The Minefield That Is The Senior School Application Process

We have recently had to apply for Jamie's place at senior school and as in my title this is no less than a minefield.  The school where we want to send Jamie, the school which is our nearest school is over subscribed many times.  It is a good school, has good results and has excellent facilities, as well as being the natural school for Jamie to attend and the school where lots and lots of his friends will be going.  But and here is where it becomes difficult it is not straightforward that Jamie will get a place at that school.

Many factors come into play when they allocate places, some which are understandable and some which are not.  So we filled in the online form - made our 3 choices, you have to put 3 even if you only have 1 school which would be suitable.  The other two choices we made would have involved Jamie having to travel to school via car.

One of the main factors in placement is living within the catchment area, and our choice SBE was the only school in whose catchment area we lived, but only just - from looking at the map, we felt we were really on the cusp of the catchment so we were a little concerned with that.  Families who have children at the school have priority, as do children with disabilities (understandable) and children in care who live outside the catchment (didn't quite understand this one) and several other categories too.

You apply for the place in October, but do not find out until March so it is a long time to wonder about it!!  Everyone is supposed to find out on the same day 1st March and I was told that you find out via email (which I think may be what happened previously) so I spent the day checking in regularly and getting more agitated as the day wore on and the email didn't arrive.  When I went to collect Jamie I overheard that you could check out online so I checked when I came home.  What a relief it was to find that Jamie was going to the school that he and we wanted to go to.

After that it was then just to wait and hear if all of his friends had got into the school too, but I guessed that if Jamie was in they would be too, because of where everyone lives.  I gave my friend A a quick ring and told her you could find out online, she gave us a ring back a little while later to tell us that G had got in too.  Jamie and G have been friends ever since nursery school so it was a very happy household all round.  Overall it was just a great relief to know that Jamie's next school step is now settled.  We will just be waiting for all the paperwork, uniform requirements and his visits to the school.  It's also very scary that my little baby will very soon be heading to the 'big school', but I am so happy that he will be there along with all his friends.

Ciao

Sue
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Reading challenge 15/16 - currently reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is very often the bane of my life, and can often be found in piles on my desk and sometimes on the stairs waiting to go onto my desk.  But after a couple of false starts I can honestly say that the paperwork is UP TO DATE AND ALL DONE - yippee!!  The false starts were not helped by one of the office cupboards falling down twice - thankfully not hurting anyone in the process and only slightly damaging a candle holder on my desk and cracking the LED on the printer, and both times it fell down were when I had almost caught up again.

In a world where we are being urged to be as careful and thoughtful about how much paper we use, I am amazed at how much paperwork a family of 3 can generate and I'm not talking about junk mail here but the proper stuff.  I suppose a lot of it comes from Jamie via school and his other activities, although we now get his weekly school newsletter via email which is brilliant as I can add any dates straight into the family calendar.  So I guess I need to find ways to reduce the amount of paperwork which is coming into the house too.

So I am up to date with all of the paperwork and that is the way it is going to stay - next job is to go through the office folders, weed out and hopefully create a little more space.  A clear desk does hopefully enable me to concentrate on all of the things that I really want to do - well fingers crossed!!  In fact I'm ahead as I've also completed our census form too and that is ready and waiting to be posted!!

Ciao

Sue
XX

Reading challenge 13/16 - currently reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Jamie Plays Korfball for School

In early December Jamie was chosen to play in a Korfball tournament, in his school team.  He was totally delighted.  Korfball was a new one on us, but it is like a mixture of netball and basketball played by boys and girls and was fast paced and lots of fun.  Jamie's school came third in the tournament which was really good and Jamie played incredibly well, he has a talent for the game.  I was blown away to see him really getting stuck in and shouting for the ball, so well done!  And well done to the whole team for coming third, it was their first real set of matches so I think they all did really really well!!

It was also our first look at the new sports and leisure centre in Bletchley which was really impressive and nothing at all like the old dingy building it used to be!

Ciao

Sue
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Reading challenge 15/16 - was reading Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell (not off my reading challenge)

Jamie Goes To London For a Sleepover With Cubs

Towards the end of November, Jamie had a trip to London with the cubs, which turned out to be his final Cub trip (but more of that in a later blog!).  Jamie's London Transport trip, they had quite a schedule, food playing a big part as usual but Jamie came home totally exhausted.  The most exciting aspect was the sleepover which was on a boat moored near (in fact right outside) Canary Wharf, The Lord Amory, which made the whole event really exciting.  Jamie really enjoyed himself and as the Dr Who fan he is staying so close to the site of the Battle of Canary Wharf was a real thrill!! 

Ciao

Sue
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Reading challenge 15/16 - was reading Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell (not off my reading challenge)

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 - A Review

Beware spoilers!  (Although I suspect everyone has seen this film by now!!)

Of course we were looking forward to seeing this film as it seemed such a long time since the last film.  Jamie and I were reading the books together and have got up to Azkheban and I think Goblet of Fire will make it onto my next reading list.  We really enjoyed the film - possibly the best so far for me.  Jamie was slightly disconcerted if not outraged and embarassed but more of that later - but other than that he loved the film too.

The story exists entirely outside of Hogwarts and with Voldemort much more in the ascendency.  We have moved into a very dark and bleak part of their stories now and as Harry, Ron and Hermione are all grown up and searching for the Horcruxes to finally destroy Voldemort, a real darkness and menace has been allowed to creep into the tale.  Whilst not being at Hogwarts has all of the main characters the viciously evil Bellatrix LeStrange, Malfoy Snr and Jnr, Snape, the Weasley family, Luna etc etc.

The story is bleak and has the 3 main characters out alone and searching for answers and trying to survive.  There are all of the usual upsets, perhaps even worse now as the characters themselves are older and therefore have all of the 'teenage angst and growing up matters' to think about and deal with too as well as the necklace which is having psychological effects on them when the each take their turn in wearing it.  We also loose some more characters here although I won't say which ones, and characters who have been mentioned in passing make appearances. 

The action is set in the Ministry of Magic, in woods and snowy mountains as well as in Godrics Hollow where Harry and Hermione go to find the Sword of Gryffindor.  This was interesting to see as we had been to the place where those scenes were filmed earlier last year so it was intriguing to see how they appeared on the screen.  Photos from our trip there can be found here and below is the Guildhall in all its glory, couldn't find a photo of the scene but it's easy to spot in the film once you've seen the building.

Jamie was appalled with me as during the film Dobby appears and I said (rather too loudly for the cinema) "Oh look it's Dobby", one very embarassed Jamie urged me to shush!!  Overall a brilliant film and we are eagerly awaiting part 2, although it will mean saying goodbye to Harry and friends on screen, I'm rather glad I still have some of the books still to read.

Ciao
Sue
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Reading challenge 15/16 - I was reading Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell (not off my reading challenge)

Woeful Blogger!

I have been so distracted from blogging for the past month or so that I haven't posted a thing, so I now have a lot of catching up to do which I hope to do over the rest of this month.  It has been a busy old time, as it always seems to be - but I really need to get my blogging act together.

Ciao
Sue XX

Reading challenge 15/16 - currently reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer  (not off my reading challenge)