Anyone else anxious about tomorrow's primary school admissions email in London?

I have no idea why I started looking at this thread but I’m curious as to how the moving up the list works? Someone’s child went from 7th to 8th and another person’s child went from 2nd to 3rd? Should it not be the other was around?

@whatdoyouthink123456 thank you! Since movement was quite steady since offer day, I was kind of expecting a place by mid-August, so not so much of a shock... But definitely a happy surprise! This school has no uniform so that makes it a bit easier but I'm worried about wraparound care 😕

Same as you, we wouldn't have moved after term started. It's frustrating though that your council don't offer places over the summer, especially if your right at the top of the waiting list. Sorry about that! I know there are so many good primary schools, and it sounds like yours is great, so I hope you have a happy experience and a smooth settling in 😊

@beachbum85 congrats! I’m really happy for you. Does it feel a shock, especially as it’s about a month until term starts?

Our first choice school told us that our council don’t offer places over the summer. They said they reassess in September and then offer after that.
We got to 2nd on the list but then up to 3rd. We have now settled with our second choice school as we wouldn’t move him once the year has started. We’v got the uniform, booked wrap around etc

Just to update and for anyone reading this thread in the future: we got our first choice school! We went from 7th on the waiting list to 8th around mid-May and have been moving a place every week or 2 since. Southwark council called this morning to offer us a place 🎉
I know the other schools in the area have been having similar movement too as we've moved more than 10 places up a couple of lists.

Now onto figuring out the settling in and wraparound care whilst everyone is on holiday... 😅

@whatdoyouthink123456 we're 7th on the waiting list for our preferred school at the moment, but would be happy with the one we've been given - it's a good school too and the school community really seems to reflect our neighbourhood. We only put the schools we really liked on our list (not the closest 2 for example), most of which are oversubscribed, which is why we got our 5th choice even though it's further than others. They also closed a school right next to us this year, so there's 1 less option in the vicinity.

The intake is 60 kids - I just spoke to that school again today and they said they've released 3 spots so far, so I doubt they'd get to 25 places down the waiting list this year!

The school we've been offered has 1 virtual parents' meeting in June but nothing more until September, so I think we'll give it until we go on holiday in August, because I am a bit worried about wraparound and uniforms too. Are you in contact with your first choice or your admissions team about movement on the lists?

@beachbum85 fingers crossed you are high on the list. Are you happy with the choice you have been given?
oh really! How did they get movement of 25 places!? That’s crazy. How big is the year intake?

We have decided that if we don't get offered a space before the school holidays starts, we wouldn’t move. The school we have been offered is a really good and popular school, but our first choice was a high achieving religious school.
We don’t really want to be in limbo up until September and we need to sort out uniforms, wraparound etc. The schools also want to do induction meetings, home visits, meet up picnics etc. I don’t think we’d want to move after organising and investing.

No we’re now delighted with no 2 and I’m honestly not sure why I ranked them this way to be honest. Second choice is better for lots of reasons: earlier wraparound, through primary so no reapplying, feeder into the best secondary in the area, on way to work!

We're still waiting to find out our waiting list position for our first preference - admissions said they'll release it on Monday.

One school I spoke to (Southwark) said that last year they got right through their waiting list, more than 25 offers between April and September. I know that last year there was a lot of movement, but 4th would be a really high chance of getting in around here!

@makemineadecafwill you stay on the waiting list just incase? Would you move your child mid year?

We found out we are 4th on the waiting list for our first choice. If we don’t get a place before the term starts, I wouldn’t move them. I don’t think there will be that much movement in a few months 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m assuming We’l be going to our 2nd choice

We got our second choice which is actually for many reasons better than our first choice. Found out today we’re no 21 on the waiting list for first choice so in short - hard no!

Hi, did anyone find out their waiting list position?
In Richmond, we were told that from today you could find out, but the school emailed me this morning to say it’s still not ready.

Had a response from admissions. We range between 9th and 50th on the 1st 4 preference waiting lists! Hopeful re the one where we’re 9th. So we will wait and see…

Congratulations! Hopefully your son will see a familiar face when he starts school. If not i'm sure he will make lots of new friends!

Our second choice is also closer to home aprox 10 min walk. Just a v small catchment area that we don't fall in. Hence my surprise at getting in.

Our first choice is actually the best school the borough. We were right the edge of the catchment area so i was hoping we'd get a place but understood that we may not. I spoke to the school today and he's on the waiting list but i won't know till end of may what position he's in. Fingers crossed that he gets a place but if not im okay with the second choice. Grateful it was the third choice!

Are offers only made to people that rejected today’s offer. Or do they work down the waiting list.

@mummytrex Absolutely not! They use the waiting list based on the admissions criteria ONLY. Rejecting a place has no part in that decision. And it also means that late applications might go ahead of you on the waiting list - if they live closer or have a child in a priority category, for example.

I’ve emailed the school directly at 5am this morning asking where my son is on the waitlist.

I will also check via my council tax login later today.

My mother and son seemed to be so pro first choice I feel like I would now be tempted to accept if I were lucky enough to be offered my first choice.

Assuming it is the same for all LEAs - if you weren't allocated your first choice you will automatically get put on the waiting list for any schools that were higher preference than the one you were allocated. When spaces come up at those schools, they will offer to however is top of the waiting list, irrespective of whether that person has accepted or rejected their allocated place.

Accepting/rejecting your allocated school will have no influence on whether you are offered a place at a higher preference school, so my recommendation is to accept the place so that you at least have one. The wait list is horrible as you can move up and down it, as new people can be added to the list and are placed in order of their child's eligibility for the school. So if someone moves in next door to you tomorrow and their house is slightly closer, and they ask for their child to go on the wait list, they could be placed above your child (assuming there are no critieria that trump the other child, such as sibling etc).

No one ever wants to hear this, and I didn't at the time, but my son got our 4th place for secondary, and we were gutted. Now we actually feel it was the best choice for him, as our experience of the school has been so positive, and we know friends of his who were allocated first choice, and the school everyone wants their child to attend, and two are rarely in school and the other has been deregistered to home school, so the school you think is best doesn't always pan out to be.

Good luck with the wait list though. You can go onto the wait list of other schools that you didn't originally choose, if there are any suitable.

They work down the waiting lists. Those who reject an offer don't get special treatment - unless you count the thrill of not knowing whether your child will have a school place at all.

Snap. Absolutely gutted.

Ive emailed admissions to see where we are on the various waiting lists but had a bounce back saying they’ll reply within 10 working days.

this is a silly question but how does the acceptance/rejection work re the second wave of offers. Are offers only made to people that rejected today’s offer. Or do they work down the waiting list. I know stupid question!

Really excited to have got our first choice here! But it’s been crazy where we are the offer boundaries have really shifted since last year

I didn't receive an email about primary school applications. I thought i eould receive it today. Anyone else?

I emailed the Southwark admissions email address and they've already given me the waiting list positions, so I think you can probably do that with other boroughs too!

We got our first choice, and now I’m second guessing it! I always thought school 2 was the ‘best’ by a country mile, but school 1 is also good and much more convenient.

That's a definite improvement then! It wasn't available for London secondaries this year until after the acceptance date.

Copy and paste:

For schools that you ranked as a higher preference, and where that school has not been able to offer a place, your child’s name will automatically be placed on the waiting list for that school, unless you tell us you do not wish to stay on the waiting list.
WAITING LISTS WILL OPEN – Friday, April 17, 2026
You can find out your child’s waiting list position by logging into…