mrs.lotte

Sorry fidgetsmum St.John's is bulging this year so you will have to hope DKH does next year and/or cast your net a bit wider; Bellenden, Bessemer and Goose Green may be good bets from where you are; go and see them when they start back in September. You'll be fine at any of those schools, try not to worry too much!

Southwark children's services will presumably have plans for next september's bulges but don't suppose they'll share and in fairness can't finalise them until after closing dates when they can ascertain need. I guess it's a process of elimination as I would be surprised if, absenting an intention to permanently add an additional class, a school could take more than one bulge every 6 years. The following have bulged; goodrich, heber, lyndhurst, st.john's, dvi, goose green, bessemer, horniman. Not sure about fairlawn or ivydale. Who does that leave? Hollydale, dkh, Rye Oak, bellenden?

In the past the figures published by Southwark have been wildly inaccurate, I wouldn't trust them. Go and have a look around your local schools and ask the reception teacher, s/he will have done the home visits and know precisely how far s/he had to trek to get to them! Echo what has been said above, impossible to predict if there will be black hole or where it/they would be given placing of bulge classes and the sometimes rapidly waxing and waning of popularity of different schools. Fidgetsmum if I were you I would be pressing to find out which schools are in the market for a bulge as most have done so in the last 3 years and so couldn't do so again next year.

Is this a nursery attached to a school? There is certainly a big demand for spaces and so most of the local schools offer half day sessions so that they can have morning children and afternoon children although they are 5 days per week perhaps that would suit better than the longer day?

Yes they do!

Want to recommend Emmanuel Marshall children's shoes in the ED warehouse. Professional fitting service, good range of school shoes (just bought ours) loads of summer shoes hugely reduced including birkenstocks. Getting wellies in soon. And the kids got a bag of jelly beans. Everyone happy. She also has a loyalty scheme - buy 5 pairs of shoes and get 20% off 6th pair. She has baseball boots for ?6 and cute flip flops for ?1!

When my sone was christened he wore white indian trousers and long indian shirt (I see that there is a stall on saturday market on Northcross selling them but we got our in Tooting). Dad is Anglo Indian but can't see that's a prerequisite.

American Wife - totally absorbing, brilliant read Diplomatic baggage - well written, really interesting and laugh out loud/continuously quoting to bored husband funny. Sister - annoying characters but good story Winter in Madrid - bit more highbrow than the above but a proper gripping yarn The Help - expect to do some crying Enjoy.

Well they are both really up and coming schools. I have 2 children at Goose Green and am very happy with the academic standards and the standards of pastoral care and the creative and musical opportunities. I would say go and have a look at both and see the headteachers and speak to parents and then go with your instinct, you are close enough to both for distance probably not to be the deceider. I expect that there may be a space in either school in your child's year group, the school should be able to give you that information pretty quickly. If you are in ED on 9th July Goose Green school will be holding our annual carnival through the streets around the school and onto the Green for a huge fair so if you are around come along to that. Good luck, it must feel quite daunting doing the move to another country and starting school but I'm sure that either school will hold your hand through it and this forum is a great way to meet other parents so as to arrange meet ups outside school so that there are friendly faces for you and your daughter when you (i mean she!) starts.

I thought their parties sounded rather good. I have glitter phobia (it's presence - instantly, everywhere makes me slightly deranged) and little artistic talent so although you could do it yourself, I would be in the give it a whirl camp...

Renata/James I honestly don't think anyone is interested in what happened last year but rather what effect these very late additional bulges have this year and in future years. Are there really 60 families in this immediate area with no primary place despite bulges at Horniman, Goose Green and DVI? If not in this immediate area then why put the bulges here where there is such a shortage reducing future bulge options? The admission criteria at st.john's is probably academic at this stage; the places will be offered to the next 30 on the list I expect all of whom will have accepted places elsewhere, throwing those schools into disarray. If the schools can't fill their bulges money will have been wasted, future options limited and the schools will suffer financially as they will have to employ extra staff etc but will only receive funding for the number of children in the class.

Good grief - seriously, who is left to bulge next year?

I have to say that I'm glad you are wavering and continuing to give BG serious consideration as it is clearly on the up and an further influx of engaged parents can only help that. I think it is totally bizarre that the council sees fit to bulge st john's right next to a Goose Green bulge which is likely to leave empty spaces at GG and BG. Hardly supporting their progress and drive to attract local parents. Furthermore I had understood that st.John's was to bulge next year; who is going to do that now? Sorry for that rant ccf9. I know parents who are happy at both schools, go with your gut. Good luck.

I think that they also sell them at the swimming pool. Have a nice holiday

If you do not get your first choice then you automatically go on the list for schools higher up in your choices. If you get your first choice then you are not automatically placed on any waitlists but you only have to ask and you will be placed on the waitlists. Good luck.

