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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

LEH 7+ waiting list - does anybody know if that ever produces a place?

40 replies

pinkladies · 03/02/2014 09:20

My DD is on the waiting list at LEH juniors. I am new to this whole process and wondered if this was a good thing or whether I shouldn't raise my hopes. Does anybody have any insight into how successful this is, or even how long they make the list as they are not advising where we are on the list.

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saganoren · 03/02/2014 09:30

I know a child who got in that way, iirc she heard about a month after the assessment, so good luck.

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Ealing12 · 03/02/2014 13:38

Good luck, great that she is on the waiting list. We got feedback last week, DD was brilliant in Maths but did not show her full potential/ability in English (which is she strong at - at her school). It is really disheartening but it is all down to the day and how you perform. DD is at a top Independent and we are told she is above her peers so must stay focussed on the positives and that we missed out buy maybe it just wasnt right for her. Hope those who didn't get in are not feeling to disheartened too, it is not a nice feeling to think other girls are 'better' than your own DD. It was a tough and stressful process. Best wishes everyone.

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blinkinwinkin · 04/02/2014 10:18

Like all schools it does move and the musical chairs won't really begin until ALL the local selectives have offered up their places. Some people are still waiting, e.g. NHEHS still to come out and possibly Bute too I believe? I'm surprised you don't know where you are on the list - LEH are usually very open. Have got your head teacher to put in a call?
Fingers crossed for you pinkladies.

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Ealing12 · 10/02/2014 11:47

pinkladies have you had any joy on the waiting list? I know from the 3 applicants from my DD's school that only 2 are going so one free space. We have accepted a place at GH which is great news for us now. Fingers crossed for you.

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niku · 10/02/2014 13:33

I have also accepted our place at GH and have informed LEH today so hopefully another happy bunny on waiting list ! Ealing12 maybe we will get to meet soon .

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pinkladies · 12/02/2014 00:00

Thanks for all of your comments. Still no news but I am heartened to hear that there may be some movement on the waiting list. Best of luck at GH - that is a fabulous school!

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trader21c · 12/02/2014 01:44

It's got to be good that she's on the waiting list - like ealing12 my untutored DD (at 8+ and a few years ago) who was then at a state school sailed the maths but wasn't good enough in English (which she's also quite strong at) - so they don't offer waiting list places lightly ...

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harrow32 · 12/02/2014 23:29

Any news on waiting list movement? Really nervous now. They did tell me that my DD was in the top5 waiting list, when I called in.

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niku · 13/02/2014 09:26

harrow32..I think you will be absolutely fine as you are at top of waiting list. I know of atleast 3 people who took up other offers (including myself). I think they will start contacting people after deadline date (which I believe is 26th Feb). Good luck

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jonnyappleseed · 13/02/2014 12:36

You're assuming that 3 rejections = 3 new offers and not allowing for over-offering. I'd just call and ask if the waiting list has moved if I were you. LEH juniors has the most helpful school secretary on the planet.

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niku · 13/02/2014 14:23

Thanks jonnyappleseed.....my view was indeed simplistic and did not take into account over-offers. I did not know if LEH did this given that most are likely to accept....but I guess now many parents do apply to more than one school so makes sense.

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SwimmingMom · 14/02/2014 09:30

Hello, we are on the WL too.

Spoke to the registrar yesterday (she is the best on the planet - I agree!). She said they won't be able to confirm if the WL is moving until 24/26 of this month coz they have to wait for 'yes' responses of WL people too. She was fantastic & enquired about other places & if we are under pressure to accept elsewhere (which we are, but we are refusing 3 places in other schools as we are happy with where DD is at the minute & only LEH is worth rocking her happy boat for). She even remembered that we need to move home & promised to tell me the minute she had anything for me. Wonderful lady!

Also apparently they don't send letters when the WL moves. In the interest of time they first call & only if the family wants the place they send letters else they quickly move to the next candidate. Very efficient I think!

DD has absolutely refused to change schools, so I don't even know what to wish for!

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karmaden · 17/02/2014 18:37

SwimmingMom......if you don't mind me asking....may I ask your motivation to apply to several schools if you are happy where your DD is at the moment? I agree some schools are worth the move ...are you willing to tell us the other school your are refusing places for? The reason I ask is that these days it seems normal for parents to apply for muliple places e.g. as many as five or six (rather than a one if two a few years back). Is it because the 11+ competitor is so severe? I am thinking of 7+ entry for my DD but not sure I am willing to put her through so many entrance exams....

