Talk

Hi touchlinedad, I really feel for you. We are also on the waiting list for our preferred school, but at the 4+ entry. DD has an offer from another, equally good pre-prep, which we are very happy with, but the one we are on the waitlist for would be more convenient for us.

From what I have been told, not every applicant gets put on the waiting list, as schools only waitlist children who meet their "minimum standard" following the assessments - so well done to your DS for getting to that stage.

Trying to find out where you are on the list is like trying to get blood from a stone. We have only been told that DD is "not top of the list, but not very far off". However, the school also admitted that they over-offer slightly, so even though some will receive and decline offers, they may never even get to the waiting list.

Good luck, and let us know if you manage to get that elusive place.

I absolutely don't expect to find out where we are on any waiting list but am dreading the thought of them having over-offered.

Good luck with your own wait.

Hi Touchlinedad. There definitely are parents out there who will be holding more than one offer while they decide. I have a friend whose son last year was offered CC and KCJS for 7+ and they went for KCJS in the end. Keep heart - some children do get in from the reserve lists. This whole 7+ business is a stressful time but we are all in it together!

Thanks Pdot - are you involved too ?

Yep. We applied to only KCJS for our DS for 7+ (as we just loved it when we looked round and felt that it was totally the right school for him) and had the letter yesterday offering him a place so we are obviously chuffed.
Have friends though who are in a similar position to you (different school to you) and so I totally get how frustrating it is.

Dear touchline I totally feel for you, we'll done to your ds for getting so far! The waiting is terrible and its horrible being in limbo but at least it's not Ab end to your journey and you still have hope. They definitely don't tell you where you are on the list( I asked last year) and it might help to let them know that it's your first choice and you'll definitely take it if you get it. Other than that I don't know anything that will help I'm afraid. Only that we're proof that it can all work out in the end. There really is just a mark in it between the definites and the waiting lists so at least you can take heart in knowing your ds is of CC standard and you can still try next year good luck!

Is anyone holding more than one place at 8+ entry for WUS / CC / KCS ? Just wondered what chances were on reserve lists this year. Very anxious as possibility may come up this week !!

The waiting is excruciating isn't it, and hard to manage DC expectations. We are on the reserve list for our first choice and the not knowing whether it will come to anything is really hard!

Also on the reserve for 8+ at CC, the only place we applied for. Haven't told DS anything as we don't want him to carry the strain of it. Does anyone know how big the list is? Or, indeed, is this the note sent to all the kids not offered places? Best of luck, Touchline.

Apparently the reserve lists are quite short. Definitely the letter is not sent to everyone. The waiting is so hard.

I know a couple of boys at least that hold CC offers plus 4 others (the mind boggles .... I was shattered just doing two schools) so I think there is definitely some good movement.

Good luck!

CaringMom and WesterlyDad -Just turned down Colet Court 8+ place and accepted Kings for my son. Hopefully you will have some goods news soon

Thanks all. Best of luck, Sassyjems.

Ditto - CaringMom and WesterlyDad. We won't know till Thursday which seems an eternity.

Does anyone know if the schools make their way down the reserve list as and when firm offers are declined? Or do they wait till Thursday and then call boys on the reserve list?

Bigbangbong, I'd like to know that too. Of course, if it's one at a time, no one who's waiting can post that on a public board. Can you send an internal message on this board? Or if someone from a previous year knows the answer, perhaps they can post.

If such offers aren't made, best of luck everyone for tomorrow.

Last year Colet Court actually went below their reserve list for 7+ and offered at least one place to a boy who'd initially had a plain "No thanks, but please try again next year". That was a bit later on, though (later in the spring term, I think). So hold your nerve...

KCJS definitely make their way down the reserve list as and when offers are declined - I know someone last year who had the "you're on the reserve list" letter and the "Ah, well, actually..." phone call on the same day. I don't know about CC.

Casey are you sure that was this year for Colet as my son got in at 7+ and some of his friends on the reserve didn't get in so i think it may be a rumour. We got in off the reserve list though so there is definitely hope!

It was 7+ entry this time last year (i.e. boys who are currently in Y3). I am not absolutely 100% stake-my-life-on-it positive that he was definitely not on the reserve list, I suppose -- when I was talking to his mother about their options after the initial results were out but before he got a place I definitely had the very strong impression that he'd just been turned down (she was talking about some specific stuff they'd said in the letter, and it would have been very odd not to have mentioned the "reserve list" bit at that point -- and we were discussing the merits of turning down the place he had been offered at School X in favour of trying again for 8+ at CC this year, so again if he had been on the reserve list at CC that would have been highly relevant to mention) but she didn't say in unequivocal words of one or two syllables "he is not on the reserve list".

Also it might have been later, in the summer term, that he was offered a place -- not sure of the exact timing. Perhaps by the time the place actually came open everyone left on the reserve list had made other arrangements? Otherwise it's very odd.

We were offered a place. And I know a couple of other places opened up as well. Best of luck to everyone. Thanks for all the help.

Congratulations Westerlydad!! It's an amazing place your ds will love it

Well done those that got in - CC only had a few not accepting at 7+ and 8+ and they do go through in a strict order - words fresh from the school. Sadly we're not one of them so it's back again next year for 8+.

Touchlinedad congratulations on your DS getting so far, commiserations on not getting a tiny bit further and good luck for next year. I don't know CC, but at WUS there are regularly boys who don't quite get in at 7+ but do at 8+. The suggestion is that it's down to boys especially maturing at different ages so that some who are not quite ready now will be in another year.

We've declined our WUS place so hope that makes someone very happy. Good luck to those waiting.