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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

Fourth on the waiting list for our first choice school

27 replies

Threesoundslikealot · 17/06/2015 17:19

Please tell me your stories of getting into your preferred school from the waiting list?

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InexperiencedDisneyMum · 17/06/2015 17:40

5th place took us 4 months into the term starting to be offered a place and that was only because 1, 2, 3 and 4 turned it down.

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Blu · 17/06/2015 17:49

How big is the entry? 1 class, 2, 3 or 4?

I know people who were offered places at first preference schools in the first week or first few weeks of term. People who had moved and not informed the school or LA, people who had accepted private places and not turned up...people who had accepted their higher preferences in another school.

Places come up well into the first half term. Later if the school has a January intake for younger children.

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PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 17/06/2015 18:01

We were sixth. We didn't change position from May to August. Don't know what happened after that.

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nlondondad · 17/06/2015 18:28

Places do come up at schools in the first week of term, and of course at that stage they can be difficult to fill. Schools find this so frustrating! Can you imagine how irking it is to be a highly in demand "sought after school" with lots of first preference applicants and STILL find yourself with a vacant place (and lost funding).

Having said that schools do vary a bit in how many "no shows" they get.

So, for example, there are a few schools in affluent areas where "no shows" due to a private school place becoming available happen. In inner London people can move away and not inform the school.

In isolated country schools its rarer.

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MrsBungle · 17/06/2015 18:31

We were 4th for dd's school on offers day. In May we went to third. I phoned up in end of June and asked about the place and was told 2nd. The next morning an offer letter arrived! We got our place a couple of days before the induction visits. This was a two form entry school.

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satinpillowcase · 17/06/2015 19:40

15th. Took until the first term of Year 3.

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Threesoundslikealot · 17/06/2015 20:37

Thanks all. We were 7th on offer day and have moved to 4th. It's a two class entry this year - a one class school on a bulge year. Zone 2 London so madly over-subscribed but hopefully movement. Overlapping catchment with THE local primary school beloved of the middle classes, so I'm hoping it is yet to lose some children to there by the start of the school year.

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Faz2015 · 17/06/2015 23:54

im 33rd on the waiting list for our first choice.. and im still hopefull ;-)))

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mrsmortis · 18/06/2015 10:33

We were fourth on offer day and got a place mid-June.

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CB2009 · 19/06/2015 17:15

We were 3rd on wait list for preferred school on offer day. Single form entry. Heard around June time and made induction in July. I maintained regular contact with council and school without being too much of a complete pain. Many other people got in after us - further down the list. Some as late as week before school. Some in first few weeks of September term. Fingers crossed

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Northernlurker · 19/06/2015 17:24

We were first and got a place one week after the first allocation. I think your chances are still reasonable.

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Threesoundslikealot · 29/06/2015 20:10

We've moved up to third. In my dream world there is a place now and the people above us will systemically turn it down until it gets to us!

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FieldTrip · 29/06/2015 20:18

In your circumstances I imagine there's also the possibility that some parents who have "only" been offered your first choice rather than "THE" school might decide to go private?

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bingandflop · 29/06/2015 20:24

What's the school like you have been allocated? We are 4th on list for our first choice but I've come round a lot to the school we got (3rd choice ). We were actually offered a place at our 2nd choice last week and turned it down

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Threesoundslikealot · 29/06/2015 20:24

Yes, definitely. Also a friend lives next door to one of the governors of my desired school and they are always able to offer places in September owing to no-shows. I'd love though to get a place in time to prepare DD a bit.

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BagsyThisName · 29/06/2015 20:26

We were offered first day of school.

One other got a place in Feb.

Given you are in London I would say chances are good.

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Threesoundslikealot · 29/06/2015 20:27

Our allocated school is... fine. Bigger and more urban than our first choice. I went to the parents' welcome morning and didn't warm to it remotely, or the EYFS stage. But a friend, whose parenting values are very similar to mine, has two children there and is extremely happy with it. If we end up moving, our place will be snapped up within an hour.

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BagsyThisName · 29/06/2015 20:28

Yes, DS was very upset when we told him. That lasted about 4 hours though.

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Threesoundslikealot · 29/06/2015 20:28

EYFS staff that should say.

