Friday 15 January 2016

Primary School Deadline Day - The Start Of Our Journey

So here we are on the primary schools deadline day and I am going to be honest with you, I feel sick. Have I made the right choice? Have I done the application form online right? Come 12 'o' clock and it will be too late, whatever decision I have made is then in the hands of the council. A seriously scary thought.

The only problem is we are applying for a school out of our current catchment area. I say current as we are in the process of buying a house literally a stones throw from the school we would like Finley to go to. And the reason for the move is for the school. This school holds so much history and hope and I haven't even set foot in it! I just know. My husband and his whole family went there, we have friends children that go there and that will go there, and it is the heart of the little community that we are so longing to be apart of.


When we sold our house in August we thought we would have moved in, or at least exchanged, to the new house ready for today. The biggest day of this year in my eyes. One of the biggest days as a parent. The day when applications close on the process that will choose my child's future and that is what we are doing, choosing our child's path. And as a parent we want to get it right.



This picture has brought me to tears over the past few days. I love it so much. I look at it and see my precious son that I want to do the best for, who I want to give the best start in life to and what if I mess it up? What if I make the wrong decision, because it's up to me as he is too little to make these decisions for himself. I so want him to go to our first choice school, this is what we have worked towards with the house move and this is where we have been aiming for. This school will teach him and help him grow into the beautiful, caring boy that I know he will be as he already is at just 4 years old.

For most when submitting that application on January 15th 2016, they will know in their heart that their children will get the place that they want. And they know if they don't that they can fight it. For us this isn't the case. Yes we are in the process of buying the house but due to some unforeseen circumstances along the chain we were not able to complete in time. This means we don't know when we will be in, we would hope by April in case we have to appeal for a place. We have been told because we haven't exchanged Finley will be classed as an out of area child and our new address will not be considered. Even with all the evidence because the system in so black and white. Which I could argue is a good thing and more things in this world need to be black and white and have a proper system, but in our current situation this doesn't work for us.

This decision will decide the future for both boys, because where Finley goes, Noah will go. It would also mean enrolling Noah into a different preschool to the one he is due to start in September. This is because of traveling and not able to be in two places at once. And so that he would get to know they children he would be going to school with.

For today marks the day that my tears need to stop as there really is nothing I can do. We haven't exchanged and there are no loop holes we can jump through. We just need to keep our fingers crossed he will get the offer of a place in April, and if not hope we are in our new house so we can appeal.

This isn't the start I wanted in our primary school journey but it's our journey so we will make it great and make it work whatever happens.

Good luck to everyone that is applying for their child's school place this year.

A Cornish Mum
Binky Linky
Mudpie Fridays

39 comments:

  1. Oh Hun sending so much luck! So sorry the move has taken longer! Our house is for sale now and can imagine gets so stressful! I'm sure the right decision will be made and regardless you are a fab Mummy xx #binkylinky

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  2. I can imagine exactly how you are feeling as we have been in a similar position before. I know how important it is for your own peace of mind that your child is allocated a place in your school of first choice. I really hope you receive good news. If you don't, hopefully you will find that the allocated school will have other benefits that you discover along the way :) #PicknMix

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  3. Keeping ALL my fingers crossed for you. I've never been through it myself yet (although, I guess I will in four years' time!) but hearing so much about it on the radio this morning. You've done all you can. The rest it out of your hands. Whatever happens, things always turn out for the best. I truly believe that. Whilst I wholeheartedly agree that school can make a big impact on our children, I also believe that every school tries their hardest for their own students. And with you behind him, Finley will flourish wherever he is.

    Fingers crossed the house move completes soon!

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  4. So much stress! It's an insane system, the amount of guidance for what is a tiny form is bewildering. My wife felt the same as you, horribly sick at the thought of getting it wrong. The boundary maps are loopy too. Even though we are 5 minutes from the school just one street away is classed as a different catchment area.

    Wishing you all the luck with the move and application.

