SW London boys, 11+ grammars and independents

*to the offer holder event

(Typo, sorry)

Thanks @swgeek and @Hanahanna makes absolute sense. Have let EC know we are keen to hear back from them. DH and DS have since been the offer holder event for the other rival school and came back really positive which helps too.

@Mylife2000
Sent DM.Thanks.

@Hanahanna hi, could you please tell me more about the recommended child that you mention above? My son had a disaster in his entrance exams and we are relying on the recommendation from his prep school head. I wasn't sure how much influence the prep school head would have and I know we only have two days to wait but it has been a long few weeks.

@Thisonesfortheroad

This is just our experience but a certain schools pick up from same school category with same gender from their WL. For example when a state boy declines offer, another state boy will be picked up from WL. This is due to maintaining balance between state and prep and girls and boys.
And the recommendation to the Admission by WL children’s head master/mistress of primary school is also important and I just heard they tend to pick up the recommended child from WL if no order in WL.

Some schools’ WL start moving after the 1 March so I think you can wait until your so called back up schools’ deadline.

This is just an example and hope it makes sense. Good luck.

@Thisonesfortheroad I think the reason some schools say the WL are not in order are that many on the WL may not be keen on a place anymore, so they often prioritise in terms of who really wants to come. There probably is an order but they don't contact people one by one in order if an offer comes up because many may have other preferences. They highlight the people who seem to be keenest, so do express EC is your first choice. We are holding an EC offer, in their terms it says if accepted in writing, there is a 14 day cancellation period, you may have the same footnote in the offer you do hold, check, if you send the acceptance form on March 6th you should have 14 days to cancel without losing your deposit. Hope you get positive news soon!

Hello, wondering if anyone who went through it last year can offer help with our predicament : Epsom college has made us a waitlist offer but the email states that the wait list isn’t held in any particular order, and that they will only be in contact after place confirmations are made by offer holders ie after 7 March. DS does have another offer for a school slightly further away from us at the moment but EC would have been our preference. We have to confirm acceptance of the offer we hold by 7th March.

My questions are:
If not held in order, how do EX make their offers and how will we know what chance we have of being made an offer eventually? If at all?

Does this mean we may have to accept the other school’s offer and pull out if EC offer does come through? That seems a horrible thing to do given another child may well be WL for the school we have and could lose out?? Not to mention we would lose any fees/ deposits we pay?

Our school cancelled the parents / children open day scheduled next week, instead have chosen to offer small group tours, webinair for the group before end of term. Also an induction day for thr yr 7 before the school starts, so the new entrants will have some idea of school before the upper years begin.

Another DS with a cancelled June induction day here. They still get a day in September, so hopefully it'll all be ok in the end.

I'm guessing the schools probably had to figure alternative induction plans out for last year's new intake too, so have had a chance to reflect on what seems to work best.

It’s a big shame our events have moved to virtual

So fed up with zoom

We have a whole day Induction this term, a sports trials day late august and then a new starters afternoon on the Friday before term starts in September

Thanks for your replies. I'm definitely more stressed out than DS is about the whole thing!

@schoolcookie, we're in the same position as you - just waiting to hear what the plan is now! My son is pretty laid back about it all...think I need to follow his lead...but was kind of looking forward to the cake :) :)

@schoolcookie try not to worry too much. Your DS won't be alone in not visiting his new school. Last year there were virtual visit afternoons and Zoom meeting for the boys to introduce themselves to their tutor groups & form teacher.

DS's school use Classlist and connected new parents together that way and arranged a meet up in a park (with a café). Maybe not perfect, but it was something. The boys played football and chatted, so they weren't 100% strangers on Day 1. First Form had the school to themselves on Day 1... and the school are doing the same again on Friday 3rd Sept.

Hi all, just wanted to see what schools are doing regarding induction days for our boys going into year 7.

I am currently waiting for an update from the school but feel awful that DS will be potentially starting in September having never actually set foot in to the school building or meeting any other boys as we don't know anyone else going there.

The crazy process we've all gone through this year continues!

It does seem that every boy finds his place eventually. Well done all x

@yetmorewaiting, would you mind giving me details (PM) about the WhatsApp group? How did you get on it! I feel totally out of the loop as we don’t know any other Wallington families. Thank you 🙏

We got an offer just before Easter for Wallington and I'm now in a WhatsApp group for new intake. Someone has left the group today as they received an offer for another grammar so there'll be another place there now too. Good luck if anyone on this thread is still waiting!

Hi, no one appears to have posted in a while, so I thought I’d check in and see how everyone is doing.

Thank you for your honesty. This alongside some of the highs and lows experienced by some here, does help give me some perspective on the whole thing. Finding it extremely difficult to get a tutor at this late stage too.

It’s also so disheartening however - our local comp is definitely not a good fit.

Well done to all of you with offers accepted and decisions made!

Has anyone had any offers after 1st March from any of the Sutton grammars? Wondering when /if we might see waiting list movement. I am trying to big up the comp we've got a place at but DS1 hasn't got his heart in it!

[quote harmitag]@Teacakes100 Reed’s WL is moving as my son was offered a place on Tuesday[/quote]
Congratulations! Our son also got offered a place at Reeds on Monday, we're all very happy and relieved . We got a great feel for the school despite not being able to see it in person. Now to get our son that's not in to any team sports ready for September!