Anyone else get NO OFFER?!

[cocoloco11]

Anyone else didn’t get any offer at all and been told to wait till the second round?!

[palindromeam]

I've never heard of this happening. Whereabouts are you?

[cocoloco11]

London. Can you suggest anything?

[palindromeam]

Only offer some moral support and a thread bump.

So sorry.

[Zinnia]

Did you put a 'banker' school down @cocoloco11? If not you will be allocated somewhere after 15th which is the deadline for acceptances/rejections and your council will know where there are spaces

[Toomanycats99]

You would've on waiting list for all the schools you put down. I am not sure how much they can do before they start to move which will be late this month after deadline for acceptance.

[NewYear12UserName]

You can ask to be placed on the waiting list for other schools - not just those on your original list. So, if there were any you disregarded when you made your application you might want to rethink.

[Blissx]

It happens when parents don’t put down their closest schools and/or don’t put enough schools down. You’ll just have to wait for the second round and see where the spaces open up.

[Dothehappydance]

Lots and lots of children have no place around me, simply not enough places. Have been told to go out of area.

[myrtleWilson]

In some parts of London there are black holes where you're likely to fall out of increasingly small "last distance admitted" places so it doesn't necessarily mean that London parents haven't put down enough school preferences..

Hope you get positive news soon OP

[minisoksmakehardwork]

Did you apply in time? Stupid question I know but my sister had to wait for second round as she was late applying.

[Blissx]

so it doesn't necessarily mean that London parents haven't put down enough school preferences..

I agree. But increasingly, it is because all the schools they do put down are not their physically closest schools and therefore it is always a gamble. I’m in London too.

[EduCated]

As I understand it, some areas do this rather than allocate a school absolutely miles away which will likely cause upset, when they’re confident that there will be movement which leads to an offer down the line (mostly heard of it in London). They will have to offer a place eventually!

[BHStowel]

I’m so sorry coco. I’ve heard of this happening but only for reception at starters. Unfortunately that was also in London and it was this cohort of children.

What worked back then was to call all the Boroughs where you would consider sending your child to school. Near work, home, a tube. Put your name on the waiting list for ALL the schools you can. It doesn’t matter how unrealistic they may seem.

I did the above ( for reception) and got some really unexpected ( eg outstanding faith school and we are non faith ) offers.

I would also start ask Panelchair/ Admissions/PRH43 (?) for help, either by @ them on this thread or starting another with their names in the title.

I’m sending you your virtual poison of choice.

[FanDabbyFloozy]

Agree with the previous posters that this can happen a lot in London. Do go on as many wait lists as you can, not overlooking those you may have originally mentally rejected.

[Homeforever]

All the 'I'm not being racist but....' people are coming out the woodwork in my area.

[MeMeMeYou]

A friend had a school she had not named on her form (she’d named her two nearest only but lived in a funny area not that near any schools) and it was nowhere near them although in the same borough (but the furthest away end of it).

[Notcontent]

Yes, it is happening in some parts of London. And in some boroughs there are some pretty good schools and some quite bad ones, so you can’t blame parents for not including the bad ones in their preferences.

[flippyfloppy]

My sympathies to you in this position but it's not just London. We are up in the North East here and there are about 6 of us at my daughters school who are without an offer we are on the border of 3 LA's so two closest schools are in different LA to where we are and we have been told preference given to pupils within authority. Next one is oversubscribed ( about 2 miles away, no others closer and Our LA) but they are over subscribed. I've applied to go on waiting list of 4/5th choice and will appeal the first two. We've had an awful day 😥 x

[flippyfloppy]

Apologies for grammar and typos!! X

[Zinnia]

we have been told preference given to pupils within authority

Isn't that illegal? Or is it just illegal in London?

[flippyfloppy]

@zinnia we live 1.7 miles from preferred school in neighbouring authority, the bus leaves outside our door. Admissions officer said they were accepting people from within their own LA 4 miles away as preference was given to where you pay council tax?!?! I have re read admissions policy and nowhere does it state preference would be given to people of their own LA. It was also never mentioned in open evenings. Next nearest school is 2.4 miles away within our authority ( which is irrelevant as we were rejected there too!) x

[Hersetta427]

Happened in our area a couple of years ago. I think they did it as they didn't want to freak people out by offering them a school 15 miles away as they new 2 of the local school would put on a bulge class that would be allocated on the 2nd round. I definitely wouldn't panic yet but just make sure you are on any waiting list for. School you would consider.

[HotpotLawyer]

OP, very unnerving for your poor Dc. Did all their friends and classmates get into your local school?

One way and another the LA has a duty to educate your child and find a school place. They may establish a bulge class somewhere.

Meanwhile:
Check that your application to each school has been assessed correctly. Are there any that you feel sure you should have got a place in? As for last distance and your distance.

You can go in waiting lists for any schools you like. Bear in mind that wait lists are held in the order of how you meet the criteria.
You can appeal for any schools you put on your list.

Check that you are on the waiting lists for the schools you named.

The London population is highly mobile and loads of places come up over the summer.

Could you say what borough you are in?

[BananaDaiquiri]

Camden in London do this now. I know a few people over the last few years this has happened to (usually because they've been unrealistic in their preferences, not saying that applies to you). They've all been offered one of their preferences eventually.

[LeadMeToTheChocolate]

The most important thing is not to panic there is always ALOT of movement especially in London. I have experience of working for a kids charity that supported London parents and foster parents of y6 chn going through the high school admissions process where family circumstances and essential needs hugely impacted school choices. I never once in 6 years had a family left without an offer for a school by the summer hols.
What others have said in regards to waiting lists is great. So stick your dc’s name on as many waiting lists as you can in any borough (geographical distance always trumps who you pay your council tax to). And just reassure your dc that it happens to thousands of children every year but it will get sorted.
If you get offered a place somewhere even half suitable, I would take it and remain on the waiting lists for the schools you really do want. Worst case senario is you will get an offer from one of those by Xmas and have to switch schools in the autumn term- however most decide to stick with the school they already attend including 6 of my friends in the last 2 years alone as they realise that actually they’ve settled in so well and really like the school!
XXX