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Threesoundslikealot · 29/06/2015 20:29

Bagsy, that's good to know. DD is incredibly excited and talks all the time about her future school, especially with her preschool friend who is also going.

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BagsyThisName · 29/06/2015 20:43

And you also have to be positive about the school they are going to! I think we did that bit rather too well.

Does your DD know anyone at your first choice school? Might be a good idea to cultivate a friendship or two over the summer. DS started not knowing anyone which was very hard (he also only knew one child at the original school, despite my best attempts at talking to the other mums so it didn't make much difference really)

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3asAbird · 29/06/2015 21:17

I'm bristol and been waitlist most if reception year got 3rd preferences offered few weeks ago..

Still awaiting 1st preference siblings year we been no 1 last 6months but no one's left.

We currently 3form infants younger ones and 3 people out 75 left this year.

Longer child in school more unlikely is to move so you bump up waitlists faster after Christmas but all the wait to sept and loads offers never happened sadly.

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Threesoundslikealot · 29/06/2015 21:43

So when did you go up to first place for reception, 3?

Annoyingly, Baggsy, the only child from her preschool at first choice school does different sessions to her. If I knew she was going there I would be cultivating like mad. A boy she was at nursery with when younger is going there, and I'm friends with his mum, so that is a goer. At least she's not soulmates best friends with the girl going to current choice school so I think she will get over that one sooner rather than later.

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Threesoundslikealot · 08/07/2015 17:14

For anyone interested in our dull little story, we remain third on the list, but now know that there are two places on offer, and I've met one of the parents involved and she's probably going to turn them down. So it's a waiting game.
Poor DD is so upset at the idea of not going to the original school that we're not even allowed to say the new school's name.

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3asAbird · 12/07/2015 11:21

Three sounds I feel your pain.

Dd2 should have started last sept 2014 but did not get any of 3 preferences so we defered to jan kept her nursery 3 mornings a week ans home educated fill in gaps plus lots home ed meets ans afterschool clubs fill in social gaps.

She was 5 in sept so ready to go and only child from old preschool not to gain place at local primary where her sister goes.

We were very high up waitlists.

Think school 1 eldest school we were no 8 in april

6 in sept.

By October half term we were no 2.

We randomly met no 1 as she was staying on at nursery lived different county no siblings in school she was no 1.

But after October half term she was offered place is 2nd preference and she took it but remained on list she has said since that they happy with current school and to count us as no 1.

Any new schools count as additional preferences. We no 19 on new steiner school no budge that was our 4th preferences.

Or 2nd preference was random allocation lottery so 201 application for 30 spaces she was no 105 out hay. 1 child won appeal so they have 31 so Nedd 2kids to leave before redrawn. No idea how many on waitlist probably 100 so not holding out school 2 either.

3rd preference local large infants 5mins walk from.house 3form intake. April Christmas we were no 6.

Jan we moved up to no 3
Then March no 1
Then must been april admissions explained a child had joined another year group with younger sibling which bumped us down.
Start may we were no 1.

After may half term she was offered a space at 3rd preference so term 6.

Admissions gave us 28days to accept and start so so we started on on day 27 as youngest had assessments in another part if city so she's done just 4weeks there as built up days .She does not hate it but she does not love it either been so crap joining so late don't feel like it's our school.

Another child left last week he moved feb a distance away about 40 min drive but no spaces for him locally so stayed if there had maybe she would have got space sooner.

I have just put in appeal form as fed up not sure I win but only 1 appeal per year feel we nothing to lose.

Oh child who left nursery on Oct raved about her new school so in jut over added name down there 1 mile away neighbouring county.

She started off no 6 then moved upto no 3 now she's no 6 again.

I would love give you hope and think London lots movement. I felt bristol being big we would have more movement then we have.

No child has left reception at school 1.

1 child neighbouring county got offered space 2nd round as one person appeal and got their choice school so he started.

I know one mum year before who waited whole 1.5 years get her youngest in.

Good luck. It's unsettled being in limbo.

Youngest missed school 1 by 123 metres but this year he got 3rd preferences local infants where Dd2 started 509 metres away from home he's no 3 on waitlist for school 1 ans no 10 . Waitlist for school 2.hes on waitlist 2schools.

Dd2 was on waitlist for 5 all year and got space at 3rd and nearest end of may.