Jellybeanse15

Hi Monnimae I?ve just seen your message. That?s really reassuring and just what I was hoping to hear as we don?t know anyone with children there. Thank you for sending the settling in dates. Glad I?m not the only who has found this process unnerving! Thanks Renata, Southwark have come back to me today with our place on the John Donne waiting list and we?re quite close to the top of the list which is encouraging. I really appreciate all of the responses. Jellybean

Just a quick update, the school have responded by email to say that I won?t be able to come and visit the classroom before my son starts. I?ve asked again by phone, waiting for the head to come back to me. Really shocked at this response, should I be reading anything into the school not being happy to have visitors during a normal school day? Or is this typical?

Thanks Ellie, that?s really reassuring to hear. I was planning to ask to come and take a look around, I?ll ask for a meeting with the reception teacher as well. I?m finding this process so much more daunting than I thought. Rob, thanks for the suggestions, I would definitely have been interested in Goose Green but it?s just that little bit too far.

Thanks, it?s helpful to know that should we be offered a place at John Donne we get the chance to make a choice. In some boroughs offers are withdrawn if you receive an offer from a waitlisted school.

We?ve just been through the primary school admissions round for Reception September 2019 and been offered our second choice school Haberdashers hatcham Temple Grove (not the free school). We live just off Queens Road so thought this was a real long shot school and had John Donne our closest school as first choice as I really liked the school?s ethos and the results are very good. I?m now feeling really anxious and second guessing myself as to whether we should be really pleased to have Haberdashers (which is through to 18) and potentially not have to go through the school application process again at 11. We have automatically been added to the waiting list for John Donne and should have an idea next week where we are placed on the list. If we are offered a place at our first place school do we automatically lose the place at Haberdashers? I?d also be grateful to hear from parents with experience of Haberdashers Hatcham Temple Grove as I can only see negative messages from around the time that Monson primary was taken over by the Federation. Many thanks

We live in the area and our two year old has been at 1st place nursery - Chumleigh Gardens in Burgess Park for over a year. My son is thriving and I?d gladly recommend it having visited most of the nurseries in the area. They follow Reggio Emilia principles, use reusable nappies and the outside walled garden is lovely and peaceful. The staff are all lovely and attentive and relative to the other nurseries we considered the fees are reasonable.

I am launching a Positive Birth Movement group for Peckham and Nunhead and will be hosting our first session next Saturday 23 September from 2-4pm at my house near Queens Road station. http://www.positivebirthmovement.org Positive Birth Movement is all about sharing amazing birth stories, socialising and generally being positive about birth, it's free but would be nice if people contribute biscuits! Let me know if you would like to attend as if we et a big enough group going I can look at finding an alternative venue.

Is this going to be happening? Please send a link to your website

I would really recommend 1st place nursery - they have three in the area and our child is at the one in Burgess park. The staff and setting are lovely and when you're in the garden you'd have no idea you're in such a busy spot. We were amazed to find such a great nursery without having to spend a year on a waiting list.

Thanks for the tips. You're right that local friendship groups are important - I lived miles away from where I went to school and definitely missed out, especially in contrast to my other half who has stayed fairly local throughout. I'll keep an eye out for the summer fairs.

Thank you. It's good to know that there are options as we really like the area and sense of community.

Hi Clux, that's really cheered me up as Edmund Waller looks great, I thought that we'd be outside of catchment area- we're on Montpelier Road.

We moved to the area a few years ago because we fell in love with our house and the convenience of the location, not much thought went into school options We now have a little boy who is nearly two and I'm increasingly worried about our school options as we seem to be just outside the catchment area for most of the well regarded local schools. I don't know anyone in the area with primary school aged kids so thought I'd ask the forum if you're local to the Peckham side of Queens Road where do your children go to school? Are you happy with it?

Thank you for the suggestions. They both look lovely but unfortunately a bit too far to be practical for us.

Did you manage to find one? If so I'd appreciate if you can share the details. Thanks Janine

For anyone thinking of Le Nid I've just tried to get my son a place and the waiting list is 1-1.5 yrs!

We're in Montpelier Road and have used Queens Road Surgery on Meeting House Lane. Their new surgery is far nicer than the old location on Woods Road and I have found them very good for appointments during my pregnancy and with a newborn now toddler. We've seen the same nurse for every vaccination and I'm able to request my preferred doctor - all very good for continuity of care.