Results!

[dani*]

I think that when Bexley say all applicants offered places that this refers only to first preferences. No doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

If you are 5 miles away you should be ok for Towney. Believe BGS went out 3.5 miles last year. I liked BGS too. Loved the HT. But in the end we decided to go for our local GS, it is nice for DD that she is able to walk to school.

[outofboroughmum]

Thanks Dani*. I don't know what to believe (and I stand corrected) but Greenwich made us to believe that there is no 1st choice or 2nd but to list the schools in order of our personal preference and we will be offered the 1st school on our CAF list that offered us a place.

We are actually 3.2 miles to BGS. It works out that it is the closest to us as it take 32 minutes by bus (from door to school gate). With Townley, we will need 1 bus and long treks to access the bus (a total of 41 minutes) while C&S is 44 mins 1 bus (door to school).

Being out of borough is the main headache we have.

[Muggle]

Thanks Dani*. I don't know what to believe (and I stand corrected) but Greenwich made us to believe that there is no 1st choice or 2nd but to list the schools in order of our personal preference and we will be offered the 1st school on our CAF list that offered us a place.

We are actually 3.2 miles to BGS. It works out that it is the closest to us as it take 32 minutes by bus (from door to school gate). With Townley, we will need 1 bus and long treks to access the bus (a total of 41 minutes) while C&S is 44 mins 1 bus (door to school).

Being out of borough is the main headache we have.

Hi outofborough mum,

All choices are equal, but you are listing your 1st PREFERENCE, 2nd preference etc. This way the council know all the schools that can offer you places and allocate your highest preference to you. I think it is a brilliant system, much better than the previous way.

I think you have an excellent chance of gaining a place at Townley and BGS based on distances in previous years.

[starmum2000]

Outofboroughmum, I think you will be fine for a GS place at one of Bexley's GS as you are reasonably close.
Your distances are much nearer than ours and we live in the Borough!
If BG is your first choice, make sure you put it first on your form, all schools will rank in order & it may be more than one school will be able to offer you a place so make sure the one you really want is the one you list first.
Good luck x

[outofboroughmum]

Thank you Muggle and starmum2000. I will take care to put the schools in order of our personal preference. What I do not understand is whether it is after they have done the allocation for the in-borough children before they turn to look at OOB DCs hence my anxiety?

[Muggle]

What I do not understand is whether it is after they have done the allocation for the in-borough children before they turn to look at OOB DCs hence my anxiety?

Don't worry, OOB's are treated exactly the same as Bexley residents. You have exactly the same chance as a Bexley child who lives the same distance from the school.

It is actually unlawful for a local authority to discriminate in favour of its own residents in allocating school places. A legal ruling in 1989, known as the 'Greenwich Judgement' (yes - Greenwich parents went to the Law Courts to gain legal access to Bexley schools and it became legally binding for the whole country!) , established the right of parents to apply to any school they want regardless of local authority boundaries and be treated on equal terms with the 'locals'. It has always been a very controversial motion and there have been many attempts to overturn it.

But OOBMum, please don't worry as it means you have just as much chance as anyone else.

[dani*]

OOB mum,

Form the distances you quoted here above I believe you will be fine. Even if you do not get BGS because the relatively close catchment area, I'm sure your DC will do well in any of the other GS. Now Celebrate please!

[outofboroughmum]

Thank you Muggle and dani*. I bare my mind on the forum but I do not let my DD know that I have any anxiety. I will put my mind at rest, at least for now because I know by February, all our BPs will start going up again in anticipation of 1st of March.

Thank you for your reassurances.

[greenwichdad]

OOBmum, we are in the same boat as you (but further away from Bexley and with a boy). Our friends' girl got into Townley last year, much further away from them than you, and the odds look really good this year. So don't worry.

We, on the other hand, look to be just outside all last years' distances for Bexley and the other boys' GSs. Fingers crossed for the Dartford test.

[outofboroughmum]

Thank you Greenwichdad. We are waiting to see what will happen on Monday but the DCs said 'it was kind of harder'. We never know?