Hi there,
We’re currently looking to move from Kent to Bradley Stoke, but have a problem with primary school admissions.
Our eldest starts reception in September 2013, but it seems that most (if not all) of the primary schools are now full, so he may be sent to a school outside the immediate area.
Does anyone know where that might be, please? e.g. experience from previous years, or knowledge from this year?
Would it be better to delay our move until midway through the school year? (e.g. Jan 2014)
I appreciate there are no absolute answers, just looking for some advice.
Thanks,
Connor
Hi, my little girl is in reception and we live In Bradley Stoke, we moved here just after applications closed. You will probably get a a place at Little Stoke Primary. It’s not the ‘best’ In comparison to the schools here, but the school Is ok and my daughter seems to like it. We have been on the waiting list for a local school during this time, though we have been told we are now at the top of the list, we still haven’t got a place, so expect to wait about a year.
Hope that helps.
I wouldn’t delay your move over this. My daughter started school in Sept 2011; we have lived in South Bradley Stoke for years and Baileys Court is the nearest school. We (and others who live nearby) didn’t get a place at any of the Bradley Stoke schools and she started at St Michael’s in Stoke Gifford. We went on the waiting list for a more local school but by the time a place came up she’d settled in and we’re happy with the school. St Michael’s has a larger intake than other schools in the area so you may end up there too.
Getting kids into a primary school the parents choose in Bradley Stoke is a nightmare unless you live next door to the school; have another child that goes there, or are special needs.
We had to fight through the appeals process to get our eldest into Bailey’s Court. Unfortunately, as the kids are 7.5 years apart, we couldn’t later use the sibling rule to get our youngest into there as well, and eventually lost several appeals procedures to get her into any school in Bradley Stoke.
I’m not sure how good it is now, but we finally got our youngest into Elm Park in Winterbourne. At that time it was a very good school and we’ve not regretted the decision.
Thanks for the replies.
Our dream of walking down the road to the primary school seems ambitious to say the least!
We read about Little Stoke primary, so it’s good to hear that it’s not such a bad school. Its rated a 3 by ofsted.
A year in Little Stoke doesn’t sound too bad, then our youngest should sail in on the siblings rule.
We shall mull this over at the weekend.
Might be a case of renting ASAP in the area to get the application form in as soon as possible.
I think that Little Stoke Primary is just the opposite side of the Jubilee playing field so very easy walking distance from most of Bradley Stoke (5minutes from ‘big’ Tesco). On a plus side, BS is a fab place to raise a family, there’s more community here than you’d think… We moved here as a couple in 2000 for a maximum of 1 year (to get on housing ladder) and, 3 kids later, we’ve never even considered moving away. So welcome, and good luck 🙂
No help really as I have no kids, but further to CJ’s comment, Little Stoke Primary is the one on Stoke Lane. The one by the Jubilee Center is Stoke Lodge Primary School.
Hi, just had a thought regarding pressure on primary school places – is there the same pressure on other facilities/services eg have people had trouble getting doctors/dentists/places in kids sports teams or groups? thanks 🙂
Hi! I don’t think there is the same pressure on other services. The dr’s is still taking on patients although it can be difficult to get an appointment sometimes. A dentist recently opened and occasionally takes on new patients although there are other surgeries in the local area. Because BS is such a new community, there are many more families then older people which is why the schools are taking the brunt of it. There are quite a lot of groups etc running and I’ve not come across any problems. My eldest daughter is starting school in sept too!! Good luck with the move x
Why move from a lovely place like Kent to a place like bradly stoke