1st March offer day - anyone else nervous?

For an appeal to be successful you have to prove the selection criteria was not applied correctly. That means finding someone who should have been lower on the list than you but got in and showing them at your appeal.

You can appeal also on medical grounds for a particular school. You would need evidence from medical professionals, not just GP. Ideally you would need a statement which says education at that school is in the best interests. It it worth noting, however that the school place application (here anyway) also has space for you to put medical needs on, so all this evidence should have already been submitted. If it wasn't they probably won't be interested.

Your personal travel arrangements and preferences just won't come into it, sadly.

Argh back from shopping and still no post!!! We applied for our 2st choice with medical backing due to proximity but still no where near guaranteed round here. Worth thinking about for an appeal for others though I would think

DS2 got into his number 1 choice as a sibling of older DS1. Unfortunately DD didn't get to her first choice, and is 22nd on the waiting list by virtue of distance :-(. It's a real shame, especially as her number 2 choice that she did get into is actually a lot further away! Last year the distance of the furthest pupil was two miles more than us, but it seems that being born in 2004 was a bad idea, as she's competing with a demographic high in London.

Does anybody think an appeal on the grounds that we'd like the children to travel together (DD's first choice is on the way to DS's school) is worth trying? The school does have an "exceptional pastoral or social need" clause, but I guess it's a bit of a stretch :-)

Oh well, maybe 22nd isn't so bad. Fingers crossed!

I accepted DDs offer yesterday and in this mornings post I've received a letter from the school detailing introduction days, parental tour dates, summer school and Y7 residential trip in September.

Re. visiting schools, my tip is also to go onto their website and read the newsletters. Often you'll discover there are events open to the public, like drama performances etc, and at least this gives you a feel for the school and a bit of familiarisation. Not as good as an official tour, but still helpful.

Cuckoooo To my shame, we had never visited DS's 2nd choice school (only one open day, and just had 3rd child, very disorganised time). And of course, that is what we were offered.

On one of the many forums (MN or elevenplusforum) someone mentioned they were going to visit Wilson's after getting the offer - they'd just called up and asked. So I was straight on the phone - and there were about 30 parents and boys who - for whatever reason - had not made the Open Day, or just wanted another look.

A few weeks later, we got our first offer, so I called them and asked if we could have another look round, and we had a lovely time just the three of us and 2 lovely Y7s showing us round, and a chat with the Headteacher. So always worth asking I think.

Thank you tiggytape

AmazingD apparently both TA and HA are currently full after Richmond allocated other children living nearer to the two schools, as are all state schools in the Borough. I'm sure that in the next few days there will be movement as people who are holding an offer from a private school will decide to go private.

DD is currently placed 6th on 1st choice wait list, but we will accept another school place in the meantime (which we are happy with) and see what happens.

Still waiting here!!! Impatiently waiting for the ridiculously slow postman to deliver the news! Will be at least after lunch and judging by the rain probably mid afternoon! Everyone I know found out yesterday, we're the last ones standing. Am going to take us off shopping to distract I think!

DS was actually very happy to get into the 4th choice as it turns out half of his class is going there as well. He then admitted he never liked the selective school when he did the tour.

Now DS and DH want to do a tour of the school they refused to go and see previously. Is it normal to ask for a tour of the allocated school in the next week? Or do schools not care anymore?

I can spell....

EmpressOfWorry Wow, I'm gebuinely shocked that your neighbour didn't get any placement. I thought there was at least one school that has been undersubscribed in recent years... TA?

You can never tell with waiting lists. We were 5th on offer day but then all the late applications were added. We didn't get a place until January four months after starting at the allocated school.

Last year we were 19th on the waiting list for our first preference school. We got an offer during the second round of offers in April. Good luck.

In London (Richmond) DD got 4th choice of out-of-borough girls only school. I will find out tomorrow how far we were from getting 1st choice furthest-distance offer (also girls-only), as frankly we expected to be in with a good chance. Neighbour with DS got nothing, i.e. none of 6 carefully considered school choices and no allocation i.e. the borough cannot offer any place for her son

Does that put us automatically on the waiting list for 2nd and 1st choices?
I know in the Bromerly borough you are automatically put on the waiting list.

Clam - I have half read the local news reports, but haven't paid much attention either! They did add an extra form (as did Ricky), and I think it had to be in accordance with the admissions rules, so local children.

The catchment was the talk of the primary playground today. Think it went to the Uxbridge Road, which is a lot further than previous years. Apparently low sibling year too.

Thanks Mandzi, it really is. I hope you're friend is ok.