Primary School Admissions Sept 2015 NEWS

[James Barber]

80% of families have received a primary school place of their 1st preference. 2,823 families

15.4% of familes given a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th reference. 553 families

4.5% of families not given a school they showed any interest in. 160 disappointed families.

record year for application - thankfully we have several new recently opened or about to open free school - Judith Keer, Harris East Dulwich and Belham to ensure we have sufficient local places.

More stats attached. I anticiapte have a postcode breakdown early next week to see how we did in SE22.

I hope you have been allocated the school palce you wanted.

If you didn't the concil hotline is open until 9pm tonight. Q&A sheet is attached.

If you want face to face advice the Admissions team have drop in sesssion Cambridge house 20-24 April - please see attached.

You can also ask a local councillor to help. This forum also has great intel from other parents.

Any observatinos of how the system could have gone better please tell me.

[Helga]

Dear James,

I'm glad you are happy with the statistcs. Unfortunately, my family falls on the 4.5% of families not given any of the 6 choices selected. I was offered a place in a school 1.5 miles away from my address. We do not have a car, which means we will have to get two buses to get to the school or face a quite long walk. I'm really looking forward to this experience.

Kind regards,

Helga

[James Barber]

Hi Helga,

I'm not happy with the stats but wanted to report them nuetrally rather than make hay from people's suffering.

I've done everything I can to ensure we have sufficient primary school places - initating and leading new free school campaigns and giving a great deal of support to all other local free school campaigns.

If you'd like to email me privately with your details so I can see how to try helping you and your family now and build up a picture for future admissions changes thatm ight be required.

[southeastlondonmum]

James, when do the distances for schools come out?

[vesti]

Dear James,

I would just like to say 'Thank you'.

Sometimes people lapse too readily/quickly into criticism or into making the next demand/posing the next query.

I want you to know that your efforts to get more school places and the help and encouragement you have put into securing new schools, such as The Belham, is appreciated.

Jane

[Otta]

Well said.

Don't always agree with you James, but respect your commitment to your community and think people are far too quick to blame you when they don't get their way.

[midivydale]

"I've done everything I can to ensure we have sufficient primary school places - initating and leading new free school campaigns and giving a great deal of support to all other local free school campaigns. "

Indeed you have James, and I applaud you for your commitment and efforts in this regard. You deserve recognition for this, from our community. Thank you

[kristymac1]

Agreed, the absence of a long thread of distressed parents re primary admissions 2015 is telling (in a positive way!) kudos where it's due James, you've worked hard for this community and it's paid off, thank you.

[southeastlondonmum]

Yes apologies James. I was writing that with a child on my head

[landsberger]

Sorry to hear this. I was talking to some applicants today and there appears to be a greater number of people applying for...a fewer group of schools. There are plenty of places left in some schools.

[landsberger]

No, James, that's wrong. 80% got their first preference, 91% got their top 3.

If 150 families put unrealistic choices on the form, and the school hasn't got the room to expand, is that the Council's fault? There was a woman on the telly earlier on from somewhere up north whose kid didn't get into a school, and she was whining as she'd only put 1 preference - you would be alarmed at the number of people from the 150 families I am sure who probably only put 1 preference down.

It couldn't be that you are trying to make political capital out of people's disappointment, could it ?

[Otta]

I am always surprised when I see people moaning on social media because they didn't get a place at the outstanding school 3 miles away from them.

Everyone should look at the 6 nearest schools to their house and put those down in order of preference.

When people only put one school down I almost want them not to get it.

[James Barber]

With the duplicate applications for the new Belham free school it will mean another 60 relatively local places being released as people choose either the Belham or whichever other school place they were offered.

But 160 disappointed families across Southwark is still 160 disappointed families.

This year does feel much better for primary school admissions. Phew!

If anyone has admissions problems - we're here to help. Ward councillors in East Dulwich ward and the surrounding wards.

[landsberger]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> With the duplicate applications for the new Belham

> free school it will mean another 60 relatively

> local places being released as people choose

> either the Belham or whichever other school place

> they were offered.

Depends from which schools they come from (perhaps undersubscribed ones like Heber) or if some come out of private education (I am assuming some will)

> But 160 disappointed families across Southwark is

> still 160 disappointed families.

I am intrigued as to what you think is a solution to this. Mine ? I would analyse the 160 "disappointed" families' applications and see just how many of them had only put one school, or had been completely unrealistic. Received wisdom is that it's Peckham and around there that has the highest proportion of disappointed applicants, despite there being an excess of places. An analysis of why people don't make realistic applications is probably long overdue.

> This year does feel much better for primary school

> admissions. Phew!

I hope so

> If anyone has admissions problems - we're here to

> help. Ward councillors in East Dulwich ward and

> the surrounding wards.

Or you could always try the Admissions people first !

[Otta]

I agree, I've no sympathy for people that didn't put several choices down and ignored their local schools. Perhaps harsh but realistic.

[lightweight]

Been a couple of years since I filled it in but does the form say 'fill in all six schools or else you'll get what you're given'? The admissions process is reasonably confusing if you haven't done your homework!

[etta166]

I filled it in this year with only one option (for a sibling place at our closest school). The online form alerts you to the fact that you haven't filled in all six options.

[Otta]

And sibling place is different.

But I have heard several people on different occasions saying along the lines of "I'm only putting the one I want, then they'll have to give it to me". These people are idiots and deserve not to get what they arrogantly think they can bully their way in to.

[simonethebeaver]

I was once given the advice, by the owner of a nursery no less, that the way to get the school I wanted was just to put one school down, and then they had to give it to me. While people are giving out this sort of advice, there will always be mistakes made.

For what it's worth, I was rather surprised at the lack of information for parents on this process, particularly in ensuring that they applied in the first place. In Lewisham, parents are sent information packs, from what I'm told, whereas nothing like that happens in Southwark.

[hpsaucey]

Otta Wrote:

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

> And sibling place is different.

>

> But I have heard several people on different

> occasions saying along the lines of "I'm only

> putting the one I want, then they'll have to give

> it to me". These people are idiots and deserve not

> to get what they arrogantly think they can bully

> their way in to.

Yep - I know someone who did this to - even after asking a fair few people what they'd do (all of who said DON'T just put one down). They were upset when - surprise surprise - they were allocated a school miles way. Could only think of the poor kid who as a result had a hell of a journey cross the borough to primary!

HP

[landsberger]

> And sibling place is different.

People have realised with horror recently that the sibling rule is trounced by the religious rule in many schools.

> But I have heard several people on different

> occasions saying along the lines of "I'm only

> putting the one I want, then they'll have to give

> it to me". These people are idiots and deserve not

> to get what they arrogantly think they can bully

> their way in to.

If I had a pound for every time I heard this I'd be a rich person. See also "if I put 2 completely unrealistic choices 1 and 2, they HAVE to give me my third choice...

[Otta]

I would agree though that there is not enough info out there. I've also over the last few years seen lots of people upset because they basically choose the 5 best schools in their borough and put them down thinking they'd get in to one of them, and upset when they get in to none.

[landsberger]

Or they put down 2 academies and 4 church schools and then blame the Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaahncil (who control admissions to neither) when they don't get admitted.

[buggie]

Is interesting reading this alongside a thread on the FB page of where I'm from up in Suffolk. There 6 children haven't been able to get into the only primary school in the village leaving them with journeys of 3 miles + with an hourly bus into the local town.

Makes tales of 1.5 mile journeys & 2 (regular running) buses to get to school in a new light.

[Otta]

Buggie they may well be entitled to school transport. In London it's strictly a SEN thing, but in places like that they often run it for this type of situation.