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Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

Preschool education

Is anyone else panicking about what school their child will get?

14 replies

mum2oliver · 04/12/2007 14:35

Im getting myself in a right old state and losing sleep.Please someone tell me that I shouldnt be.
My closest school is quite poor.It had a good ofsted but is in a bad area and it achieves low.Majority of children are on free school dinners.Lots of children start mid term and lots of children leave.The children that do well dont get enough work to move them further and most children are not at the standards expected.
I have not listed this school as a preference.I have listed the next 3closest schools but these are all well oversubribed.
Its taking over my thoughts and really stressing me out.I dont find out til April.How am I going to get thru til then?

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nametaken · 04/12/2007 19:17

don't know hon sorry but I'm in exactly the same boat as you.

I'm thinking of finding out who the top decision maker at my favored school is so that I can offer to sleep with him (or her LOL)

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mum2oliver · 04/12/2007 19:54

Ha ha ha.Good idea.Its poo isnt it.I NEED to know for my sanity.The person who makes the decisions at my fav school is a woman.

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FrayedKnot · 04/12/2007 20:03

I don;t know how it works where you live but in our area, the school does not make the decision. There is a list of criteria which they (the council, not the school) have to apply, and applications are ranked in that order. The schools just supply information about siblings because that is one of the criteria.

After the various things have been taken into account (siblings, children in LA care etc), the only thing left is proximity to the school.

So I suppose you have to hope that there are less children living nearer the school than you do, that have applied.

We were given information about how many applicants got their first / second choice etc last year - are there any figures like that available for your area?

It is an awful system though.

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havalina · 04/12/2007 20:07

I am but for different reasons, put the school with the best results/ofsted report as first choice. But this is not the school (nursery) dd currently goes to. I'm now panicking that the first choice school is too far away/bad for dd to move. The school that she is currently at has a decent ofsted report, although nowhere near as good results aaagh what to do.

I would really love to send her to the school just round the corner, but I've heard bad things about it, and it is really tiny (oh to be able to walk to school,damn buses).

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TotalChaos · 04/12/2007 20:15

Why not go and visit the closest school, or if that's not feasible chat to the headteacher, it may put your mind at rest. I've worried myself sick as well over primary schools for a different reason (DS has language problems, so trying to find one that is good for kids with special needs), it's not a nice feeling. Try and relax - no use wearing yourself to a frazzle over things that are out of your control.

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DJ72 · 05/12/2007 10:34

As soon as you get a place (or not) in March, put your child's name on the waiting list for your fav schools. You can do this at as many schools as you like. If you get in quick you should be near the top of the list and I don't think they take proximity to the school into account then. You might be lucky - normally schools have a couple of spare places, even the most popular ones, due to people moving out of the area.

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mum2oliver · 05/12/2007 13:26

DJ72 thanku so much for that.I live in hope.
Im not going to look round the "poor" school.Its not worth it.Its on a really bad estate and he will not go there no matter what!!!

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mum2oliver · 05/12/2007 13:28

Frayedknot.
Foundation schools are diff.They themselves decide who goes there.I think they have an outsider that goes in on the board.

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TotalChaos · 05/12/2007 20:46

well if you are going to refuse point blank to send him there, then I guess that's your problem solved in a way!

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GreatGlowingMerrily · 05/12/2007 21:03

We are currently living in the US for 2 years, which ends in August 2008. DS1 is due to start school in January 2009. We had thought that this was the perfect time to live abroad as it would not affect the DCs schooling. I have been on top of all of the applications/ dates, etc but as we do not currently reside in the UK (we still own our house and will return to it but are currently letting it out) we had to use our US address on the application. Our only "in" to any of our three chosen schools was the proximity of our UK house. Even better than that is the fact that as we do not currently reside in the UK we will not be given any school at all until we are back living there. I will be relying on waiting lists to get him in to a half-decent one as I'm sure whatever place they manage to find him upon our return will not be great .

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mum2oliver · 05/12/2007 21:14

Oh god thats even more poo for you then.Hope it works out ok.Its the not knowing.x

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GreatGlowingMerrily · 06/12/2007 04:22

Thanks! I suppose I do at least know that we won't get any school . I am not worrying about it again until we at least have a fixed return date in writing from DH's work as our top school, who I have been in contact with , said to let them know when we have one. If that gets us nowhere then it will all have to wait until we get back. I know it will be very stressful then but I have done all I can for now

Good luck m2o!

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needmorecoffee · 06/12/2007 08:50

I was on free school dinners you know and went on to get a PhD.
The thing that makes an education is your child and how supportive you are as parents, not really whether the other kids are poor.
And posh means nothing. I removed my son froma private school because despite excellent grades he wasn't happy, the other kids were snobby and mean and as a 'swot' he was still beaten up. And there were even more drugs available there than anywhere else. And this was primary!

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mum2oliver · 06/12/2007 09:42

Oh my god needmorecoffee really!?
Well done to u for phd.
I understand what you are saying and I really do know that how I am thinking is prob not the best way to think.I dont share this opinion with my children.
My ds is sensitive and needs gently encouragment and im concerned that if he goes to my nearest school this will not be done.My fav school is outstanding and I know one of the reception teachers really well.She also knows my ds and could inform his teacher (if he gets a place) of what he is like.It seems the best for him.