National Offer Day Waiting Room

London here - got first choice. So very relieved and DS is dancing round the room.

Good luck to those waiting.

In london....it's five. No email yet?! Anyone else...losing my mind

We live in a semi-rural area here and our catchment schools are all in a town about 15 minutes' drive away. In rush-hour traffic it's more like 35 mins... and the school bus for it leaves at 7.30. Our actual local school (not catchment ) is five minutes down the road (though the school bus, because it goes round all the houses, leaves at 7.45). It's not our catchment school, plus it's the school everyone wants to get into. So that was our first choice and we didn't get it. We got second choice which is in a third town, again about 15 minutes away, but it's single sex which I was never keen on. I think we'll accept the 2nd choice place offer and appeal/go onto the continued interest list for 1st choice along with everyone else within a radius of 5 miles and see.

So regarding waiting lists and appeals - it doesn't prejudice an appeal for a school if you go onto its waiting list, does it?? And if you fail that appeal, can I presume you still keep your place on the waiting list for that same school?

Good luck to those still waiting!

Does anyone know what time the results are to be announced in London? Thank you.

Got our first choice, there was never much doubt we wouldn’t, but it was still good to see it confirmed in black and white.

8 minutes...

SW Herts results now out (got the email 2:13pm) and DD got our first choice. Phew!

Good luck to everyone on continuing interest lists / appealing.

Glad I worked from home today. Got a letter that I saw had the words ''[DD] is joining at an exciting time for the school...' and was astounded when I turned it over to see the logo of our first choice. I did not think we had a chance (its catchment last year was 0.3 miles, we live 1 mile away)... well, I thought we had a tiny chance because they changed the criteria for getting in very shortly before the deadline in a way that favoured us, as they were going to offer more places n our postcode (which otherwise has very few secondary schools) but I still suspected not enough. Happily, I was wrong. It's an academy, quite small, very supportive and creative with great reports so far, so right up her street.

Just about to show DD the letter. She will be so thrilled - she had her heart set on it and was preparing to be disappointed. I think she often feels things don't go her way, but they have this time.

We're on the waiting list - in 32nd position. We missed out by 400m, which is probably quite a lot. Last year she'd have got a place, frustratingly!

In London too...can't take much more of the waiting!

still waiting here (London). I thought I was very relaxed until this pm and now I'm really not! good luck all

@TidaQuel

I'm feeling better than I was this morning - we chose a third choice that we were well out of catchment area but really thought we would get second choice and could appeal first choice so it wouldn't matter. I felt guilty got not choosing a more realistic third choice. I've since heard from a neighbour who chose same first and second but our very local school as third (this school is almost on our doorstep) but their ds still didn't get a place which has made me feel much better.

We are in a good place to appeal for both school (first place I work out so I know how close he came).

Fingers crossed everyone gets a place they are happy with in time.

In Kent, 45 mins to go. We should get our first choice, 0.3 miles away, single sex grammar, so only a limited amount can apply rather than every y6 child in the area, but still nervous.

No news yet. We are in Surrey. Waiting anxiously....

In some places you're automatically on the waiting list for higher preference schools. You should be able to find the information about waiting lists on the Council website.

@babyseven76

first choice was not offered but still waiting to hear about 2nd choice. Is that normal?

you can accept (you really should accept otherwise the LA has discharged their duty) and then ask to go on the waiting list for preferred school 4strings

No, @4strings, whatever you do accept the offer you have in hand (this is the First Rule of Mumsnet Education Boards).

You should then automatically be placed on the waiting list for any school you placed higher up your preference list.

However I would recommend emailing your LA admissions office (or possibly the school admissions office if they are their own admissions authority - check this on your LA's website) to confirm exactly which schools you wish to remain on the list for. You can also request to stay on the lists for schools lower down your preferences, or I think any school you like even if you didn't put it on your form.

If you don't accept the offer you have, the LA will have fulfilled its obligation to you and does not need to keep you on any lists at all.

4 you can and should accept and go on the waiting list.

So stupid question, but if I accept the offer, will that mean we can’t go on the waiting list for the preferred school? I’m sure I do know the answer but my mind is swimming today.

Thanks @Zinnia, we had a bulge year and 833 children applied for 240 places at the school he got, so was worried. Will do as you suggest and if letter doesn't appear will call and be polite.

Croydon. Still waiting. My first choice is usually 0.9m - 1.1m catchment, I am 0.8m, so very much on the edge!

@howhowhow congrats, that sounds like a great dilemma to have!

@PassTheGinPlease you won't lose the place, your offer letter will have details of how to accept it, and there's usually a two week window. If your letter doesn't arrive in the first half of next week check in with the LA admissions office to make sure it hasn't gone astray. Be as lovely as you can on the phone as they will be having a very hard week!

We got our first choice. Really wasn't expecting it as it's a lottery school. Has really put the cat amongst the pigeons at home though as we had decided to go private. Nice position to be in but lots of talking to be done over the weekend.

Luckily got our first choice, was dreading having to appeal.
Have tried to accept it via email (to Reading council) as we did last time, but gotten a snotty email back telling me to await a letter with instructions? I recall it asking if you preferred email notification or letter and I definitely clicked email so baffled and worried he will lose his place. Post has been and no letter either.
Anyone know?