Its 2018....countdown to 1st March secondary school allocations!

Ugh, I am thinking about this too. We are in an area with superselective grammars, which give places to the top n applicants. Ds’s rank would have got him a place at his first choice last year, but you can never predict these things. We think he’s got a certain place at his second choice but really prefer number 1 for travel reasons. We have our catchment comp on at number 3 where he should get a place on catchment grounds. I can never work out how it can take so long for the allocation process: we’ve had the eleven plus results since early October!

I think the intention was that parents could then tell their children when they get home, giving the children time to process it before seeing classmates. Also stopping the inevitable playground gossip between parents.

Unfortunately, most parents seem to find out on their mobiles in the playground, which is even worse! Luckily we're not in school that day, as ds has a music thing, so we'll avoid it completely...

I can understand the 5pm offer time of giving parents time to chill out before hitting the phones in the morning - I just can’t see the point in a 3pm one, that would make me on edge all day tbh.

Dgs is applying for this year.
School one ‘above average’ his mum teaches there and he goes to a feeder primary school but lives just outside county border (places in past have gone to some students from his area).
School two has just come out of special measures, has had a bullying problem now rated ‘average’ in walking distance of home.
School three a short train ride away, excellent pastoral care, rated average.
Desperately hoping for school one...

[b]Hersetta[/b] Thanks, I think you may be right. I've never looked too deeply into private schools and assumed because they seemed to advertise so much that they always had spaces. But then I started reading threads about entrance exams and having to leave hefty deposits and needing to accept places BEFORE the state school day. Which feels very unfair, but it is what it is and it's probably to dissuade people like us who might clear off after a term. Can't say I blame them really.

I'm thinking that option probably won't be a backup after all. Hopefully it won't come to that though, statistically it's very unlikely based on my calculations and previous allocation information.

Can I join? We could select 3 places. Our first choice is an excellent academy school with several specialised sports academies running alongside. We have absolutely no chance of getting in apart from being one of the 20 kids chosen to join the sports academies due to sporting ability. So fingers crossed DS1's ability to hit a cricket ball hasn't gone unnoticed! Our second choice is a highly oversubscribed CofE school (we are not CofE) and last choice is a definite due to location and his primary being a feeder school. DS is desperate for the first school and I feel.so helpless telling him it's not down to me! One of his teachers at primary also helpfully told him it was down to how good at cricket he was which I was purposefully not telling him!

It would certainly present a conundrum. I only viewed three schools. Figured the rest would just be a waste of time given I wouldn't get them anyway and I thought that if I got one of them id just ring up and ask for a viewing.

Makes it difficult if there wouldn't he time to do hat and I had to accept or decline blind.

Perhaps that's why our local Council doesn't do the auto waitlist - it strongly advises you to accept the place you are given whether you want it or not and there will be advice on the webpage with the results on if you want to go on a waiting list (so I don't actually know what we'll do for that really). Not long to go before we find out anyway!

Yes, thanks for the heads-up [b]Giles[/b] - I wouldn't have realised that she'd lose her offer if a place higher up came up. It's quite possible she may change her mind if she doesn't get into school 1, because if she doesn't, her friends who have it listed won't get in either, and they'll all want to go to DD's school 3 which they have listed as school 2 and they're guaranteed a place there (unlike us!)

Out of interest, our plan was always to pop her into private school whilst waiting it out if she doesn't get into school 1,2,3 or 4 (as our catchment school would do more harm than good) But I'm wondering if that's realistic.. would all the private schools be likely to be full?

Eyes on that date but telling my dd not to worry about it.

Hi to all the Herts Parents (particularly anyone in SW Herts who also had the consortium tests to deal with).

I'm going through this second time round, but have different first choice for DS2.

Whatever happens on the 1st, it is really important to accept your place, then stay on the waiting lists. I knew one family who were offered a school not on their list, they refused, and ended up with no offer at all. In the end Herts simply re-offered in September, and they had to accept.

I agree, you must also make sure that you come off any waiting lists you don't want. I do, however, know of one family who were offered a place 2 days after the start of term in year 7. They were actually given a few hours to decide, and moved their child the next day!

tiggy

Thank you so much for the heads up 're the "no second chances" rule

I will definateky look that up and check if it applies to the out of county school we placed on the list.last thing I want is to be forced into taking a place because the current one was made null and void by reaching the top of the list.

And dont worry i have no intention of rejecting the place. There are most likely hundreds round here fighting for a place at the same schools giben the other choices are pretty poor. I know I could be waiting along time for a space. I know i.cant take the chance

Thank you tiggy

That's kinda what I thought but it was worded in a way which made me wonder.

I'm assuming I can also go on lists of schools I didn't apply for as well?

Just shows how different the systems are with the Councils - we can check online one minute after midnight and we don't get added to a wait list automatically!

I started double checking our process yesterday. Here you get added to the waiting lists of higher choices automatically and I had a check of the method for appealing. I pretty much have my statement written as we applied under exceptional grounds. I need to add in stuff that's happened since the application was submitted and a few other things that I left out because I knew they were too subjective to be considered at that panel but may sway an appeals panel.
Also realised that the appeals aren't heard for ages which just draws out the agony and will make things far harder for dd.

Ah yep, with primary it was available before the email came out I seem to very vaguely recall. I thought it was around 6pm but I could be misremembering and I don't think I could last that long!

Even though it won't be there at midnight, I know I am going to check anyway then again at 6am, 7am, 8am etc

I'm hoping ours come out earlier than 2. They did with primary last time. They were available to view before the specified time.

I can't wait til 2. I'm hopefully going out ok the 28th as I will need the distraction.

I'll join you all for coffee in the morning though

I think we can check online at midnight, not sure when the emails go out.