Primary School Allocations-do you need some Assistance?

[Mellors]

Closest community school is irrelevant now (as of this year), its just done on as the crow flies distance for everyone.

[ClareC]

Is there a website that provides crow flies distances?

[steveb]

We put Heber as it is our closest school but did'nt get a place as we are 500 metres away.We are now 16th on the waiting list.

We also put our other nearest schools but got offered a school in Nunhead around 2 miles away.

I find it hard to believe 94% got one of there choices.

[damzel]

ClareC Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Is there a website that provides crow flies

> distances?

Google maps has a distance measuring tool but you have to enable it. Go to www.google.com and look in the top right hand corner and select New. It's the first option. It's not very precise but just found out we're 310m away from Heber as the crow flies. Fingers are tightly crossed for next year.

[smb12]

Hi Coach Beth

I think that is wise advice indeed and only wished I had done this three months ago. However, my main point here is that the stats of "94% got one of their preferred places" is inaccurate if it is including me/my son's application as my application mysteriously included Peckham Park Primary which I didnt even know existed until yesterday. I wonder how many more people have experienced this error.

On the point of crows flies distance, one of the schools my son has missed a place out of from is our local community school - we are 3 metres further than the furthest successful applicant using this measurement method and less than 300 metres from the school. However, at least two successful applicants who have succeeded on distance and not on older siblings being at the school have to physically walk past my house to get the school in question due to the geography of the roads/paths.

[clux]

smb12

Do you know where you are on the waiting list? If you only missed out by 3m you must be at the top and there is a very good chance of getting a place

[Renata Hamvas]

I would suggest that parents/carers to accept their offers even if they are unhappy with their offer. All children are automatically added to the waiting list for any schools that they listed as a higher preference where a place could not be offered. If parents would like to check where their child is on a waiting list, they can contact the Admissions call centre on 020 7525 5337 or email [email protected]. Updated information on lists will be available on 19th April. Even if parents accept their offers, their child's name will still remain on the waiting list for higher preference schools. Accepting the offer has no affect on waiting list positions or appeals. Be aware that your position on a waiting list can move up or down. It can move down due to late applications from parents/carers living closer to the school than you and also, there have been some parents with children already at primary schools who forgot to tick the sibling box on the application box.

If parents wish to appeal for a school that was unable to offer their child a place, they will need to contact the Admissions Team for an appeal form for all community schools or the schools directly for non-community schools (voluntary aided, church, foundation school or academy).

The School Preference Adviser is on hand to offer independent, impartial support and advice to parents and carers. Come and see him on any of the drop-in dates below at:

The Southwark Learning and Business Centre, Resource Centre,

Cator Street, London, SE15 6 AA

Email: [email protected]

Monday 11th April 9:30-12:30 13:30- 15:30

Tuesday 12th April 9:30- 12:30 13:30- 15:30

Of course I am still available to assist parents to the best of my ability. Be aware though that every primary school does have limited places, but there is movement on waiting lists over the next few weeks and months to come.

FYI 94.4% of children got one of their school choices, this is above the London average of 92%

Renata

[Sporthuntor]

Enough with that stat already - what about how many got 1st 2nd choices etc? Getting 5th & 6th choices is really not a good indicator of satisfaction...

[smb12]

I am sorry but I dont think I have ever been as upset and distressed as I was last week when I received notification that:

a) Peckham Park Primary had been erroneously put on my chosen preference list

b) It had been allocated to my son as we had failed to get into our 3 selected schools meaning all other local schools had been automatically discounted when looking for alternative local school for my son

As I was able to respond quickly to the situation, I have now managed to secure a place at a local school in the interim while I wait to appeal my preferred schools (one of which we believe we have a strong case based on questionable distance measurements). However, before this we were evaluating private schools, leaving London and homeschooling.

But I am still waiting for an explanation (and apology) from Southwark as to why Peckham Park was included in the first place and given my upset and distress last week, I am getting increasingly annoyed by the continued use of these stats. I certainly hope no ones bonus is tied to them.

Its all very easy to say accept what you are given and then wait to see what happens in the shakedown, but when its your child that has been given a school miles away and that doesnt have a very good reputation, then it becomes hugely stressful.

[Fuschia]

Smb12 that is awful

Be sure to include it in your appeal

Have you read up on the special rules for reception appeals in the light of infant class size restrictions ?

[FatherJack]

Renata "do you need some assistance"

It seems that many parents do, the assistance/advice offered is the same whether it be Renata, James or LA......

Renata/James?Southwark "I would suggest that parents/carers to accept their offers even if they are unhappy with their offer".

smb12 "Its all very easy to say accept what you are given and then wait to see what happens in the shakedown, but when its your child that has been given a school miles away and that doesnt have a very good reputation, then it becomes hugely stressful".

Applicable to primary and secondary applications.

And I will say this for the last time......IF we all accept what we are given WHAT on earth is there to shake up or down???

School PREFERENCE.......that would be laughable if it wasn't such a serious topic!

