Please reject offers you will not take TODAY, if you can (by phone/email)

[NWgirls]

Can you please reject by email or phone the offers you will not take?

Many London independent secondary schools have acceptance deadline at noon on Weds 5 March. Tuesday the 4th will be crazy for registrars and parents. Yes, I know state offers are not until on 3 March, but you can at least reject the independent offers that are no longer relevant now - and please be quick on 3 March as well.

We all like to agonise, compare and post on MN about the various schools, and it is a great and flattering feeling to have multiple offers. But please help the kids on waiting lists! (And their parents who would rather not waste deposit money or have the uncertainty drag on). We had 2 offers and 2 interesting waiting list spaces for DD, and did our little bit by rejecting one offer yesterday.

Just do it - it will also make you feel better - it is today's good deed!

[Blacklisted]

Huh?

This means nothing at all to me despite having a child due to start secondary school this year. Is this because I don't live in London?

[Lulabellarama]

I think it's something to do with private schools. Means bugger all to me too.

[NWgirls]

Yes, probably London only, although I have not researched the distribution of deadlines across the country. Sorry for not including "London" in the subject line

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

I'm sure I hear about my state place tomorrow.

[FabBakerGirl]

I think it isn't one of the things on my "will make me feel better" list. When it is your child it is very had to make a quick decision just to try and help another when you really need to consider this is their life for the next few years.

Anyway, won't hear until Monday so

[FabBakerGirl]

How can you reject an Independent offer when you haven't heard if there is a state one?

[meditrina]

It might not make that much difference anyhow. The deadline is set for a reason, and the school will be working to that for any promotions from a waiting list (may require a further meeting, as waiting list candidates may week be a pool, not a ranked list, so a further internal meeting might be needed). And as many schools slightly over-offer as they expect some rejections, it's not uncommon to find no movement from waiting list at all.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Are you being snug instead of sMug as well, FabBa?

[Rooners]

I get what you are saying OP.

Sort of.

I think we find out on Monday though (not applying to any independant schools...)

Also we're appealing for a place somewhere so we can't really reject anything just yet - we need to keep the other options open in case the appeal fails.

(sorry - we are only appealing due to our primary being a heap of sh*t regarding SN and failing to recognise or help with this till year 6 despite my efforts)

[Rooners]

independent

[IHeartKingThistle]

Can I add a plea from the state sector? If you applied for state, got a place but end up deciding to go private, can you PLEASE inform the state school who will be holding your child's place? Teaching in a leafy area of London, EVERY year there are one or two children on my class list of new year 7s who never show up, and the class say 'Oh him? He went to private school'. Infuriating when there are waiting lists for state schools too.

[snice]

can I make a plea? If you move to a new part of the country and arrange a new school place for your child can you let the school know if you decide not to come?
Before I've labelled all their new books, changed all the class lists/group lists, rearranged the form seating plan, made labels for pegs etc etc then waited in reception on Monday morning to welcome them.
GRRR

[FabBakerGirl]

I'll snuggle with you CTR . Having a tough day so a sneaky hug would be lovely.

[NWgirls]

Fab, you asked earlier "How can you reject an Independent offer when you haven't heard if there is a state one?"

Many kids who did well at the tests will have received 4-6 offers from independent schools - it is very easy to apply to many London schools because the consortium groups share test results between schools. At the time of application, many of these schools will be seen as "back-ups" for the (often very oversubscribed) schools they really wanted.

So it is reasonable to hope that people in this fortunate situation could prune their selection of offers down a bit even before they know their state offer. So if they keep 1 or 2, they could decline 2-5 offers now.

[FabBakerGirl]

If someone has applied for do many schools then clearly none is an out right favourite if they need so many back ups.

[TryingToBePractical]

Not sure that is true Fab, I know my DD has a favourite for next year but we will apply to others becuase the favourite is hard to get into. It can also be quite hard to tell the level.

[Shooting4themoon]

FBG Not necessarily true. So many people apply for a relatively small number of places so you really do have to hedge your bets...
However I agree, we have declined our least favourite schools and have only kept our best definite place and live in the hope we get our reserve place on March 5th if that makes sense?

[irisha]

Good nudge! Just released KGS. Going to another co-ed. I know they over offer, but still - hopefully at some point waiting list will start moving!

[NWgirls]

Irisha: on behalf of the families waiting for KGS

[Shooting4themoon]

Irisha That's a massive and from me too!

[PottyLottie123]

Still waiting for 3rd March deadline and hoping for movement on the waiting list, but if parents haven't declined spaces by now, I doubt there's much hope in my area (not London, less choice.)

[PottyLottie123]

True. It actually affects everyone indirectly.

My DD has one waiting list offer in the independent sector, her preferred school, and is in limbo until we know any different. I will be accepting the state offer on Monday (presuming I get my catchment school, LOL) because it is a good school and her deliberate second choice and not taken lightly but also, if I don't, my DD has no school place whatsoever in September. If she gets offered a place at the independent school she's on the waiting list for, I will reject the state school place asap. All this could take months, as you rightly point out.

The upside is that if some parents in my area didn't go private there would be fewer places available at my local good state school for out of catchment parents who stand no chance of a place otherwise. I don't like hanging onto the other place in case it turns out I reject it, but if DD gets into her other school, eventually someone else out of catchment who wants my local state school and wouldn't have got a sniff gets in. The school is not over subscribed within its catchment area.