Kingsdale waiting lists - any experience

[waitingnervously]

Has anyone got into Kingsdale Foundation School from the waiting list? We won't know what position our child is in until next week and I'm preparing for the worst (536th/723rd - it is very oversubscribed ) but I wondered if anyone else's child had got in from the list and how fast/slow it had moved for you.

Thanks

[sydenhamhiller]

Hi, we live about 10 minutes away from Kingsdale and it was on our 'choice' of 6. (DS in Y6)
I hear there is a lot of movement, in common with many schools: last year friend daughter had kingsdale as no 1 (no scholarship involved), got Sydenham girls, very happy with that, bought uniform, went on induction days etc. Early August got call from Kingsdale: now in Year 7 and loving it.

[waitingnervously]

Thanks, sydenham. I have heard the list moves quickly but I was wondering how quickly - do you know roughly what number you friend's daughter was on the waiting list?

[jaws5]

I know several cases similar to yours at KD, and every single one of them got in eventually.

[waitingnervously]

BTW - I hope your child got into a school that you are all pleased with .

[waitingnervously]

Oooh, two posts while I was adding one to sydenham. jaws, it's the "eventually" that is killing me - the not knowing if it will be next month or 2018... tiggy - can I ask what you mean that lists remain open until December at least? I thought - but this is just an assumption - that they remain open indefinitely until there is either no one left on the list or it gets to year 12 and everyone reshuffles for sixth form.

[ButterflyUpSoHigh]

You automatically stay on the list until Christmas, You then need to apply each term to stay on the waiting list.

[NynaevesSister]

Kingsdale works on a lottery system and anyone who applied has the same chance of getting in (excepting scholarships). This is infuriating for us as it is our closest secondary. As far as I am aware the waiting list works on the same lottery system. So you could end up 1st or last. Or have I got that wrong?

[waitingnervously]

You have that right, NynaevesSister. I won't know my child's position on the waiting list until next week and I was just after some idea of how fast or slow the churn was.

[waitingnervously]

Thanks, tiggy - this seems to be an annual thread . Looking at those old threads, it seems to be people like me who are slightly tense about the whole process - I was cheered that someone got in during Y7 having been 80-odd in her band's list but the school seemed to have opened a bulge class that year which may have helped. Maybe I'll feel better next week when Southwark sends out waiting list positions.

I'm assuming that late applicants (who don't have siblings/special needs/aren't looked after) join the end of the waiting list rather than the whole thing is randomised again...

[waitingnervously]

tiggy - I know that you are an authority on this so I'm not challenging you but, surely, if the majority of places at a school are awarded by lottery and a child is, say, 25th on the waiting list, they can't redraw the lottery a few months down the line? Or are you saying that people who applied up until this week (including the original October applicants) will not have been given a waiting list place until now and everyone who doesn't qualify for a higher priority place will enter a lottery for the waiting list positions? In which case, where does that leave people who apply after the waiting list has been redrawn?

Apologies for all these questions, you have already given me a ton of your time .

[waitingnervously]

I phoned Southwark today to find out our waiting list position and was told someone would call me back ("hopefully") in the next three days. I was reassured that if someone does call me, they should be able to explain the way the lottery works - my name feels very prescient...

[FrNath]

Hope you don't mind me jumping in but did you get any news on waiting list position? Did you get a place at all due to extra places? I am waiting still. Thks

[Evaexpat1]

Does anyone knows what it means if you're, say, no 14 BUT applying for year 10? We just moved to London and so we applied late, took the exam and are now no 14 - not sure if that means no 14 for this particular band AND the particular year (which would be bad) or just no 14 on the waiting list in general (which would be alright). I've asked the school but haven't heard back yet..

[FrNath]

Hi We have just been offered a place for yr 7. I think there will be a big shift in first week in September. Year 10 not sure but imagine will depend if lots move away or transfer to other schools like Brit school. I think just a waiting game. Good luck.

[RJsMa]

Any advice on how the waiting list did pan out last year?

[RJsMa]

Bump

[IdaJones]

I don't know the school, but it is one of those comps that gets mentioned on mumsnet a lot, so i was intrigued enough to look it up on the dfe performance tables. (My children's comp never gets mentioned )
If there is a banding system (presumably by ability) then how has it ended up with 52% high attainers and 3% low attainers?
Also how have they brought the number of 5 A - C grades from 36% - 79% within three years? Amazing!

[citykat]

Ha ha ha Ida Jones. Many locals would love to know. There are those who query and those who are just grateful and don't ask.... But this thread may well get closed down as others have in the past.