Recently I gathered all my strength, popped my emotional turmoil in my handbag and headed out the door to visit the school in which my little boy will hopefully be attending next September.
Now don’t get me wrong there are 2 schools in the village, but with both Ollie and I coming from schools that were standard format primary’s start at 4, finish at 11 we are really hoping that this will be the same for Joshua. The other school works as a primary then has a different site further across the village that is a junior school that they then move to. Having moved into the village part way through a year/term, Beth attended the junior school as it was the only place that had room for her and really disliked it
With Beth I missed so much of her younger years being a single working parent that my childminder got all those firsts, but since I work from home its been like we are in a bubble and so we have been really lucky to have had this time at home with the odd nursery day thrown in for good measure.
As Ollie was at work I took my Mum with me to the visit and after a wonderful time I was on the verge of tears.
That was the school I could see him in, learning, growing, making friends and for him to spend his formative school years.
The tears.. well they stemmed from the fact this is the most popular school in the area and with sibling applications and then church applications coming so closely behind and Ollie and I being so out of loop in that there really are parents that attend church 12 months prior to this year to enable their Cherub to attend the school of choice (that’s a whole new blog post) I fear that even with it being our catchment he wont get a place.
So this morning as the applications office open online in our area and I am sat typing our preferred school at number one I will be crossing my fingers and toes at my little man being able to start this journey in September somewhere we think he will thrive in not just a school that has space.
This morning will mark a turning point for us now, those first steps towards school have been made and now we wait for April to see where his school life will start.
Good luck to everyone who is in the same boat as us and who will be choosing the school paths for their little people this year.
What a wonderfully magical milestone … even if it makes me feel slightly sad.
I’ve never understood the idea behind a non-religious person going to church just to get their kid into school. Crazy old world we live in lovely. I didn’t realise you were going through a hard time either, I’ve been so out of the loop while I knuckle down with this book. Hope you’re feeling okay now? Good luck with your application. Hugs xxx
aww thanks lovely, there really are folk out there that go to church just for that .. and some that move just to be in a catchment area!
Keep writing … it will soon be done!
Wow such a huge moment!! Keeping everything crossed for you!
It’s kinda sad that people attend church for the year before just to get a place, the school should really see through that kinda thing!!!
aww thanks lovely, with all the lovely folks keeping it all crossed i am hoping it will help 🙂 … there really are folk that do it!
Awe, this is such a magic moment and a hugely emtional one too. We’re also going to applying for our youngest sons school place for next September really soon! Good luck, I hope Joshua get into your 1st choice school x
aww Jo its such a massive think! .. i do hope you have some lovely school near you!
Oh hun, I am going to be a mess when Baby gets to this stage. Lots of love and I hope everything goes well #MagicMoments x
aww thank you Aby!! i am filled with such mixed emotions! eek
There isn’t really a choice her. Catchment or nothing. Having to chose preschool at the moment and that is bad enough xx
awww i know that feeling i made that choice to keep Joshua at the private nursery till he starts school … phew
A very bittersweet moment and good luck! Having been through the appeals process for a school place for T, I’d say, if you feel that’s the best school for J (and you’ll instinctively know) then stick with it x
thank you so much Jeannette, i kind of felt it was going nuts as it would be easier just to accept that the other school would be it … i just cant see it ………thank you xxxx
It is such a worry trying to get your child into the perfect school for them – wishing you every luck with your application.
#MagicMoments
awww thanks lovely xx
I hope he gets into your first choice, we’re applying at the moment too! x
fingers crossed to you too Helen! .. its so hard isnt it!
Oh Jaime, I’ll be keeping everything crossed for you, such a big moment for you all, but a stressful one until you have that place xx Huge hugs lovely x
awww thanks Sara its been such a roller coaster while we have applied … now just hoping to keep it to the back of our minds now
Aw it’s scary thinking about schools I stay at home with my little boy and he goes nursery only 2 days.