    #TheList

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  5. Gosh I thought the system was no longer black and white; we were recently considering moving back to the UK and when I rang our preferred school to see if we were in the right catchment area, they said that system no longer existed and you can send your kids where you want!
    I'm sorry you're in such anguish; our children have always gone to an International school and even the state school system is very fluid in terms of home address etc. Schooling is something that we get ourselves in bits over as I am currently doing as we may be moving our kids to a totally different system here and I'm nervous as hell. I'll just leave you with a comment a girlfriend (who's a teacher) made when I was pouring my heart about this issue over a glass of wine one night. When I admitted I'm in a state because "schooling is everything", she said "But it's not babe". School is one part of their life. The most crucial part is their home life and balance. I hope this offers some comfort, the school's history and ties aside. x

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  6. Good luck - I hope you get the school you want for Finley - and that your house move goes through quickly

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  7. Wishing you lots of luck for a place! x #binkylinky

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  8. Ugh, how stressful. I can't believe you're moving for the school and still can't get them to take that into consideration. Fingers crossed it works out in the end. Thanks for hosting #justanotherlinky x

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  9. You've clearly done absolutely everything you can to give your little man the very best start in life lovely. Whatever happens you will make it work, but I can imagine how stressful it must be having to wait to find out. (This will be us next year!) Keeping everything crossed for you xx
    #justanotherlinky

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  10. It's a massive decision hope it all works out thanks for hosting #justanotherlinky

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  11. Good luck & I'm sure I'd you are not successful you'll be able to appeal with your new much closer address. I was lucky & my school was not oversubscribed. #binkylinky #justanotherlinky lifeinthemumslane

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  12. Good luck! I hope your house move comes though quickly. I am sorry you are having so much stress.

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  13. Sending you lots of luck!! Hope he gets the first choice lovely. Such a big step isn't it x

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  14. We were in the same position this time last year - minus the being out of catchment bit. We were very lucky and got our first choice - the school my mum went to and all of her side of the family. What I would say is that though it was totally over subscribed, places did end up going to people on the waiting list as a few families moved out of the area unexpectedly due to work. And the sibling intake was low that year. So you never know! Good luck! #justanotherlinky

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  15. Wishing you the best of luck...I hope you get the school you want x

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  16. This is such a big decision and such a lot of pressure on parents to get it right. it sounds like a great school you have chosen, and you obviously have your heart set on it. I hope everything works out for you all :) Thanks for hosting #justanotherlinky (Totally off topic, but happy blog birthday, I forgot to say that on the other post!)
    Debbie

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  17. We are n the same boat - my eldest starts school is September eeeek! Now it's just the waiting game... #justanotherlinky

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  18. Oh my goodness dothey write and tell you these things or are you just supposed to know when you get mummy status?! #justanotherlinky

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  19. This is such a difficult time. Hope you get the result you want. Mine finished primary at the end of July, with my youngest now at Secondary School (an equally harrowing process) Primary school selection is a distant memory - but what I do remember is that although not everyone was happy with the allocation they got -the vast majority were happy once their kids started. #justanotherlinky

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  20. Being an active parent can be so stressful sometimes. If it's not worrying about their health, academics, and just all over well being then it's worrying about peers and teachers and how they will handle the ones that aren't going to be so nice, because we all know that not all their life is going to be perfect. So all we can do is try our best and know that we did our best and hope for the best outcome. Good luck to you and thank you for hostessing the fab #justanotherlinky.

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  21. God it is so stressful isn't it! I have a post similar to this sitting in my drafts I just can't bring myself to write it with everything else that is going on. Fingers crossed for us both, I really hope we get our first choice! Good luck lovely and hope the house sale ramps up a notch. Thanks for hosting! #justanotherlinky

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  22. Oh gosh what a worry for you! I really hope he gets his place!
    I went to apply for my daughters place last week and was told the closing date was 27th November?! I honestly can't remember if I applied or not, I must have done I tell myself but I can't quite pinpoint doing it! #justanotherlinky

