Reception Places 2013 Locked

[papinian]

specialk1215: I don't think this is aggressive or attacking anyone:

rutnor: I'm glad that you are impressed with the Mosaic Primary School website. Interesting that this is your first post on this website. Are you perhaps already a supporter of the school?

[specialk1215]

Wow! What a response! I'll be quiet now. And I'll go chat with my fictional housekeeper.

[lisalatte]

We live between the Commons and didn't get Belleville or Honeywell our obvious 1st and 2nd choices. Thank goodness for Mosaic which was our third choice. I'd been to some of their meetings and met the head and can only say I believe it's going to be an outstanding school! At the end of the day it boils down to there NOT being enough good schools available and does the trivial stuff matter when ultimately we all just want for the same thing - Our children to have a happy and solid education!
My only dilemma is the commute!

[papinian]

Papinian - you seem to know alot about this - how does one find out the info regarding school places offered and accepted in the borough? Do you just ring the council?

Medway: I spoke with Wandsworth Council this morning and they have told me that there are 8 places at Mosaic Jewish Primary School still to be filled. At first they told me that these are all faith places, not open places. However, when I queried this they did accept that wherever these places came from in the first place they are now open places and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis, e.g. if a non-Jewish child applies and gets a place they can't be displaced by a Jewish child applying subsequently.

It is disappointing that Mumptious, who is one of the board members of the Mosaic Jewish Primary School, didn't provide this information when you and I requested it. Either she was lying when she said

Unfortunately I don't personally have access to this information

and

Detailed admissions information is always confidential.

or she's clearly not doing her job very well.

It is also very disappointing that posters like Itchyfeet say things like

The lady is obviously just trying to post about a school and wouldn't expect to have all answers to hand.

and clearly don't read the previous posts properly and see that Mumptious is a board member of the school and not just a parent or disinterested bystander.

[madunitedmummy]

Papinian - I have to agree I too find you VERY hostile and aggressive. If your daughter is already in YR1 and attending a primary what is your interest in the Jewish free school anyway??????????????????

My suggestion to you is simple - make love to your husband

[papinian]

Papinian - I have to agree I too find you VERY hostile and aggressive. If your daughter is already in YR1 and attending a primary what is your interest in the Jewish free school anyway??????????????????

My suggestion to you is simple - make love to your husband

If you have nothing to contribute to this thread but abusing me I suggest that you get your kicks elsewhere. There are several of us in the area who were interested in Mosaic Jewish Primary School but are concerned over how non-Jewish children will be treated there.

For the record, my daughter hasn't started school yet (and won't start this September, but the following one). I have no idea why you are so convinced that I have a daughter in Year 1.

It's very sad to see how some posters really turn on people who try to challenge our local businesses and institutions to be open and transparent. It's as if they think that no business or institution should ever be questioned. I would be very sad if a parent sent their child to Mosaic Jewish Primary School without knowing what their child would be in for. As Medway said, I have posted on several other threads relating to education in the borough and because of my background and contacts have perhaps a little bit of knowledge and information that I can usefully share with others.

[madunitedmummy]

Sorry Papinan - I'm a bit confused. Please correct me if I'm wrong (as we all know you will) but isnt the Jewish free school starting with Reception age children? Why would you be interested in securing a place for your YR1 daughter if the school starts with Reception age children?

Please dont accuse me of abusing you. I just feel you could calm yourself down a bit more by choosing your words more carefully before you press submitt

[Annabel (admin)]

Hi Everyone
Thank you for all your posts on this subject.

Can I remind everyone to keep posts objective and focused on the important issues of children's education as opposed to straying off-topic.

I have had several complaints that this thread is not what is expected of NappyValleyNet and I don't want to have to step in and moderate unless I really have to.

Thanks everyone

A

[CHT]

This thread seems to have gone a bit Mumsnet...