[littleEDfamily]

Sporthuntor Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Enough with that stat already - what about how

> many got 1st 2nd choices etc? Getting 5th & 6th

> choices is really not a good indicator of

> satisfaction...

Agree!!! What is that Mark Twain said about lies, damn lies and statistics...

[smb12]

Fuschia

Yes I have thanks. However, we have such a tiny difference between us and the furthest successful applicant we are appealing on these grounds.

While we now have a place at another local school, I am so angry about what has happened over the last week and in particular, the publication of these stats which as far as I can see, Southwark are using to cover up a less than adequate school application process. I dont see why parents have to put up with it. Why should we have to accept allocations that are frankly unacceptable while we wait for the system to sort its self out.

[cuppa tea]

Incidentally, Mark Twain was homeschooled!

[Gubodge]

smb12, I think the lesson from your experience is that next year's applicants should ensure they fill all six choices. It doesn't seem that surprising to me that if you didn't get into your top (and only) three then they'd consider it ok to put you anywhere. If you hadn't made any preference for the other local schools how are the LA to know that you do prefer them to the alternatives?

[Renata Hamvas]

79% of children got there 1st Choice school

8% 2nd choice school

4% 3rd choice school

2% 4th choice school ie 93% were offered a place at their top 4 schools in the first round

1.5% 5th/6th choice school

ie nearly 4/5 of children got their first choice school

5.6% were allocated a primary school, where there were places still left, in all cases this was less than 2 miles from their home. This are preliminary results and and will change a bit after the shakedowns. I agree with Gubodge's point. The parents who were allocated a school may have obtained their (2nd/3rd) 4th/5th/6th choice if they had put it down more schools rather than the council finding them a place. Even if you obtain a place from one of your lower choices, you still automatically go on the waiting lists on the schools higher up on your waiting list, so their are no advantages to only putting down one, two or three schools. It is worth looking at schools that are localish (eg a longer walk or a short bus ride away) and good but not so oversubscribed as your top couple of schools. Also if you follow a religion (eg catholic or C of E or Orthodox), your local church school (eg C of E or catholic) may have sufficient capacity in a particular year to take a few children who practice another religion (eg due to a bulge).

Spaces will become available from waiting lists in the next few weeks/months, but movement on lists will vary and the further down a list you are, the less likely you are to get a place. This is the more likely route to get a space than via appeal. Appeals do not have a high chance of success unless there are good grounds of appeal eg SEN, siblings etc. You can join the waiting lists of other primaries. Primaries rank waiting lists following their admissions policies, in the terms of community primaries, this is on distance.

If you need my assistance I will try my best to help you (but I can't perform miracles eg make extra school places!)

Renata

[Fuschia]

Renata, can you obtain the same stats for se22 parents rather than borough wide?

Also what the numbers were putting the SE22 schools as first choice, and nos admitted under each criteria (SEN, siblings, distance and the distance involved?)

Thanks

[Fayed]

Dear Renata

My daughter was not offered a place at any of my 4 choices of primary school, she is 32nd on the waiting list, I was wandering if moving closer to the school at this stage would increase our chances?

[ClaireClaire]

Hello all,

just wondering if anyone has any updates on primary school admissions?

We are very lucky to have an offer from Goodrich, which we are of course very pleased about. However it was our 2nd choice school, and I am wondering how long to hold out for our 1st choice, which is Heber.

We were initially at number 1 on the waiting list for Heber. However when I checked about 2 weeks ago, I was told we had moved down a space and are currently number 2 on waiting list.

Are there any key dates I should be watching out for, when waiting list positions might change? Goodrich has just sent us our enrollment and settling-in information, and I am wondering how long it is sensible to keep holding out for Heber.

(I know we are in a fortunate position and I hope this doesn't seem insensitive to parents who are unhappy with their school allocation. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome for everyone before September.)

Thanks

Claire

[mumra]

Hi Claireclaire. If you really want the school then often places come up in the first week of term when children have returned and somebody has moved over the holidays and not informed Southwark, I know that's anxiety inducing though. Happenned to my sister who shelled out for 2 lots of uniform in one week! Not ideal in terms of settling a child in, but it's amazing how quickly they adapt. It's the adults that find it harder I think!

[BB100]

mumra's advice is good. There will be lots of movement from now until August and then come September 3-5 children tend not to turn up at most schools as people move over the summer hols.

[Renata Hamvas]

I agree with Mumra, there is moving on waiting lists well into Autumn and even the most popular schools find one or two children fail to arrive at the beginning of September. The reason why you have moved down on the waiting list Claire, is that parents with siblings already in the school sometimes forget to tick the sibling box, don't get a place , inform Southwark and then they go to the top of the waiting list on sibling priority. Also there can be late applicants who forget to submit the form or move into the area after the form submission date and they live closer to the school that you do.

Renata

[Fuschia]

Renata, did you miss my earlier post?

Can you obtain the stats for se22 parents rather than borough wide?

Also what the numbers were putting the SE22 schools as first choice, and nos admitted under each criteria (SEN, siblings, distance and the distance involved?)

Thanks