when do Indie Secondary School applicants have to confirm places in general?

[smellylittleorange]

Just wondering as I understand there is a time period when applicants\parents have to confirm places via payment of fees installment ( hoping desperately this may affect local school waiting list movement)

[LadySybilLikesSloeGin]

It's often before the state secondaries send out offers, so before March I think

[smellylittleorange]

Thanks ladysybil.

[Waitingandhoping2015]

No it's usually just after the state secondarys come out. Seems a long time ago now but I think the secondary notification was 2nd March and we had to accept the Indie offer by noon on 5th March.

[LadySybilLikesSloeGin]

Not here. Their deadline was a few days before the state school places went out. Pissed a lot of parents from ds's prep off as they would accept the place and pay the deposit, only to find out their DC had a place at their desired state secondary. It ment they lost the deposits if they decided they no longer wanted the private school place.

[AnotherNewt]

Day schools at 11+?

Offers typically early/mid Feb with deadline early/mid March (with deposit, can be up to £2K as priced to deter holding more than one place) followed by their waiting list shuffle. Contracts that require full terms notice of fees in lieu will kick in at the start of the summer term.

Some people might relinquish a private place lateish if they get their top choice state school (and see loss of deposit/one term as annoying, but cheaper than 5 years of fees). State offers were early March, so I expect most WL movement arising from that will have happened by now.

[morethanpotatoprints]

We responded to accept place mid february, it was a specialist school though that is still accepting applications, so you can hear any time of year for the following September.
I think they vary considerably tbh.

[roisin]

There is a national agremment that independent schools are not supposed to require confirmation of places/unreturnable deposits before the national offer day (1 March). That is for yr7 entry/secondary transfer at least.

[LadySybilLikesSloeGin]

There's a few independents here that don't stick to that, roisin.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Roisin GSA sticks to this boys schools seem to do exactly what they please.

[ButterflyUpSoHigh]

It was mid February here last year. Some will accept a state place too just because they can. A school near me had 4 not turn up in September and eventually found out the children had gone private. There should be a better system where you can only hold one place private or state.

[Needmoresleep]

You will get a bit more movement before the start of the summer term, which is the point at which parents will become liable for a full terms fees on top of the deposit.

One friend a few year was offered a place an hour after the start of term, so someone else really did leave it to the last minute. She took the place and her daughter has really thrived at the school, but that hour meant losing deposit/terms fees at the school they had accepted (ouch!). That place was presumably then offered to someone else and presumably the cascade continued. Similarly, in London at least, odd places will come up as ex pats leave, people are offered sought after state places etc, and each time this may free up wait list places at more than one school.

If you want a place at a private school you should make sure the registrar knows you are still very interested and would accept if offered. There is probably not much different between the various wait list candidates, so a place might well go to the person who they think will accept. If this is the case and you can deal with the uncertainty there should be a reasonable chance something will come up.

[LIZS]

Beginning of March here but they can hold out for a different state/ independent place until beginning of Summer term without risking paying a term's fees in lieu of notice. For 13+ / CE entry timescales may differ as places may be dependent on scholarship or June exam results.

[Disneyfan1995]

We had to accept /decline independent school by noon on 4th March.

[smellylittleorange]

Ahh yes thanks that must be what I am thinking of ...the liability for fees issue...fingers crossed it will impact waiting lists in my area !

[Needmoresleep]

I should add that if offered a wait list place you will be offered a bit of time to think. Two weeks in our experience. So movement won't happen just at the start of term as the trickle effect takes a while to work through. Its not just the money. Its quite a tough decision to switch back to the school you had really wanted when you have accepted your DC will be going somewhere else. One dad resorted to trying out both school journeys, including following the school bus.

From observation schools can end up with some unawarded exhibitions/scholarships, because they used them to try to tempt exceptional candidates, the type who probably had several offers. They may also have the additional terms fees from the person who gave notice. If you are being offered a very late place it might be worth asking if the school can give you a bit of financial help. The school really wont want to have you mull over the offer for two weeks and then have to start again, especially towards the end of the summer term and into the summer holidays.

Registrars have the difficult job of getting the numbers right. If they think they may have a place they need to fill, they will want you to remain interested. And in contrast if there is very little chance they wont want to feed your hopes. I would be tempted to carefully draft a reasonably consise email explaining that you are still very interested and why, as a parent, you think this is the right school for your child. (Try to cover things that wont have been picked up as part of the selection process, eg ease of journey, settle quickly as lots of friends are going, know the school because been on holiday camps there and fell in love, extra curricular etc the message being that your DC will settle quickly and engage fully and constructively in school life ) Say you recognise that there may be some movement before the start of term, explain your current position, and ask if they could call to let you know the chances of movement. You need to manage your DCs hopes.

IME, and we are now at the end of the school years, most Registrars are very helpful and impressively organised (bar the notoriously snooty lady at one West London Girls School). Selection at any age is pretty imprecise, and if your child is on the wait list they are almost certainly good enough, in the same way that if they had been offered a place straight off they are almost certainly good enough. (Schools we know have dropped a small number of kids at 13 or 16 because they are either struggling or not working, whilst plenty of wait list kids go on to become academic stars.) Be honest, and communicate, and good luck.

Looking back my two DC have had a reassessment (aged 3, the poor boy was so overwhelmed first time he refused to speak - his nursery sucessfully argued that this was an "intelligent" response and he was allowed to spend a couple of days in the classroom instead), an 11+ place at a very aspirational school, and a place via wait list. Each was pretty stressful, but they subsequently thrived in each of these schools. Just one round of UCAS left for me to offer support, though hopefully the AS exams DD is currently studying for will go so well that applications will go smoothly) and then I can completely disengage.

[smellylittleorange]

Thanks all we are waiting list place for a non selective state school. We have lots of v good independents in the area a wide choice but DD is such an all rounder that we took the decision a comprehensive state education with lots of extended learning activities was best . Last week DD wanted to be a Dancer - this week a Maths Wizz, always has been avid about History and for whatever reason really into Languages and therefore insists she wants to study Latin - luckily her allocated state school and the one she is on waiting list for both offer it .

I find it really interesting to hear how the independent school system works though as I work in Education and have often considered a sideways move so thanks all.

Latest news is DD has moved within the week to 11 place . Happen to know that there are 3 local children nearer to the school than her who intend to take places if offered . But fingers crossed all moving well.