But as a Wimbledon parent, I'd be interested to see proper responses to the unanswered questions re food, head coverings etc. And I agree that it's even more important for new establishments (such as free schools) where there is some existing degree of mistrust or suspicion on what they are really all about to be both transparent and honest and seen to be transparent and honest, and dodging simple questions doesn't help on that front.

[rutnor]

to CHT..if you go into the Website of Mosiac you will find all the relevant information regarding "head coverings",food etc.

[papinian]

to CHT..if you go into the Website of Mosiac you will find all the relevant information regarding "head coverings",food etc.

rutnor: If the questions asked by myself, Medway, CHT are answered on the website of the school then you could just have posted the information from the website or a link to the website.

For the record, this is what the website (http://www.mjps.org.uk/q-and-a/) says:

Will there be kosher food offered to the children?
Yes, the meals that the school will provide will be kosher with a vegetarian option, which will also satisfy the requirements of halal food for Muslim students.

This says nothing about what food pupils can bring into the school themselves, which was the question I asked.

Will boys wear kippot?
Boys will be expected to wear kippot (skull caps) during prayers and some children may choose to wear kippot throughout the day.

This says nothing about whether non-Jewish boys, who the law provides do not have to participate in prayers, have to wear a kippot while prayers occur. When I click on the link on the website to "Uniform" it says "Coming soon"!

On many other threads posters have expressed scepticism of posters who only post on one particular topic (e.g. relating to one particular business) and don't say what their own background is. This is the only thread that you have posted on rutnor.

In my original post on this thread, I asked now many how many offers of places have been made by Mosaic? All 30 places or a lesser amount?

One of the board of Mosaic, posting as Mumptious, said first that she did not have the information and then in a subsequent post that the information was confidential. Yet three minutes on the phone to Wandsworth Council was all it took for me to get the information - that only 22 of the 30 places have been offer (and possibly some of those may not be taken up as places free up in other schools).

I also asked a very serious question about how non-Jewish pupils could expect to be treated in the school given (1) statements - in the Jewish Chronicle - that 75% of Jewish parents did not want more than 10% non-Jewish pupils in a school and (2) given objections by members of the board of overseers of Wimbledon Synagogue to the school being housed in Wimbledon Synagogue. I know of parents who were interested in applying to the school but were concerned about this point and ended up sending their children elsewhere.

These parents were also put off by the fact that the open evening for prospective parents was not a public meeting like at say Rutherford House (the other new free school). Instead prospective parents had to provide details and be "invited" to the meeting. They didn't understand why this "screening" of parents attending the open evening was necessary.

The more you look into Mosaic Jewish Primary School the more concerns arise about the lack of transparency. For example, its website (http://www.mjps.org.uk) is registered to a company in Sydney Australia which deals in recruitment and has no obvious connection with the school.
See details here: http://www.nominet.org.uk/whois/lookup? ... jps.org.uk

[papinian]

Further to the posts above, I have been contacted privately by someone who was made aware of my earlier posts and has asked me to relay information in relation to the admission arrangements for Mosaic Jewish Primary School.

The School Admissions Code provides, at Paragraph 1.9e, that admission authorities, in formulating their admission arrangements, must not

give priority to children on the basis of any practical or financial support parents may give to the school or any associated organisation, including any religious authority;

The criteria to qualify for the faith-based places at Mosaic Jewish Primary School include:

a. Membership of a synagogue or other Jewish prayer group for at least 6 months in the 12 months before the application closing date.
b. Attendance by a parent / carer or child at a minimum of 4 synagogue or other organised Jewish prayer group services in the 12 months before the application closing date
c. A child’s enrolment in formal Jewish education, either at a nursery or pre-school run by or under the auspices of a synagogue or other denominational body, for at least 6 months in the 12 months before the application closing date.
d. A parent /carer’s regular (at least monthly) involvement as a volunteer in any Jewish communal, charitable or welfare activity of at least a year’s duration in the 2 years before the application closing date.
e. A parent /carer’s regular (at least 6 individual occurrences) involvement in any combination of the following in the year before the application closing date.
i. Private or family celebration of Shabbat or Jewish festivals.
ii. Organised Jewish learning (e g London Jewish Cultural Centre courses, Limmud sessions, Jewish Museum courses).
iii. Jewish youth movement activities.
iv. Organised Jewish community activities (eg Mitzvah Day, Jewish Community Centre events, Jewish Book Week events).

