When can people find out about waiting lists/last distance offer?

[Rosebud05]

As the question says, on behalf of a friend. Admissions told her that they won't know about waiting lists for 3 weeks and can't tell her about last place offered on distance. They're hoping it's not too far as they've been comfortably in catchment every other year.

Should I suggest that she call the school directly? Might they know about what the cut off is this year and whether she has a chance?

TIA

[littlethings]

I was told the same thing - 20th April. Does anyone know if accepting the place offered in the mean time takes you off the waiting list?

[prh47bridge]

Accepting the place offered does not take you off the waiting list for other schools. You should, however, check that you are on it! It should be automatic but some LAs aren't as hot as they should be on this.

The school is unlikely to know where the cut off distance is. It is surprising that the LA don't know and appalling if they do know but won't tell. Chase them on that front.

Remember that your position no the waiting list is only a snapshot. Other children being added to the waiting list may go in front of your child.

[pinkypig]

Depends where u live. rBKC is after 26 apr.

[littlethings]

thanks prh. apparently we are on it automatically. also rosebud my friend whose DC got a place at the school we want to WL for had in her letter all the info about max distance + no. places allocated on distance vs. siblings. (Haringey council in London re Coleridge school) - so if you know anyone who got a place you could ask them since its possible that info might be set out in their offer letters?

[prh47bridge]

This information doesn't have to be in the letters sent to people who have got places. If it is that is a bonus and it is certainly worth a try. However, the letter offering you a place at an alternative school should set out the reason you failed to get a place at your preferred schools. That should include the distance you are after. Sadly many councils don't comply properly with this provision of the Admissions Code, so if the information isn't on the letter chase the council. If they put it on the offer letters to people who got places but not for those who didn't that is ridiculous - even more so if they now say they can't tell you.

[2cats2many]

Where I live, the advice is to accept the place you have been offered and contact the school you would like directly and asked to be placed on their waiting list.

I've contacted our preferred school today and they have advised me to call back after the 18 April (the deadline for accepting offers) as they will have clearer idea of what their situation is after this.

The last place offered list was sent out with the offer letters and it made grim reading...

[Rosebud05]

Thanks. She did get offered a school (not first choice but one of her others) and her letter did have the info you mentioned littlethings.

[kattyo]

I rang up the LEA and asked 1) where we stood on the waiting list for our first choice and 2) how close we were to the cut off point for the second choice (which is the the one we got into). They answered both questions, swiftly. The second question was answered not in terms of distance but in terms of what number we were in the places allocated. They said we remained automatically on the waiting list for the first choice until September, after which we would be removed unless we requested otherwise.

They also said, for those who are interested, that individual schools not LEAs would be organising deferrals for the january term, and that we should contact the schools directly (or they would be contacting us).