I would love to know what part of lambeth you're in?

Just a thought...

Might be worth looking into schools (other than your number 1) before you buy a flat...Just to make sure you are really close enough to be number one and to give you a bit more choice....

Good Luck with it all.

x

Wow! That was quick!

good luck with it.....

Thanks, [b]Twice as Nice[/b] - I appreciate your considered reply. Things have changed somewhat quickly, drastically and for the better - my flat got a good offer on it, so now rental might not be needed, I can go straight to look to buy a place, nearer the school so the rental worry is hopefully gone...

:o

twiceasnice: What you write in your post is all very sensible. However, there is no need to make snide digs at me. I don't disagree with you - if the original poster moves closer, and is genuinely living at that new address, then the original poster can use that address.

However, the question is what Lambeth Council will require as evidence that the original poster is genuinely living at that new address. The devil, as always, is in the detail, e.g. in your post you say "stay there a while", but how long is that? That's why, before taking any drastic steps like signing a six month lease on a new property, the original poster should be having a conversation with Lambeth Council and working out what its school admissions office will/won't accept.

For the record, this is what Lambeth Council say about address:
[quote]What happens if I change my address after my child has been offered a place?
A legitimate change of address, after your child has been offered a place,
will not affect the offer of a place. You will be expected to provide evidence
of your address at the time you made your application as well as your new
address. If you are unable to provide satisfactory evidence that you were
living at the address included on the Common Application Form the offer
of a place may be withdrawn. Proof of address(es) will be required by the
council and/or the schools when your child is admitted. You must inform
Lambeth School Admissions Team of changes of address as this may affect
your application.[/quote]

In relation to the point that you said you were unsure of - whether the poster can go on waiting lists for places at multiple schools - I can confirm that for Lambeth Council and Wandsworth Councils at least, this is possible. I would strongly advise the original poster to go on the waiting list for any school that she would accept in preference to the one already assigned (even if such school is not her first choice).

Hi,

Hope some of this helps -

"We did not get 1st choice at primary intake. I live 50 metres from catchment boundary, and, for whatever reason, was mistakenly told some time ago to apply to this 1st choice school regardless. I bought my flat based on the fact it was in this catchment and now, finding it has either changed this year (i need to find this out) or I was always just outside it, means I would like to move, permanently, closer to the school, well within the catchment"

re catchment

Catchment area is a myth - any school's 'catchment' will change every year depending on the number of people who apply and according to the criteria. E.g. if (as most schools do) main criteria is sibling priority, then the places will go to siblings first no matter where they live. Then the remaining places typically go according to distance (depending on criteria specific to the school - e.g. faith schools have different criteria). If there are 20 places left after siblings have received their places, then those 20 places go to the people who've applied according to how close they live to the school. If all 20 live within a 50 metre radius then that is the 'catchment' for the school for that year.

re applying to your preferred school

I think you should always applied to your preferred school. Not sure exactly how this works, but you will stay on the waiting list for your preferred school even if you start at a different school - so you should always put this first. I'm not sure if, say you get your 6 place school, and you'd be happy with EITHER your first or second choice, and you think you have a better chance of getting into your second place school - I'm not sure if you can be on the waiting list for your second place school.

If you are 25th on the list, it might be worth starting at the school you've been offered and staying on the waiting list for your preferred school? Lots of people do this and I think kids (esp in London) are used to moving / new people joining schools so it's less of an issue than you might think it would be.

I'm pretty sure Papinian is wrong (shock horror!) if you move closer, and you are genuinely living there, then that's fine. You will have to stay there for a while at least otherwise it would be strange but I think you are genuinely renting out your flat and renting a new flat (and not moving back within 2 weeks) then that is fine (though probably frowned upon!)

What school have you been offered? Might be worth asking views on that school specifically - it's very difficult to assess a school in a 1 hour tour so worth asking for views....

Good luck! :)

We had similar issues last year, and all I can tell you is that my daughter started off at about 30th on the waiting list for the school she is currently at, and was offered a place 2 weeks into the school year. It's really, really nervewracking, and I wouldn't want to do it again for all the tea in China, but it [i]might[/i] be worth holding your nerve rather than put yourself through all the physical, emotional and financial upheaval of a move. Ultimately, we did move closer (we rent anyway and our contract was up), but we didn't do it until after our daughter had got her place. Moving is a huge hassle though (take it from someone who has moved 5 times in as many years!), so think really long and hard before doing it!
My suggestion would be to call the council weekly to check your waiting list position, and also call the school to see whether, in their experience, you are likely to be offered a place, based on your current waiting list position, before September (or within the first few weeks of September). It's worth bearing in mind that not all of those 25 people in front of you will accept the places when offered, so you might have quite a few big jumps up the waiting list between now and then.
Good luck!

I am sure that 25 on the list you ll get it without moving.
Risk of moving is: being caught by the council as what they are looking at the place where you lived in january. Otherwise it would be too easy to rent in may, and go back in your own house in June...
I am more than 25th on the list and won't take the risk.

