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.