy · 30/09/2009 20:32

Hi, I heared a nursery teacher saying that there are more spaces available in primary schools at the moment.
With the credit crunch and baby boom, I don't see how this can be right. She said she read it in te paper.
Has anyone else heard this ?

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KittyWalker · 30/09/2009 20:34

I'm having lots of problems getting a reception place for DS in Wiltshire - everywhere seems to be full. No problem with Y2.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 30/09/2009 20:36

I wonder where she heard that?

OP posts:
Tambajam · 30/09/2009 20:37

Bollocks.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 30/09/2009 20:38

ha-ha I thought it might be.

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Hulababy · 30/09/2009 20:42

It depends on where in the country you are, and which school you are looking at.

In Sheffield the best, or most desired, primary schools this year have been full from catchment, although very few, if any, had to turn down "within chatchment" applicants. Some of the less popular schools do still have spaces in their reception classes.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 30/09/2009 20:43

I think there is usually more movement in years 1-2, I could be wrong.

I was interested as my aunty has a 5 year old daughter and would like to move closer to us. She would obviously want a good primary school for yr 1 or maybe 2.

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Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 30/09/2009 20:45

We are quite lucky where we are as there are a lot of good primary schools. There are only 3 or 4 I would say arn't so good.

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paisleyleaf · 30/09/2009 20:48

I'm sure that in the parenting news MN e-mail I got (and it was recent), it said that there's something like 200 or 300 schools with illegal infant classes of more than 30 children at the moment.

Katz · 30/09/2009 20:52

our primary is on one in one out from Y3 down at the mo, and you have to be in catchment to make the list.

KittyWalker · 30/09/2009 20:52

Just from hunting around for a place for DS has shown there was an enormous reception intake this year!

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 30/09/2009 20:53

I didn't know that was illegal. The school my daughter will be starting in January has 34 per class. I suppose that's bad then. They do have an assistent in each class though.

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hocuspontas · 30/09/2009 21:05

You should have two qualified teachers for that amount of children I think especially if it's reception you're talking about. I'd check if I was you!

sleepwhenidie · 30/09/2009 21:24

are you joking? In Camden alone there were more than 2000 children without places to start in reception class this year, they have had to be put in temporary classrooms in church halls etc and the problem is going to get worse over the next few years...

sleepwhenidie · 30/09/2009 21:27

just thinking...maybe the nursery school teacher meant private primary schools, in which case, she is probably right !

PerryPlatypus · 30/09/2009 21:45

Last year there were problems here with finding enough places for children. Even the schools which always have spare places were having to turn down applications.

Feenie · 30/09/2009 21:51

There are crisis talks in my LEA at the moment because of the rising birth rate and a projected shortfall of places from 2012 onwards.

1dilemma · 30/09/2009 21:59

Depends where you are I guess

lots of people in SW London having trouble gettig any state place

primarymum · 30/09/2009 22:13

I teach in a rural school some 5 miles from our local market town. ALL the schools in town are full this year in Reception and many are completely full, to such an extent that children are now being taxi-ed to our and other rural schools in the surrounding areas.

KittyWalker · 30/09/2009 22:17

I have been offered one place in a really good school on paper (you don't know until you visit do you?) but it's in the next town away. I haven't really got a choice and think I will have to send him there. Don't get me wrong it's by far not a bad place just a bit of a journey to get them there and back every day.

KittyWalker · 30/09/2009 22:19

Judging by this thread I have been very lucky!

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/10/2009 01:20

Wow, mabe the nursery teacher was talking about private then.

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DontCallMeBaby · 01/10/2009 09:01

It varies from place to place. Current Reception year was a low birth year, locally, so DD's school was considerably less over-subscribed than usual, and I believe one of the other local schools was actually under-subscribed. DD's (Yr 1) class is over 30 though, and one of the Yr 2 ones is as well, both the local authority's 'fault' (actually you can remove the quotes for the one in DD's year).

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 01/10/2009 09:04

State schools are overflowing round here. There have been more places than normal in most private schools' Reception classes, though (I think they are all full too, but they took longer to fill up rather than being fully subscribed a couple of years in advance).

Ixia · 01/10/2009 09:47

I'm on the Isle of Man and we are guaranteed a place at our local village primary, as long as we are within catchment. This year there was a huge intake (36), they've had to take on an extra teacher and assistant, in order to split the class.

Two people we know have gone private as they didn't like their catchment school, but couldn't get in anywhere else. The private school is also over subscribed and there is a waiting list for reception.

Miggsie · 01/10/2009 09:49

Not at DD's school. They had 300 applications for 90 places.
Catchement area is now 4 streets around the school.