Not really in a catchment area

[uzma]

Hello,

What do parents do if you don't fall into a catchment area for a school ? We are looking to buy a property in therapia road / shelbury road but the only school seems to be st cabresca ( sorry for spelling error I am typing from my phone and cannot google the correct name!) we don't want our LO to go to a Religous school but we cannot afford to go private!

Any advice parents?

[etta166]

I don't think that there is any area in Southwark where you wouldn't get any school place. Someone did a map of catchments (linked to here: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1197856,1219958#msg-1219958) in the ED area. There are several schools with no maximum distance or where all on time applicants were offered a place.

Getting into your top choice of school is a different matter all together, but the map should help you to see what schools are an option in that area.

[oimissus]

it's worth looking at as there is a black hole for schools in ED, and although you'll get a school, it may be obviously not one you'd choose and could be a pain for going on to work, for instance - a lot of our choice was purely down to logistics - which station works best. And St Francesca de Cabrini is a Catholic school which a lot of people don't want, which is fair enough.

[uzma]

Etta- thank you I am having a look at this now!

Oimissus in terms of schools what is a black hole? I am trying SO hard to find a house that falls a 0.2 mile radius near Goodrich/heber but I am wondering if it makes any difference? this is why we started looking around therapia road, mundania road etc as the houses are slightly larger.

St Francesca De Cabrini isn't a choice for us we aren't Christian! and I know non-Christian children go there and are very happy but its rather really confusing for a child when you have a different religion at home. ( Albeit I know you can opt out of doing the Religious parts of the day!)

[bjm]

It depends also on which schools might bulge each year.

We live on Therapia Rd and got into Horniman on a bulge year.

I think you would still have a chance for Goodrich too.

We got places for our littlest at Fairlawn nursery too living here.

[uzma]

BJM - your a star thank you for posting this! so its sort of pot luck I suppose?

[bjm]

All I can say is Therapia is a lovely road and we love living here. Good luck!

[kristymac1]

There is also a planned new primary to provide provision in this 'black hole' apparently it's ging to be in the Homestall rd area which is just round the corner from Therapia.

[James Barber]

What year do you need a place.

Ivydale School is proposed to double in size (should really be another new school but either way double places). Harris are looking for a site to open a new school 2015 tripling the number of places.

The area now is a primary school admission black hole it won't be for much longer.

[kristymac1]

I also know that a child did get into Reception at Fairlawn this year from Dovedale Road - they were given St Francis Cabrini first but then offered a place at Fairlawn before the start of the school year.

[Mariamadeit]

We are on therapia, will tell you in April what happens...

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Uzma,

I responded to what I think is an email from your OH? That pocket of East Dulwich is very green, Peckham Rye Park, Brenchley Gardens, One Tree Hill, the Aquarius Golf Club and two cemeteries all being in the vicinity. Unfortunately you are not very near any primary school. You are near to the border with Lewisham. In 2014, you would have secured at place on first round applications at Turnham (lewisham), Kender(Lewisham)and St Francesca Cabrini (Faith school but allocation on distance after faith, several non-faith/other faith pupils particularly in infant classes). After they bulged, you would have been offered a place at Fairlawn. It is proposed that Ivydale Primary will expand from two to four form entry, onto the former Bredinghurst school site at Stuart Road (ie an extra 60 primary places per year). This would be walking distance from you and is a community school. Harris are proposing to set up a new school in the Nunhead area. From what council officers have reported, they are currently looking for a site, so location is undetermined. All of the schools in the area are good. I would suggest that when it comes to applying for your child, you put down 6 local schools in your order of preference.

Good luck with the property purchase,

Renata

[uzma]

Hello all!

We didn't go ahead with the purchase ( not from our side!) :(

It's good to figure out where your child would potentially go. Renata thank you for your response to my husband too!!

It's just such a worrying factor for every parent what school their child goes too the environment etc. I went to school which my cousins attended we lived in a close knit community so we all knew each other and the teachers before we even went to school! Now living on the other side of London I don't know many people here and so I get my concerned about which school my daughter will end up in!