2 years ago when we were offered John Donne school we were told by Southwark that if we did not accept it then they had no obligation to find us another school. We accepted it (with no intention of taking it) and got into Goose Green on waiting list. In the first term we were offered DKH that we had been no 14 on waiting list for tho didn't accept as son was happily settled and I couldn't bear the thought of climbing the hill every day!! So I'd check what the implications are of refusing and check positions on wait list and hang tight!

You'll love ED. You don't need a car you will be in walking distance of fab cafes, restaurants, shops, green spaces, nurseries and lots more. Victoria is on a direct line from Peckham or Denmark Hill which is walkable from the north/west side of East Dulwich and bus-able from the rest. Children can start pre-school -nursery attached to a school - from the term after they are 3 but this tends to be for only half a day (it's free though) Having a place at the nursery has no effect on whether they will then get into the school itself that is dependant upon (with some exceptions) how close you live to the school so choose a pre school that they are likely to get in to the school of. There are private nurseries (that you pay for) and there is a wide variety of types - half day, full day, part time etc. Get your name down for lots - can't hurt and when you know where you will be living you can narrow it down. Good luck

My daughter is at the nursery and has been since September. I think it is wonderful, a really happy nurturing enviroment which is well resourceed with excellent teaching and support staff. I think that you may be better off asking the teaching staff and headteacher about whether there are other same sex parents and how that is dealt with. In my experience the staff are very receptive to parental concerns. It's hard for anyone to let their child out into the wide world but IMO it's worth a stint at nursery especially if your son will start reception in 2012 - to go from no pre school to full time school may well be a harder transitition. The nursery places from September will be half day only so it's an ease in to the "school" experience.

My children's school will not permit the distribution of sweets or cakes as they are a "healthy eating" school. I, for one was delighted as the creation of 30 party bags and cake for 30 as well as their actual party was getting absurd. I highly recommend Wilkinsons for the sort of tat that children love in party bags. Does anyone know where the nearest Wilkinsons is?

I highly recommend Sharon who runs the lovely lingerie outlet Bloomers upstairs in the ED Warehouse. She is lovely and discreet with good advice and great stock.

This does seem to be a common theme in the Ofsted reports of a number of local schools; one size fits all whether it be teaching to the highest lowest or middle rather than individually targetted. The head really is the best person to ask as to how GG do this. In my experience (son in Y1 at GG, entered school with speech and language delay and achieving below national average, left reception on national average and now exceeds it) the school stream (quietly but surely) regularly assess and celebrate progress and their targets for attainment are very high - certainly above national average. My son's last teacher informed me that the ethos was to teach up not down and stretch children. All I can say is that I would not have thought that my child would have been one of the more able but the school has brought out the best in him both academically and socially and I will always be grateful for it. My daughter is in the nursery and is learning to read, her teacher informs me that she will be reading before she joins GG reception in September.

Ccf9 I feel for you, we were in a similar situation 2 years ago and yes, I'm afraid it is not a safe presumption that one will get in to a popular community school however close you live. I presume that you are also on waiting lists at other school? I'm sure you know that you can add your child's name to waiting lists of schools which were not on your original application. Have you asked the villa if there is any scope for him going into their school? (I seem to recall that they have scope to educate up to end of key stage 1). Could you afford/get to any of the private schools; they are businesses and may find space. If you could get to those schools perhaps you could also consider schools that are a little further away from you than you would like but may, in due course at least, have some space eg Goose Green or Bessemer Grange. 2 years ago my son was No15 on the wait list at DKH and we were offered a place in the first term but by then he was happy in his new school and we didn't take it. Get your name down for as many schools as you can and hold your nerve, there WILL be movement there always is. Good luck

A further note of caution people; this Friday is the end of term, then schools will be off for 2 weeks then there are a series of bank holidays so if you want to speak to a particular school or go and see it, you had better get your skates on.

Jenny, Goose Green is full so if you want to be offered a place there I would get name on waiting list asap (you can put your name down on waiting lists for schools that you did not apply to) it looks like it may be taking a bulge so might be your best bet but please don't presume that you will get in, it was very popular this year following fantastic sats results and school tours. Bessemer Grange (ofsted good in its recent inspection) may also be worth putting your name down for. Good luck

If you decline your offer then the LA no longer has any responsibility to find you a place so if you want to hold out for one of your higher choices, accept the place, you should automatically go on the waitlist for your chosen school (LA will be able to tell you where you are on that waitlist) and then wait for shakedown (which is where the list becomes clearer when people have accepted or rejected their offer - this is usually where people are holding a private and a state place or places in more than one borough but as this years was cross borough perhaps there will be less movement than previous years) Wait list places are, I believe, allocated on the usual criteria Mellors - no idea if GG having bulge - was mooted but not finalised - I'll see what I can find out.