Is it too soon to start a 1st March (secondary school allocation day) support thread?

I second what Susiesue61 says, my DS went up last year knowing no one but has made loads of really nice new friends so do not worry at all.

Just being nosey as the last of my three moved up last year, but for those not moving with friends, Ds2 went up to a grammar in September with no close friends from primary, and he's made lots of new friends, and he also knew quite a few from cricket and football. DD is in year 10 and she only moved with one friend from primary, and they no longer speak!! So I'm sure they will be fine

Phew, London's in. First choice for us, a minor miracle.

DS is going to be the only one from his Primary school, he knew this when he decided though.

On the question of whether there are actually 6 choices. We potentially could have had a bash at the local grammar, we're out of catchment, so would have been a long-shot.

We may have had a chance at the CofE school through membership of another church, again bit of a long-shot.

Then there are four town schools which we probably would have got an offer on, but there's no transport to three of those from our rural area.

That left us with our first choice which has a bus service and our second, a rural school also with a bus.

So yes, we could have put six down. None are failing schools, but on a practical level we only really had a choice of three.

I've just got onto the London portal (no problems getting on) and we got our first choice. We thought we would, but a couple of years ago, we wouldn't have got in.
Now a decision for us as we are holding an independent offer too. Tricky choice time....although I know we are very fortunate to be in this position.

Good luck everyone, with finding out today, movement on waiting lists and appeals. The road might be long, but hopefully there will be happy outcomes today and even more in the days to come.

Second choice but not disappointed as we were right on the cusp for first choice. We've still been offered an outstanding school in walking distance- also just found she's been offered a place at an independent which I know she's keen on and we could afford so need to sit down and talk to her about what she wants but she's not home until nearly 6.30 tonight as she has choir.

Just logged into London portal. Got our first choice for DD. I am delighted, she will probably be a little bit less so as her best friend is unlikely to get in.

just got on eadmissions ds got first choice.
very happy boy

Logged into London eadmissions. Got our first choice school - as expected. Good luck to everyone and especially those appealing or trying to use waitlistd.

This is an awful process.

We have 3 choices. I had a realistic chance of getting into 4 plus a 5th if we were Catholic. One of those 4 is out of LA though. Slightly further down the road and they would have 5 plus the Catholic school. But we don't as yet seem to have the pressure on places like other areas.

We are in suburbs. Have 6 choices. Realistically, ds would have a total of 4 secondaries he would get into. Luckily they're all good or outstanding but obviously we have preferences and listed three. Different story at primary though - bit of a black hole in my street and the dcs go to the only one that dd got into when we applied for her, which happens to be the furthest of the ones we listed.

We only get to put down 3 "choices" here. For us there were actually 2 realistic choices (one of which is our catchment school ) after which you get a "choice" of loads of oversubscribed schools that don't ever take anyone out of catchment or the failing school of your choice. Do some of you out there actually have a realistic chance of getting into 6 schools?

I'm not quite sure the reality of being one of only (potentially) three going to the school has quite sunk in. Especially as she is not really friends with either of them.

I'm sure she will be fine but there might be some wobbles along the way.

@BarbarianMum and @SpringsInMySteps DD is also going to be going to secondary with no friends from primary. But it was very likely that this was always going to be the situation as we live out of catchment for her primary and are in a different group of schools for secondary. I'm hoping all will be fine. She doesn't actually know yet as she is an after school sports club whilst I am "working". l am delighted but sad that 2 of her friends have been allocated a school they didn't pick. Still hoping it will work out well for them and everyone on the thread who is disappointed / upset.

Hope the wait is almost over for everyone still waiting, its nearly 5...

Barbarian ditto. DD got first choice and reality now hit that she faces a secondary with no friends to go with (well, apart from a couple from Scouts). She was cool with it in Oct- and her choice. SO keeping things very celebratory and hurrah-y. Going out for pizza, talking about how fab the school is, how she can still see her old friends. She is coming back to positivity (nearly a few tears on the way home).

The thing is she will thrive at first choice and within a couple of weeks will have new friends. Can totally understand her worries though - just wish I could ease her journey to Sept a little. Think everyone in her class is going to the other school. Hey ho. Yep, parenting hard. Pizza anyone?

I've only just had an email from BCC, we got first preference. How bad is sixth choice middle?

so sixth choice for DT2......

About BCC...it's piss poor.

My friend found out before 8am
I got one twin's info through at 2pm (grammar)
and DT2 an agonising hr later (shit school with no mates)
My friend got hers 40 mins after the final cut off at 330pm - even though her surname before friend who got hers at 7am

Yet solihull families knew they had places in Bham at 6pm yesterday

you can't even get any info by logging onto site.

Torture.

We got our first (longshot) choice. I'm delighted, ds1 is quite subdued as the reality of not moving up with his friends sinks in (he was completely fine about us putting this school first 5 months ago). This parenting thing is hard -now I get to spend months worrying about whether we've done the right thing.

So happy for you @Edna1969. Enjoy the relief

I'm not in Herts and I don't even have a y6 child awaiting a school place, but I found the reports in edna's link really interesting to read. Does every council publish such detailed data?

What a relief Edna.

I remarked to my dh earlier that I must have checked my email about 10 times since this morning plus the letter numerous times too.

OMG I didn't realised just how stressed I have got over this...I have just received the email and need to keep checking it. We got our first choice. So happy I'm crying!!!

Everything crossed for those still waiting.

Thanks tiggytape - I've ordered the recommended book. We feel it's worth a shot as DH was diagnosed with ADHD very recently which we believe goes some way to explaining why he missed the cut off by less than a point. Teachers were surprised too.

Still no news for us - council isn't emailing until later today.

Our letter said that if we declined the place we had to tell them what alternative provisions we had. So hopefully they would stop anyone declining a place to go on a higher waiting list.