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  23. We will be doing this next year - eek! If it's any consolation where I live in Kent no one seems to know where their children will end up unless they live on the doorstep of the school. It's a confusing & chaotic process. We live in an area I've seen described online as "no man's land" for school catchments & we moved here because we thought at 0.5 miles to two good schools we would be fine! I'm pretty relaxed about it, you can only do your best after all. We'll see! Good luck! Xx #justanotherlinky Nicole (The Brightness Of These Days) http://nicolekkennedy.wordpress.com

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  25. Gosh, it all sounds SO daunting and I really do hope 1) Finley gets his school place you really hope for or b) the council will understand that you will be eventually in the catchment area for that school. Good luck x

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  26. Great post thanks for linking to the Binkylinky

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  27. It's stressful isn't it! I applied on the very first day the forms were available online. Can't believe our girls will be full time in September. They're so little. Thanks for linking up to the #BinkyLinky

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  28. Sounds like a very stressful situation, selling your house is stressful enough anyway without the added pressure of this! My little boy will start school in 2017 (gulp) so I'll be applying this time next year, it really doesn't seem possible that they can grow so fast. Wishing you lots of luck with your application xx #justanotherlinky

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  29. Ahh bless you lovely! I really do hope he gets a place. When I applied for Hayden's place we had only lived in the area for a couple of months so I had no idea about other schools. I don't drive so I needed a school within walking distance and the school he is at is the closest to us. I only put that school on the list and was so worried he wouldn't get in. Would I be offered another school if he didn't get in? Luckily he got in, but I have done the same nerve wracking thing this year for Ellis. Fingers crossed for you lovely #justanotherlinky xx

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  30. Oh lovely I am sorry that the move has taken longer! I remember how long this process can be and I am wishing you lots of luck! #justanotherlinky

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  31. Wishing you all the best with your place, Ive applied for my son but now just the dreaded wait X #justanotherlinky

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  32. It's a nerve thing this school thing isn't it. All mine are luckily born after our dead line - so they get to wait a year extra. My daughter started reception last year at 4,5 and I felt that it was good her birthday is in Jan. She is very happy in school and after the first week she was waving me off at the door. The first week we walked them in to the class room and then said good bye. She does have days where she isn't her self at all when I pick her up, but she's generally very happy in school.
    Because my youngest's birthday is in Sept he also doesn't start reception this year and waits until next year, so he'll be almost 5 when he starts, just a few days off. I think that is very good for him because he is a very tender soul and a bit on the shy side, so he needs this extra time to grow. He does go 3 days at the child minder now as he is funded which he loves. :)

    #Justanotherlinky

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  33. Keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for you. Like they say live and let God, I bet everything works out perfectly. I can only imagine how stressful it is, we've still got a couple of years and I'm already considering a move with a slightly better school catchment. My hubby insists I'm being irrational... that's the sign of a mum though isn't it. Good luck for your gorgeous boy #justanotherlinky

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  34. This must be such a hard time for you - the not knowing for sure must be the worst part. I have everything crossed for you and wish you all the luck in the world as it seems your whole family has a history at this school. Good luck lovely! #Justanotherlinky

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  35. Oh bless you, I really hope he gets in to the school you want! It's been a lot of years since I had this stress but I can still remember the worry about making the right decision!

    Good luck and thanks for linking up to #PicknMix

    Stevie xx

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  36. oh not the best of starts but im sure things can only get better from this point. good look and I'm sure it will go really well. Angela #bloggerclubuk

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  37. Oh no, what a nightmare. We put in my boy's application as well, with the 2 schools nearest as first choice, but it's such a lottery. I feel like I can't breathe until we know which school he gets in April, which is like ages away! All I can say is fingers crossed, and my thinking is that whatever happens is destiny, there must be a reason. xx
    #bloggerclubuk

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  38. I have already commented on your lovely linky but find you the person before me on #bloggerclubUK! I don't want to break the rules so thought I would say hi :) xx

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  39. Oh no, this is so stressful hun! I can imagine your concern & it's valid. I hate situations where you have to just wait with your fingers crossed. I really hope he gets accepted at the school near your new home & I hope you get into your new home soon! Thanks so much for linking up with our first #BloggerClubUK, we really appreciate your support & hope you will be back again this week x

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