decision on 1st March? Anyone want to sit and sweat it out with me?

I should add, there is another pressure on the waiting lists as so many in our borough has been given the new st RR, even though it has been very low down on some preference lists. I imagine the waiting lists for G therefore is quite full of children who really want G!

inthewildernessbuild - thanks for the tip! I had not considered anybody would turn down places at the Vaughn or the Oratory, thus freeing up places at G ....

Is it true that I have to hand deliver a letter of interest on Monday morning?

Ah, that's a sweet comment from your DS springlamb about how it was easier for him

So watch this space, if ds2 gets his first choice another place at G will open up for MiniQuintessence. PS we are v happy for him to go there, just first choice EVEN better for his needs.

Dd got her first choice (RC convent) and ds2 (they are twin) got his second choice, which I think Quintessence is possibly the one you wanted and didn't get. Our school is so close, that everyone gets into it from here. As an ironic consequence of it being easy to get into it is usually not the top of the list (places like Oratory and Vaughan are).
So Quintessence if what you are worried about not getting a place at a school beginning with G, there will be places off waiting list, as places open up quite soon, when some people get into their first choice after all. Ds2 has his first choice at a Protestant school round corner, which he won't get into except off waiting list (his brother is at G already, but ds2 has some SNs so school round corner more suitable)

So it is a crazy rubric's cube!

DS got 2nd choice it is a good school Dh is happy DS knew it would be 2nd choice as he had not scored high enough for 1st choice..

We will appeal but I supose at least we have a school we are happy with.

His cousin was thrilled as He went there and loved it.

Tiggytape - he's 18 actually and about to take A levels. He has cerebral palsy and is a bit wobbly on his feet!
In fact, this is my one and only time of secondary transfer. DS went to a 3-16 special school and as he said this morning - 'the only worry with me was whether I'd remember to turn left at the bottom of the ramp instead of going straight on to primary'.
I was very ill-equipped when this journey began with school visits last September, which is why I am so damn pleased it's done now.
Sending strength to those who need to continue the journey over the coming weeks.

Since they've sent it out Arbitrary personally I'd send it back completed, but I'm sure your on-line acceptance will be fine anyway. I've accepted on-line and got a slightly vague confirmation email in return (we will process your response )
But if I look at our original application list of three schools on the web-page the one we've accepted does now say "Place accepted by parent" - so I think that's good enough for me.
I would quite like either an email or letter but nothing personal has arrived yet !
Anyway, I'm happy enough

I accepted DS1's place online (and got a confirmation email), but I also got a letter this morning with a response orm to sign. I don't really understand why (the LEA said I wouldn't get a letter at all as I'd opted for online applications). Do I need to fill it in and post it back, or will the online acceptance be OK?

My daughter has been allocated a place at a horrible school where NOBODY wants to go to... hence there are vacancies. We had SIX schools on our list but she obviously didn't get into any of them. And now??? Well I declined the offer immediately and I will put her on the waiting list of all of them. I'd love to know if anyone has appealed for a place. Is there a chance to appeal if the schools selected provides a subject in the curriculum that no other school offers and that is particularly suited to my daughter abilities. I am referring here to a language ...her mother tongue.

Postman finally dilly dallied his way along at 2.00ish. DS and I sneaked the letter away to check if we needed to be in 'make the best of a bad job' mode. We did not, so carefully resealed the envelope and presented it.
DD got first choice and is over the moon. In fact, she shouted so loudly DS promptly fell over and I thought we'd end up celebrate in A & E.
However, DD appears to be 1 of only 2 in her class to get their first choice. Very odd and not reflective of national news, or this thread, at all.
So glad I haven't got to go through this again!
Good luck to all.

Quint, we can share porridge and water recipes for the next 6 years...

Copthall, our third choice was neither of those, but the school which S RR got its head from.... So the choice now stands between Emanuel, Ibs and our allocated state school. (Many in ds class got s RR, so wonder if there is something politically in it, "you asked for it, you got it, so now go there!" We live quite far away though, in the next borough east of Ibs, which made it harder)

We will have some tough discussions, but leaning towards Emanuel, giving their ethos and sibling policy. ...

DS got his first choice - yay! :-)

Enfield finally dropped me an email at 6pm, (an hour earlier than expected). He'll be the 4th generation on his dad's side to go there (St Ignatius), so I reckon they might be keeping a close eye on him! They must be gluttons for punishment!

Congrats to all who got their own way and commiserations to those who didn't - I think the low birth year means that their might be more successful appeals this time, hopefully...

Not looking forward to going through all this with DD, who was born in a VERY high birth year!

We got our letter this morning and ds2 has a place at our first choice school that ds1 already attends.

Fingers crossed for everyone on waiting lists xxx

And for those who their pfb going off to high school, yes its a bit worrying but not that bad. Ds1 is in yr 9 now and just done gcse options and yes its a worrying time and they are growing up its also an amazing time in their childhood as well and watching the transformation from child to teen to young adult is amazing as a parent.

Quint Might I ask if your 3rd choice was St RR? or RPA? I know you said you were putting them down the preferences. Interested to hear how the LBRUT preferances panned out?

You will find plenty of the other parents at all private schools around here are not rich, certainly our experience. Just found themselves in the same position as you.

In my LA if you got your first preference, you could accept it online and wouldn't get a letter. But if you wanted to do anything complicated if you didn't get your first preference, like ask for reconsideration at any of your other preferences, you would get a letter in snail mail which you had to return. Luckily for us my DS3 got his first choice. Somehow I've managed to get all 3 boys into the same out of catchment comp with no sibling criteria.

We just got the snail mail confirming his allocated place, and that the head teacher of the school allocated will be in touch soon to give more information.

Whew. It does look like they assume you will accept it as there was no other information on it about confirming the place, unless that comes from the school.

Still nothing for DD but we accept that we may not know till Monday as we've applied 60 miles away in a 'proper' county.
However, here in South London, I've not heard of anyone getting their first choice yet. Even DD's brightest pal who was dragged from pillar to post all last term taking entrance exams has ended up with her 4th choice, the local Harris.
Schools are such a mess here, with so many primarys carrying a 'bulge' class, and the local Council just putting up plans for building a new 5-form entry secondary due to the pupil forecasts (after they closed two secondaries a few years back).
Hoping that as we've applied elsewhere, the '71% got their first choice' headlines will favour us!

They had nearly 700 applications! Good idea asking them about last years waiting list. As it is for us, we will take up an independent offer if we cannot get either of our top 2 choices. But it will have financial implications as we are by no means rich. We are ok, but not rich.