Mumsnet Talk

can anyone advice me on how fast putney high waiting lists move. My DD is on the waiting list. Our first choice and disappointed we didnt get an offer. what shall we do.school policy is not to disclose where DD is and how long the waiting list is.

I'm afraid I have no first hand knowledge but my dd is at Putney High (and loves it) I'll try and ask around.

I think that it is just a waiting game. With all schools, it is difficult for them to make the right number of offers so it is just a matter of waiting to see. I wouldn't give up hope - a daughter of a friend of mine finally got a place from the waiting list at Putney for 4+ in June before starting in September, but it is worth coming up with a solid Plan B which you are happy with in case the waiting list doesn't move very much.

A few places will probably come up at the beginning of April when the state school places come out as some people will have PHS as an 'insurance offer' if they don't get their state choice.
DD was on the waiting list last year- she didn't get a place, neither did about 4 other people I know of on the list but I do know of 2 who did.
I think Putney High only give the exact number of places that they have initially.

What entry point is she: 4, 7 or 11?

Ah- just seen that this is in secondary education- you can ignore my post about state primaries!

Hi there. Forgot to mention 11+

Hi there. Forgot to mention 11+

At dd's school, there are five girls holding offers for PHS at 11+. It is the first choice for two of them, but the others have a different first preference. So, assuming that they get their first choice, there should be some movement there.

Do you think that you should consider quite carefully the fact that PHS selects on ability alone and if your daughter didn't get in on the first round she may struggle there. Is she the sort of child who would be happy to bump along in bottom set? Might she be happier at her second choice from a self esteem point of view. What are your other options?

Although Marriedinwhite may have a point, I think in reality lots of girls going into Putney High as wait list girls as a slice of the most academic are likely to have SPGS, G&L LEH etc as their first choice- although not all of course! This year the numbers are so ridiculous that the standard to get in may be very high so being on the waitlist may not mean that a child won't cope. Schools are terrified of over offering- this happened to Surbiton High a few years back and they had to put on another class. If you can find out in which quartile your daughter falls in the waitlist that can help no end.

Hi there, we also are holding offers at PHS and WHS and are still waiting for some coed school results: KGS, Alleyns and Latymer upper next week. I am now thinking we have applied to too many... In the meantime am trying to weigh up the differences pros and cons between WHS and PHS. Can anyone help??? I know so little about both schools.

Tiredofexams why did you apply to schools you know so little about? That seems a little strange to me... Maybe you wanted to come on here for a stealth boast. This is a thread about wait list places. Why don't you post again separately with specific questions or you will get lots of " my DD loves it" which tells you nothing. Better still go and visit all the schools you get offers from and then decide..... Suspect the schools may be a bit surprised though! Good Luck.

Moan, I have one at each of WHS and PHS.

Obviously, it all depends on so many factors and only you really know what would suit your DD and your family best, but I'll give you my opinion anyway!

Until a couple of years ago, I'd have gone with PHS as the pastoral care at WHS was dire. However, since the change of headteacher, I'd go WHS without hesitation. The ethos of the school and the attitude of the girls has changed dramatically. Academically, there's very little between the two, but for me WHS now wins hands down. The head knows them all by name, has a very good idea of who needs praise and who needs a kick up the @rse. She spends time in the classroom with the girls every week and they adore her. As a family, we've had various issues over the last few years which have affected our DDs. We've always kept the headteacher up to date. PHS rarely reply to my concerns, whereas WHS have not only replied but have gone out of their way to help.

My DD at PHS wants to move to WHS after her GCSEs next year, as do a couple of her friends. To be fair, she didn't get into WHS at 11+ (well, she was on the waiting list but we were too impatient to wait and thought they might be better in different schools anyway) and once her hormones kick in properly, she might prefer co-ed for 6th form anyway!

Good luck - it isn't an easy choice but you're lucky to have a choice at all.

Oh yes, and as Milkshake suggests, try asking specific questions as we all have different criteria and what suits one family/child may well not suit another. There's no right or wrong, when choosing a school.

Sorry,milkshake3 not a stealth boast and I'm not very familiar with these sites just thought there seemed to be people who knew about the schools I am looking at. of course I have visited them all but my older child is a boy soon haven't been looking at girls schools before. our school provided zero help with suggesting where my daughter may flourish or even how she might do in exams hence a very broad range of schools and a lot of them. As far as I knew we could have ended up on 6 waiting lists or no one at all. the whole thing seems a total lottery.
open days only seem to show a superficial side of things, parents' experience counts for a great deal which is why I am here! Thanks for your input TRotSA.

The head knows them all by name at TRotSA. As a PHS mum I know exactly why you picked that quality out as a defining factor for WHS....

Tiredofexams - I think the wait list at PHS is resolved once the Godolphin and Latymer and SPGS places are offered. Not sure when that is this year...

might quietly mention that we withdrew from PHS because they were so unhelpful at the admissions stage three years ago and I couldn't have faced dealing with such an unhelpful office for the next seven years.

Moan, we are also on the waitlist. It will def move after next Fridays results. I tried to find out where our daughter was on the waitlist and they wouldn't tell us. you may have more luck. Also I don't agree that our daughters would struggle there, this is my second time doing this process and I have known a lot of girls get into even G & L on the waitlist and do really well. It does seem that this year the numbers applying have gone up.

Good luck to your daughter!