Secondary School Offers day and subsequent dates / processes

[13lucky]

Hi there,

As the date for Secondary School Offers approaches, I'm wondering what the next deadline dates are should we need to go on waiting lists etc. The scenario is this: our first choice is a grammar which has two sites - one an easy journey from our house by bus...the other practically impossible to get to by public transport (I would have to drive dd but couldn't do that as I have a younger ds at the local primary). However, the school is not going to tell us which site dd has been allocated on offer day. It will just be an offer for the X School. They will send out forms to ask site preference and these forms will be due back on 16 March (the same date as the deadline for putting dd's name on waiting list for other schools). ie we will not know which site dd has been allocated before the deadline for which you need to put name on waiting list for other schools.

So my question is...if we are lucky enough to get offered first choice, can I accept the place and still put dd's name on waiting list for second choice. Then wait and see which site of first choice school she is offered. If she then gets offered a place at the second choice where we've put her name on waiting list, will this jeopodise her place at the first choice school? Or can I just tell them when they ring that actually we don't need the second choice school anymore.

Sigh. Why does it need to be this complicated?! Congratulations if you made it this far!

[PettsWoodParadise]

I think I know the school so presume this is Kent? I don't know but I would call the Kent admissions team and ask the questions. I believe that to go on the waiting list of a lower preference school you will have to contact the school directly. Whether you automatically lose your allocated place if your wait list place comes up I don't know, I can see why you are asking the questions. As the first year this school has had the two sites I am sure you are not the only one with this dilemma and hopefully someone else will come along with better knowledge. If you don't get responses then starting a new thread naming the school and asking parents how they are planning to deal with getting to one of the sites may yield helpful insights too. Good luck.

[13lucky]

Thank you PettsWood...yes, you are correct...it's Kent! Bit of a headache really. Thanks for the advice re calling the Kent admissions team. That's probably what I'll do. I just thought someone might know the answer re what happens if you put your name on the waiting list of another school and that school then offers a place...whether you jeopodise your place at the first school. Thanks for the reply though.