Perhaps, but is it not the case that anyone writing about this subject here such as myself who is about to start applying for primary school places for my child, would have a particular interest in the capacity of primary schools in se23 only?

PS If I considered it appropriate to do so, I would mention the specific local schools in question, however I don't think its right to discuss them in such detail!

Admin
Thanks for the response but I said it was a wider problem to aid understanding of the issue.

It is the local 'impact' of this wider problem and specifically how it affects residents living in SE23 that I think the thread is trying to understand.

Any chance of moving it back?

Hmm I was wondering how long it would take before the 'our children are paying your pension' argument reared its ugly head. That is what taxation is for and I have no objection to my current taxes paying towards the whole spectrum of needs from school to old age, as taxation supported me through school. I do object it being used as a stick to beat others with, especially those who've probably paid into the system their whole working lives.

I have made my own pension provisions as far as possible, thank you - and at this rate my generation will be working 'til we're 80 anyway, so don't get too carried away Roz.

I guess the "bulge" school that Roz is referring to might be Fairlawn, which had "protakabin" (but very posh looking ones) classrooms craned in - incidentally closing Honor Oak Road on the same day the South Circ was first closed for the sewer repairs - what jolly japes we had misdirecting all those poor lost souls all round south London ....

This is particularly relevant to the huge planning application that was pending for the Tyson Road / Christian Fellowship Centre area - how many additional children would that put right on Fairlawn's doorstep? And how many kids who live really quite close by would be denied a place?

I started this thread - incidentally called primary school places in se23- to try and find out what were peoples actual experiences of getting young children into school.

There were some sensible responses then someone decides to throw in suggestions of too many immigrants causing the problem - you know, the usual, right wing, uninformed and unintelligent claptrap. I reminded the gentleman in question that there was actually too few young people to support the pensions of the babyboomers and those currently in their 40s, and in fact, too few to do this as well as creating an adequate pension pot of their own.

Now of course I stand accused of beating Brian with his own stick by pointing out some demographic facts.

Brian as usual brings any alleged misfortune on this website upon himself with his bigotry and essentially illogical and unevidenced arguments then gets everyone bleating sympathy on his behalf.

It would be nice to return to the main point of this thread but its been somewhat soured by the attitudes of some. So, forget it, I'll continue the discussion elsewhere.

Dear Roz
I will not stoop to your level of personal abuse.

Demographic facts. No demographic opinions.

Have a lovely day

Roz didn't mean to sour your thread and I think I was probably having a bad day yesterday. Pensions or lack of is a bit of an issue at the moment, but it was an overreaction on my part.
Seeformiles.

See for miles

Understand your concern about pensions. I assume you work for the private sector.

Hello - my first post on the forum ...

We live on the borders of SE22 and SE23. In answer to the OP and, as a (wo)man on the ground I can tell you that we didn't get into any of our prefered schools. We were offered one on the other side of Peckham.

We live around 600 metres from Fairlawn, 1000 metres from Horniman and 450 metres from Goodrich.

We were put on the waiting list for all three schools. Within three weeks we had an offer at the Horniman which we accepted. Two weeks later we had an offer from Goodrich which we turned down as we'd then decided that we prefered the Horniman. We never got an offer from Fairlawn although we are still apparantly about 8th on the waiting list.

I hope that gives you a clearer picture of the reality of the schools application situation. It was a very stressful time, particularly because we stupidly assumed that only being 450 metres away from Goodrich we would get in straight away. However I am now absolutely delighted with the Horniman so it's all turned out well in the end.

Welcom tea&crumpets

Glad it worked out well for you, some things do happen for a reason

My recent experience (I live on the other side of the tracks, near Stanstead and Woolstone Road) has been that I had no problem getting into my first choice school (Kilmorie), but then I am only a couple of roads away.

Most of my friends around here got into their first choices (Stillness or Dalmain).

Fairlawn I know is pretty difficult to get into though as it has a reputation for being a good school so has a high application rate.

Some schools can have pretty small catchment areas if they have high density housing nearby (eg Perrymount).

Of the parents I know who didn't get into their first choice, it was usually because they had chosen a school where they were out of the catchment area, and then they were usually offered a school further down their list of preferences but which they were geographically closer to.

I looked round quite a few of the primary schools and I thought they were all of a good standard. I was very pleased to get my first choice, but would have been OK with any of them.

Everyone who has to apply for school gets sent a booklet 'Starting school in Lewisham' with details of all the schools in the area, and this has a table inside listing how many children each school admits, how many applicants they had in the previous year, home to school distance etc. this gives you a fair idea of your chance of getting into your chosen schools!

However Roz I am sorry I don't know whether the Council are anticipating a big rise in numbers of children - I know that some schools have been agreed to increase admission numbers but I have no idea whether this is keeping pace with demand.