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karmaden · 17/02/2014 18:37

meant competition..not competitor ; )

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Ealing12 · 19/02/2014 17:07

We applied to multiple schools as we did not know where we would be living and have moved from London to Surrey. We applied to 3 schools and we have accepted a place at GH. DD didn't enjoy 3 assessments but did get into 2 of the 3 schools so do think carefully. My older DD waited for 11+ and got into a Grammar school, although it is competitive but they are also more mature and can manage better. Dont worry, things always work out for the best :-)

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karmaden · 19/02/2014 18:28

Okay so I have researched a few schools around me for possible 7+ options...obviously in the end it will depend on the school right for my child and performance on the day. Going by exams only though which would you rate as the most toughest out of these selective potentials in your opinion (obviously it will depend on DD's social side and learnability which some also test but we cannot prepare for I guess);

Wimbledon/Putney
Surbiton High
Bute House
Guildford High
Latymer
LEH

Obviously, I will only enter for those most suitable for my child academically or otherwise but also would like to prepare accordingly if required.

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bluecap · 24/02/2014 15:21

Does anyone have any further update on the waiting list for 7+ at LEH? I think 26th is the last date to confirm for those with firm offers. Its so stressful! Hopefully the calls start coming in soon...

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jonnyappleseed · 27/02/2014 13:09

Karmaden - I would group in tiers thus:
LEH, GHS, Bute
Wimbledon, Surbiton
Putney, Latymer

I would add, Latymer - co-ed, rest all single sex. And don't know where you are or if you'd move, but Bute = a Loooong way from GHS, so your search area is very wide indeed, especially for a junior?

Bluecap have you heard any news? Got fingers crossed for you.

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karmaden · 27/02/2014 13:44

Thanks jonnyappleseed ...useful indeed and you are spot on...my search area is wide and we are open to moving as required (we only have a DD so no other siblings to worry about). On a personal note, I am itching to move more out of London towards Guildford (or surrounding areas). We have friends there and I do like it hence GHS is included. However, DH thinks DD should go to a more London based school (which most of the others are) to get more of a mix culturally within the schools. I am still undecided though...

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SwimmingMom · 27/02/2014 18:03

Karma - am quite happy to answer your question. Infact the past few months were quite an eye opener for us!

When we started out applying for 7+ places we had the following reasons:

DD appeared to be struggling in school (also she is summer born)
we needed to move home anyways
getting into an all through school solved both issues & saved us the 11+ pressures which we thought DD wouldn't be able to cope with or get into preferred schools at the time

However - After 3-4 months of gentle but constant working with her, DD's appetite for study has vastly changed. She's now very good at maths & also did wonders with her reading. Also after she turned 6.5 years suddenly she showed a whole new level of capability which we'd never have guessed she had. She's now at the top of her class in Maths & English despite being nearly the youngest.

So now that we have the places we feel (a) yes she can get into preferred schools that she wants at 11+ with some support at home (b) the schools I would choose for her for secondary (except LEH) are not the ones she is getting a place at now.

So in summary - by leaving her where she is (and she is very happy there), we can possibly get her into 'secondary only' schools that may be a better fit for her than the all-through schools she has offers for now. If she had got LEH we would have moved her. Nevertheless am very pleased she's made it to the wait list & perhaps we will try it again at 11+.

I would suggest you try 3 schools (not more). The difficulty is in the fact that most of them have exams in the same week. This is quite stressful for the child with missing school & being at their best. But I have to say that having the offers has boosted DD's confidence tremendously & now she knows what she is capable of.

I have to say that it's the mumsnet mums who helped me choose & shared their personal experiences with me. I am so grateful to them for their invaluable insights!

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pinkladies · 27/02/2014 22:00

I'm still waiting for the phone to ring! Has anybody had a call yet? The deadline passed yesterday so the list should hopefully start moving now?

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SwimmingMom · 28/02/2014 08:28

Pink - it would depend on your position on the list. I guess the first 3-5 can hope to hear this week. For the rest it could take a while. I was told that it sometimes takes months for the whole process to complete. Unlikely but does happen. Fingers crossed.

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karmaden · 28/02/2014 08:49

SwimmingMom..thanks for your thorough response. You are right....I am confident that the school my DD is in + with some support at home she will be able to sit 11+ confidently. However, the current school does not seem to be a natural feeder for a lot of the school we are looking at should it come to a borderline decision though in selective school that should not play a big part I suspect ! There are a couple of through schools we are looking at so better to get in at 7 than 11 if possible. As you said sometimes its better to wait till DD is 11 because it will give a more clearer view of where she is suited and can also make her own decision at that point....definitely worth consideration. Can you tell me where you had places and what the process was like for your DD at those places. I am assuming she say for LEH...but did she also sit for others like GH and Bute House? I would be interested to know how the process for these schools compare.

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jonnyappleseed · 28/02/2014 11:17

the year one of my dds joined, 2 girls joined the entry list from the wait list in the summer holidays, so it keeps moving right up to then, as people change their minds, families move due to jobs etc.

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SwimmingMom · 28/02/2014 15:28

Jonny - thank you so much for the ray of hope!

I did ring the school today & though I was offered no concrete numbers - the WL has moved only few spaces this year. Out of that 2 families are yet to confirm whether or not they want the space. So unless one is absolutely next on that list there is very little hope. But as jonny said there could be changes even later.

In the registrar's words 'an overwhelming majority of places have been accepted & only 2 are awaiting confirmation'.

Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news...