Thanks for all your helpful words and advice - I am encouraged that moving, albeit it renting for a while before I buy, is going to be the best I can do - and I think that's the point I've realised matters most to me (genuinely with your help here): if I didn't do everything I could, I feel I would have let my son down - and if I still don't get my son a place Sep 13 or Sep 14, then I at least know I really did try - thanks for your words, [b]Esbek[/b]

Planning for the 2nd May bankholiday to do it ! Will change all the bills and council tax etc - good advice, thanks [b]broodje[/b]

[b]BalhamMumworkingFT[/b] - thanks for the advice re living on their doorstep - that's the current dilemma - I have found a reasonably priced place that is 350m away, however I am already worrying it is not close enough, so still keeping my options open a bit. I obviously also need to find a place we will be happy in if we don't get a place.. and my god the prices of the places less than 350m away are so expensive! Almost considering a 1 bed and sleeping on a sofa bed in the living room just to get close!!

[b]Broodje[/b] your positivity really helps re waiting and waiting, thank you - I am happy to wait until sep 14 at least, I am so glad to hear that others have eventually got a place... everything comes to those who... thank you!

[quote="BalhamMumWorkingFT"]I find it hard to believe that at number 25 on the list you are 50meters outside the catchment? Unless clearly stated for priority reasons (ie. Beatrix Potter) there is no catchment. It changes every year. [/quote] - do you mean that I should be higher up the list or lower down, here ?

Thanks [b]madunitedmummy[/b] and [b]Abbevillemummy[/b] - really appreciate your support, thank you - it is exactly why I posted, to get some opinions and to discuss my situation with like minded/other mummies - I sort of feel a bit of a burden if I try to talk to non-parent friends about these big issues, rather than just what funny thing my son did this week etc, so appreciate your posts, thanks xx

[b]Papinian[/b] - thanks for posting too - I chose the other schools based on Ofsted, location and the attainment the kids reached but the one we were offered was with very poor achievements, despite the teaching being good and is in an area known for social disorder... like I said, another mummy who lives in that school's catchment didn't even put it on her list, even as a no 6 choice. Your link to Lambeth is obviously local promotional material. There are some other good schools, but the ONLY other good ones, apart from our first choice, are faith schools. Now, I can, without losing too much sleep at night, move my home to get my son into a good school... but I cannot fake religious beliefs... 8-)

What a great first nappy valley experience - very grateful, thank you :D X

What is wron with her saying that she is a single mum?!

The way I read it was that she was a single mum who could not make head nor tail of the bloody awful school admission process and didn't have a partner to talk it through with/ share te burden with etc and so was reaching out to others on the forum for advice and support.

Isn't that what this website is for?

[b]Papinian[/b] - Thanks for your essay

madunitedmummy: I have no need for you to apologise on my behalf. My point was that it was unnecessary for the original poster to mention multiple times that she is a "single mother" when it makes no difference to what she is posting about. You seem to think it is fine for the original poster to mention it multiple times but somehow problematic for anyone else to comment on it. What's with that?

I asked the original poster some questions as to how she chose the six schools for the primary school application in the first place but she didn't answer those questions. I also asked where in Lambeth she could be that she is surrounded by poor schools (bar one). 84 per cent of Lambeth children attend a primary school that is rated either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ according to Ofsted.
http://lambethnews.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/lambeth-primary-schools-are-among-the-best-in-the-country-its-official/
I know enough about attainment at primary schools in Lambeth to know that there while there are some poor schools there are no area where all of the schools but one are poor.

Perhaps I forget that many posters on this website reject certain schools for the reason that too large a proportion of the children are from non-English backgrounds rather than because of school performance. Sorry, I know I'm supposed to say that it's about "pastoral care" being better. Of course the irony is that the attainment at the schools with more visible ethnic minorities is higher than at those schools that are more white English ghettos (e.g. Ravenstone vs Fircroft).

musicalmummy I would just like to apologise for that un-necessary "single mother" comment mentioned by papinian. You obviously are already highly stressed with the whole getting a school place for your child and I'm sure could do without that nonsense! Some good suggestions about your move have been posted so I do hope you will get your child into a good school very soon.

P.S. well done on continuing to be a good/loving mum to your child despite being left to do it alone since pregnancy :)

I find it hard to believe that at number 25 on the list you are 50meters outside the catchment? Unless clearly stated for priority reasons (ie. Beatrix Potter) there is no catchment. It changes every year.

Renting closer and re-applying should put you up the list. If questioned, you can rightly say, you are looking to move as close to the school you'd like your child to go to. I don't think there is ANYTHING wrong with that... many families that lost out would think of taking that option.

My only advice would be to move to the door step of the school so you are number 1-3 on the list. Ask the council how far the first person on the list lives and that will give you an idea of how close you have to be.

Good Luck. It is a VERY stressful situation to be in. I know it well. And in saying that, we were offered our first place the last day of reception.

Musicalmummy, You are not being selfish at all. It is not your fault that good schools in this area are oversubscribed and the others are substandard. The government and local authorities are failing to provide adequate services and investment in education and parents keep putting the blame on each other instead of directing their anger on the real culprits. I am surprised when homeowner parents complain about renters. Everyone buys (or if they don't have the money, rents) strategically within their means. I'm sorry I can't help you with your dilemma as I don't know how Lambeth deals with address changes. But whatever you choose to do, please don't feel bad or selfish. You refuse to let your child suffer because of the messy system in place and irresponsible government/LA policies. And it is your right and duty to do what's best for your child. Good luck.