Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Primary School Places in Haringey
A shortage in primary school places in Haringey is widely expected, and now we are beginning to get reports of children being given placements at some distance from where they live. In order that I might get a better idea of how bad the problem now is, I’d appreciate it If HOL subscribers could let me know about their experiences, either by commenting on this posting or by sending me private message if they prefer.
Thank you
Cllr Karen Alexander
Thank you
Cllr Karen Alexander
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Julie on
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Could I suggest that as a councillor you ask for a briefing from officers? They have the data and will be able to show you maps.
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Permalink Reply by David Barry on
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The information from Officers is clearly important but will have one very significant gap. They will not know what is going on in neighbouring Boroughs. I am a governor at an Islington Primary School (Ashmount) which is about 15 metres from the border with Haringey. We have had a number of recent contacts from Haringey parents who have not got an offer for any school in the Harringey Borough within, they feel, reasonable distance. (I do not know what the Officers' definition of reasonable distance would be, and whether it would agree with parents) These people have found out about our school because, being placeless they have checked on the Internet and have found that here we are, with a stonking good ofsted, and a lot closer to them than the Haringey school they have been offered. The only thing is that all we can do is put them on the waiting list as we are already oversubscribed. (although there is often a lot of movement before September which means that even a longish waiting list can clear.) So clearly in this area
there is a perceived shortage of places.
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Permalink Reply by Joanne on
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Do you know when Ashmount will be using its new site for admissions? I read somewhere that the new school is planned to open Sept 2011, is this still the case? I guess when this opens you may well see a surge is applications.
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In fact the current predicted date is April 2012. The interesting thing is that this year we have already had a surge in admissions, and I think this is partly due to press coverage of the fact that planning permission for the move had been granted (Not straight forward; the site is specially protected Metropolitan Open Land, so not just Islington planning but the Mayor of London, and the Secretary of State had to be convinced that the plans would not harm it) and the more recent announcement of the preferred contractor. However we have also had an improving trend, driven by an improvement in the reputation of the school. Last year we had some vacant places by the autumn, this year we are full, with an active waiting list. I am sure you are right that the move to the new building will produce a surge in Autumn 2012. We will have had all the publicity the move will attract just when people are filling in their application forms.
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I can now update this; Ashmount School will be closing on its current site before Christmas (The last day will be the 14 December 2012). Pupils then get some extra time off while the move to Crouch Hill happens, and the pupils start on the new site in January.
Admissions for this year (entry 2012) were done on the basis of the current site, but admissions for entry Autumn 2013 will be done from the new site.
(The latest report, as of last week, on the progress of the build make this timetable look very achievable. There would have to be an unexpected delay of over a month from the current schedule to cause a problem)
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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We have wandered so far off topic on here. Very sorry Karen.
Any idea of how bad the problem is? There was a baby boom that started in 2005 and I did wonder if councils were just hoping people would move to Wales or something.
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You also get "waves " of siblings. So sometimes a school can basically fill its reception class with siblings, who get preference, and have very few places for first time applicants. This can result in a very small radius of entry for a particular year, much smaller than usual. if this is a general pattern in an area then parents may find themselves suddenly too far away from their nearest school, and by definition even further away from the others. The Borough will then offer them a place at the nearest school in the Borough with vacant places. For a Crouch End parent this can be a school two buses and fifty minutes away, in the worst case.
The problem all councils have is finding sites for new schools. And not just finding a site, but finding it in the right place....
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Other comments from this conversation have been moved to another thread to allow this one to focus on its intended purpose.
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Permalink Reply by Matt on
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We applied to 4 Haringey schools near our home but were offered none of them, instead being offered a place at Seven Sisters primary school which is a serious distance from our home (and seeing as we also have a 2-y-o, completely impractical). Eventually we were offered a place at Stroud Green, which despite having places and being nearer our home, we were not automatically offered.
Happy ending, however - our daughter has been offered a place at Ashmount School just across the borough boundary - which we are absolutely delighted about!
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Obviously you found out about Ashmount early enough. (Also Islington Admissions timetable was a couple of weeks later than Haringey this year; I believe the dates will be synchronised next year. )
I have been associated with Ashmount for some years; both my children went there. This school always had good features, but under the current Head, there has been a pattern of consistent improvement - hence the ofsted - but actually it is a pleasure being a governor as there is always something interesting happening.
if you do a google search under "ashmount school Islington" you will find the school website.
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Thank you. Actually we just found out last week she got in off the waiting list. I think you might have been in contact with my wife about Ashmount through Mumsnet? When we visited, we knew instantly it was where we'd like our daughter to go - the atmosphere was just terrific, the Head is a marvel, there was something 'just right' about the place. And in two years it'll be moving even nearer to us.
I don't wish to do down Haringey schools - I went to some myself as a young man! - but the pressure on places is obviously a real issue at the moment. I suspect things will get worse over the next few years as budget cuts bite.
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