mrs.lotte

OK we got our first choice - Goose Green (sibling place though so would have been suprised not to) Good Luck everyone.

Renata, are you able to tell us was % of people in your ward (and/or ED ward if that is different) have their first choice and where, if anywhere, the bulge classes are to be? Thank you

I think that you can access allocations online from 5pm. Despite applying for sibling place, can't quite shake off the horror of 2 years ago (when allocated John Donne) now happily at Goose Green but it wasn't fun waiting for that place.. Hope local authority has got it's act together since then and predicted where bulge classes needed. I wish everyone waiting to hear the best of luck in securing a local place.

I have been promised afternoon tea for mother's day but can anyone recommend somewhere that will tolerate (or indeed welcome) the kids (6 and 4 years?)? Local or central. Thanks

I resisted giving my son a dummy because I didnt like the way it looked and feared withdrawal symptoms, then I caved in and he was happy so I felt guilty for sacrificing his comfort for my sensibilities. I took a dummy into hospital when I had my second but she never needed it. Some babies are sucky and that's how they get their comfort. We just scaled down use then when he was 2 threw them away and took the grief for a couple of days.

How are you getting on jennyh?

Mine have also grown by half a size although wonder if this is also due to no longer binding my feet in slim fitting sky high heels. The result is that I am now a size 5-and-a-half which appears to limit my shoe buying options to M and S. I am not ready to wear footglove 24/7 - anyone know of any slightly cooler retailers that do half sizes?

As the mum of a 6 year old boy I am watching this school with interest and hoping that ED does indeed get behind it and actually send their children to this local school. I, for one, would be really interested to hear how everyone gets on. Keep us posted.

You poor love. Half my NCT group simply didnt produce milk. Some of us did but couldnt force it down our sleepy ventouse babies. I think that many of us are unprepared for breastfeeding to be a problem. I felt like a horrible failure and persisted to the extent that he was upset and I was exhausted and miserable. You know you love your child and what Pickle said re other people. Enjoy your daughter. You sound like you are going to be a lovely mum. Good luck. nb welcome to the wonderful world of parenthood - you feel guilty if you do, guilty if you don't!

Dear Goosemum, I have a puky balance bike - would that suit? I know I could find out from nursery myself on Monday but if you think they would want it I'll ask my lovely nanny to take it with her to drop off. C

Surely a school would also become liable for its own insurance costs (these victorian buildings are not easy to maintain) and legal costs should parents or teachers wish to sue. I can't see that the benefits could outweigh the safety blanket of LA help never mind the morality of how the pie is sliced up. Can an academy choose its own selection criteria? The impression I get from this thread is that SEN children are not encouraged as it is. Not suprised that you are concerned.

A queue bot is a device you pay for per person which means that you do not have to queue for any rides - slightly more complicated but that's the gist. There is plenty of lego - natch - and plenty for the smaller ones but the best stuff has a height restriction; have a look on their website. Actually the boys favourite bit was the model village.

I took my son and his mate the week before they began school; it was like a stag do for 4 year olds and they loved it. Got 2 for 1 tickets from a newspaper promotion. You really must invest in the queue bot - you can do twice as much and reduce moaning to zero. Take your own food, like most of these places the on site food is hideous and overpriced. And take a change of clothes, all the good rides (imo) involve getting splashed!

Brilliant news. Well done BG.

Since coming out of special measures last spring Goose Green has, off the top of my head, 1. Achieved its best ever sats results 2. Had more families than ever before put it as their first choice school for a reception place. 3. Been the first school in Southwark to be awarded the every child matters award (The inspector commented to a parent that she had never seen a school turn around so quickly) 4. Been awarded the eco school silver award 5. Improved the appearance of and access to the reception playground 6. Held a fantastic summer carnival on Goose Green raising thousands of pounds which were spent on resources for the children. 7. Retained funding for the building of a kitchen so that healthy school dinners can be prepared on site 8. Begun a project in conjunction with the wildlife garden centre to build a green shield of climbing plants along the Grove Vale fence 9. Welcomed children joining our school from other local schools

Thanks for the info.

Sorry to side track this thread but I would be most grateful if someone could explain "value added" to me, I had always thought that it was a measure, not of what pupils parents did for a living or the like, but of the progress made by children between the end of KS1 and the end of KS2 which would seem to me to reflect the quality of teaching and therefore be rather valuable. Am happy to be educated otherwise if this is wrong.

Thank you for your replies. No urgency so think I will take a trip to Duo Dance.

Does anywhere in ED sell leotards and ballet shoes? Would I have to venture to Herne Hill (duo dance?) if so, does anyone know if it is open on a Sunday? Thanks

Nick Sharrat - Witches Kitchen Polly Dunbar - Penguin Both slightly naughty which is the common theme for books in our house Polly Dunbar will also be at the Southbank Imagine children's festival over half term week Also Cat in the hat (like I say, a common theme...) I do agree that no age limit for books, my 6 year old will happily read a lift the flap book and my 3 year old is insistent on having "chapter" books, gives them a nice long shelf life though.

I do not believe that any of the local schools are all "good" or all "bad"; you will probably find parents with good and bad experiences at any school. It is all very well recommending a school but things can change rapidly as other comments on this thread show. I believe it is all rather personal; some will prioritise pastoral care others academic achievement or sports and music provision, some may boast all of those things but have a frosty atmosphere so anyone looking for a school place should (obvious I know) visit and make up their own mind. On a personal note we were allocated Goose Green 2 years ago, I hadn't even visited and when I did I was struck by how friendly the children were but how, in the main, it was pretty much just like all the others I visited. Here we are 2 years later, my husband is a governer and it is our first choice school for my Sept 11 reception start daughter. In any event as Keef points out ED hardly has the luxury of choice, there is a lot to be said for getting behind your local school, you never know you may find that it is special measures one minute then a rising star with great SATS results the next ....

My son is in year one at Goose Green and I believe that both year one classes are at capacity but there is occasional movement. I know that one family is moving out of the area but staying on til they find a place near their new address. So it's pot luck but do call the office and see if they can tell you what your position is on the waitlist. Good luck.

Thanks for reply - husband would be diving - was that good?

Thinking of Gozo for summer holiday with kids (3 and 6yrs) anyone have any experience - good or bad - of the place particularly whether suitable for family holiday?

I'm very suprised to hear that they are entirely independent of the church given that a. the church made it plain when Bojangles closed down that they intended to start their own childcare enterprise on site and b. although they have ditched the (frankly terrifying) name "sure and firm foundation" it was still part of their logo when I walked past the other day - sure and firm foundation being a biblical quote. I would ask some more questions and if it does appear to have a link to the New Life Assembly Church also ask for some literature realting to the church's ethos. I had a child who left Bojangles just before it closed but recall that a number of people were very concerned about the ethos of the church who were, at that stage, talking about taking over the nursery. Is this a chain? I couldnt see any others on a (cursory) search of google.