Found this post from #MagicMoments
Sophie
Xx
awww thanks Sophie it so hard isnt it
Oh, I know how you feel, having been thought all of that this time last year. I so didn’t want to let go of her either, yet she’s now a half term into school and loving it all! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you x
aww thanks lovely i feel sick with it! .. its awful but yet so fab! … grrr x
Your little man and my little Beanie will be in the same school year! Fingers crossed you guys get that place. xxx
awww thats fab … and it would have been even better if they had been in the same schooL! x
Fingers crossed. Aww can’t believe he’s getting ready to go to school already – it’s gone so quick.
your so right! .. i have no idea where the time has gone!
We’re choosing ours too – your area opens really late for applications. N is 10th on the list at our school in terms of people in catchment with siblings ahead of us. They accept 15, so we’re hoping no-one moves into the area with children ahead of January. Shame that few of his friends from nursery will get in as they’re in town and there’s too many siblings outside catchment who’ll take places ahead of them.
Our is also a church school but that doesn’t even appear on the application requirement list/order. You fill in an extra form which asks if what religion you are, but it’s all just general facts, rather than anything that ties into the application requirements. So a bit odd really that we have to complete it.
I’m struggling with the 2nd/3rd choices, although we would seriously kick off if he doesn’t get a place given all his cousins live further and went through the school, as did the OH and his siblings. Our other nearby schools – 1 is ranked good but the head is bored and complacent, and the other 2 have temporary heads until September so there’s no way of knowing what the school will end up like.
Good luck
oh my goodness .. how fab that you know where you are on the list .. its going to drive me crazy till next april!
good luck to you guys too! … fingers crossed for no new ppl for you!
I’ve filled in my little boy’s application. It’s slightly different for me this time around as he will be going to the same school as his big sister, but I’m in total denial at the thought of him starting school! I really hope you get your first choice-I remember that feeling well from our first experience-totally out of the loop etc xx
awww honey its such a hard time isnt it .. im so not ready!
My Little Man started this September and has settled in well. We have many schools in our area but they are all full, when we moved here last year not one of them could take all three of mine. I didn’t want them going to different schools. Then we were told that one of the schools was opening another class for year twos and they were all enrolled. The closest school to me is also a religious school and we go to church….but the wrong religion :/
awww Anne what a nightmare! i had the same problem with Beth in that she ended up in the other school in the village that i really am not fond of .. it makes me more determined to not have JOshua there too!
Gosh isn’t it such a crazy process where even in the catchment you can’t guarantee a place at your preferred school. Best of luck, really hope he gets to go to the school you like! amazing how quickly this all comes round isn’t it? xx
thanks Caroline, i think as schools have got busier its gotten worse! … its come round way too quickly!
Good luck for April!!I really hope that you get a place in the school that you love!
thanks so much Helen xxx
Oh wow, good luck!
Boo is just starting nursery (two days a week) and that is bad enough for me, I don’t even want to think about my baby grown up and starting school!
It’s such a roller coaster of emotions isn’t it?!
aww Jenni i started the 2 days with Joshua this time last year! its so so hard!
Such a huge moment, and school applications terrify me. Fingers crossed you get the school you want xx
awww thank you lovely x
Its so stressful isn’t it! I’ll keep everything crossed for you.
awww thanks Afra, it really is so hard x
Oh fingers crossed for you. I hate hearing about all these school applications you have to do down south. It’s pretty easy to get in to the school you want to up here thankfully. What a stress! I really hope he gets in!
i think i need to move towards you! xxxxx
That is a big move! I hope your little man will get into the prefered school. It can make such a difference to the rest of his life. It’s scary to think of!
I haven’t even started thinking about it. I don’t want to. It’s so hard to find the right school and than very tricky to get in….
your so right finding the school that will be ‘the’ school really is hard!
Sending lots of luck for the application – it’s so hard isn’t it? It’s just administration and paperwork for the people processing the application, but the school is everything to you and it really is the child’s future! Thanks for a lovely post and lots of luck xx
awww Mackenzie your so right this is the start of his school journey!
I remember the day I applied for school for 7yo. It’s very mixed feelings isn’t it. Fingers crossed for April for you
thanks Angela, its more emotional than i thought it would be!
Hello there, we are in exactly the same boat-I really feel for you as it’s a stressful time! We have looked at four schools and have another two to go. I am just really worried he won’t get into any of them on the list-fingers crossed for you and I hope everything works out. x #magicmoments
awww big hugs its so hard! … wow 6 schools thats a choice and a half!