Last year, the Schools Adjudicator, who oversees compliance with the School Admissions Code, ruled that the following provision in the admissions criteria for the London Oratory RC school

“service in any Catholic Parish or in the wider Catholic Church by the candidate or a Catholic parent.”

was contrary to paragraph 1.9e. (Ruling: http://www.education.gov.uk/schoolsadju ... and2389los) (Article on ruling in Times Educational Supplement: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6311662)

The Schools Adjudicator ruling indicates that admissions criteria b and e (as regards ii, iii and iv) for Mosaic Jewish Primary School's are contrary to paragraph 1.9e of the School Admissions Code and unlawful.

Last year the Schools Adjudicator, in a ruling relating to another state Jewish primary school, Clore Shalom in Hertfordshire, ruled that neither membership of a synagogue nor attendance at a nursery are permissible criteria for admissions purposes are contrary to paragraph 1.9e. (Ruling: http://www.education.gov.uk/schoolsadju ... ada2263css) This is because membership of a synagogue involves payment of a financial subscription and attendance at a nursery involves payment of fees. Although not mentioned by the Schools Adjudicator I note that some parents prefer not to send their children to nursery at all and just start them in Reception.

In conclusion, of the five criteria for admission for faith places at Mosaic Jewish Primary School, the only ones that are permissible are b and e(i). All of the other criteria are unlawful.

I have been told that:

- The unlawful nature of the criteria was raised last year with members of the board of Mosaic and the reaction was similar to the reaction by one of the members of the board, posting above as Mumptious, to my earlier posts, i.e. refuse to address the point.

- An objection to the admission arrangements has or is being made to the Schools Adjudicator so that a ruling will be made confirming their unlawfulness. Such a ruling cannot be ignored by the board or the Department of Education will cease providing funding to the school.

[MumSW19]

Dear papinian

In fairness of the situation, after you have violated the right for Mumptious to remain anonymous, I think you should tell us all your full name, so we know a bit more about you.
And if anybody involved in this forum decides to proceed with legal actions against you for defamation then they know who you really are.

Actions usually get consequences and the right of speech freely stops when that involves acts of racism and bulling others.

Annabel (Admin) please stop this, it is embarrassing seeing all these emails and the tones and bitterness on them. That is NOT what nappyvalleynet is about and if you want to defend the ethos of the portal, please do something about this post.

Thanks very much

MUM SW19 (because it is my right to remain anonymous)

[SoConfused!]

I would have to agree that the tone of some of the posts above is unnecessarily aggressive.

Hving said that, I find this thread quite interesting. I had a quick look at the school website which states that the school is inclusive, welcoming children of all backgrounds on a non-selective basis. But having read the entry requirements listed above is this really the case? It would not be practicable for example for someone who is not Jewish to attend 4 synagogue or other Jewish prayer groups just to get my child a school place? Are these entry requirements similar to say the requirements for one of the Wandsworth Catholic School? I am all in favour of these Free schools if there is a need for a school in an area - but should they not be for everyone regardless of their faith ? I would point out that I am not British so perhaps I am missing something !

But I do hope the new school is a success and good luck !

[Medway]

I agree, this information is interesting and of absolute relevance to forums like this which discuss our Children's education, pros and cons of different schools and how our money is best spent to fund education. We have a right to know all the facts surrounding different schools - particularly the free schools being set up at the moment, because they are funded by the taxes that we pay.

However I do agree that some of these posts are fairly confrontational in tone.

SW19Mums - you call Papinian's posts racist, I am afraid I don't know what you mean here, I think you should give an example to back up your claim. Nor do I agree his posts are defamatory - although I am not a Lawyer so cannot say they are not from legal pov for certain