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Permalink Reply by Doyougetme on June 18, 2013 at 16:00

We had this issue in 2011 when attempting to get into any of the local schools. no offer from our six, and allocated Garfield whom nobody puts down as a first choice (which tells its own story as well all of the reviews, and feedback).

We went through the whole appeals process and it was very much a farce as the grounds for Reception wins are so narrow, and even then, the adjudicators ignore the evidence presented (we had an expert advising us).  The long and short of it is that we have had to use the independent sector, so although our child is thriving, it's through a distressed purchase.

The real kicker is that in 2012, Bowes (our nearest school in my borough) decided to put in a bulge class, making the catchment area large enough to include our area once more.

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Permalink Reply by Lucy Whitehead on June 18, 2013 at 22:27

What school is that TomJH? I think persistence with waiting lists is going to be the only way. On the plus side Garfield is getting a brand new building and a lot of scrutiny / new governors etc so changes are afoot. I try not to be too swayed by ofsted. But the main problem will always be distance. Thanks for your advice guys.

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Permalink Reply by Shona Rose on June 21, 2013 at 20:59

Hi Lucy.  I know that Bounds Green have announced in the school newsletter to parents that they will not be taking a bulge class, so this seems quite final. There is a rumour that they are planning to use their space to  offer pre-school provision for 2-year olds instead ...

Schools are not allowed to take a "bulge" class more than 2 years in succession, (as then it is considered a permanent expansion), so this may be why those who did so last year have decided against it.

You must be so close to the catchment areas though, so I would echo other advice and make sure you are on the waiting lists. Within the first term there is a lot of resettlement and spaces may become available. good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Richardson on June 21, 2013 at 21:03

Bowes added a Reception class last year- not sure about this year.

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on June 22, 2013 at 11:16

Hi Lucy

There is clearly an urgent need for more primary school places nearby - a problem which will only increase if the density of new housing proposed by Notting Hill Housing Trust is allowed to proceed without additional infrastructure.

Bowes School did take on a bulge class last year - they had to redevelop former basement storage space into teaching areas to fit it in. Bowes is a Victorian building on a site with little outdoor space - but they do an exceptional job, both on-site and at a couple of other teaching locations off-site. I am not surprised that they are not adding a further class to the already crowded site - they probably feel they have done their bit!

I'd agree about staying on the waiting list I was a governor at Tottenhall when my two were pupils there, Like all local schools the turnover of children moving in and out of the area was remarkably high at that time. This presents its own difficulties for the school - but does mean school places often come up. However its not a waiting "list" as such - each time a place becomes available all those waiting are judged against the published criteria for allocating a place - in effect it's likely to be the nearest applicant to the school who will get the place ... not the one who has waited longest.

You mention the appeals procedure whilst that is about identifying a place for an individual child I agree there is a need for a more collective approach to resolve the pressure on school places which looks set to increase with planned new housing.

Starting school is a stressful enough time without the added complications... Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on June 28, 2013 at 13:22

It's a terrible problem and getting worse. In the 2011 census Enfield came in with 312,500 residents (already up sharply over ten years before). I was just told that we've now crossed the 320,000 mark. 7,500 more people in two years! Divided by Enfield's 21 wards = average of 357 new residents in Bowes alone (of whom X% will be school age kids).

Not to mention recent headlines that across all London boroughs there is a need for >70,000 new primary places. = an average of more than 2,000 per borough, meaning that we're probably looking at the need for at least 100 places in and around Bowes and Bounds. At least.

The kids are here already. But where to put them?

As a Bowes Primary governor, don't I know that our School is totally chock-a-block! Plus there isn't much more we can do on top of the basement redevelopment that Richard talks about above. So no hope here.

The total rebuilding and expansion of Garfield should help a little bit - certainly there will be more entry forms - but given the huge population growth, I'm very worried whether it's enough. 

Especially since Walkers (and further north, David Burrowes' own St Paul's) have so far resisted the expansion that the rest of us are forced to do. Which isn't fair. Indeed, their NIMBYism probably has a spillover effect, increasing the numbers looking for places in the South of the Borough. First thing to do is get Walkers and St Pauls to do their fair share. Something I'm lobbying for at the Council.

Above and beyond that, in an ideal world I'd be very much against a through school at Broomfield - if only because it would eat up the playing fields, which is bad for kids' physical activities, something that is crucial for a healthy life. But we don't live in an ideal world. What do do?

Long-term we gotta find some way to stop the growth. It's totally totally unsustainable. In the mean time people are already here and we can't pretend they aren't. So again, what to do?

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