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Original poster

Secondary school waiting list success stories

38 replies

ImpatientAnn · 05/03/2021 10:15

Please excuse this being my first post. I have been lurking and I’ve searched for this and found lots of stories about people who are on waiting lists but not always the outcome.

Could I ask for stories about waiting lists to keep me going until I know more about ours?

Basic story - we missed out by less than 10m on our first choice school (we live 0.006 miles further away than the last child admitted) and got our 5th choice. It isn’t awful but we would much prefer number one.

We are in a local authority who have an opt in waiting list which will close on the 15th March so we can find out our place on the waiting list on 16th. People have to accept their places by 29th March and then they’ll start to allocate them if there are any from April to August.

I’ve drawn a circle on google maps at our distance away, a big part of it is in the catchment for (and closer to) an outstanding school in the neighbouring authority and another big part is non residential so we don’t seem to be in a lot of competition on distance but I am aware people may have moved into the area or decide to make a lay application with a higher criteria and so could so be higher up the list than us.

Just hoping some people can share their “I was position X and we got to position Y” or “we were 50m away and we were position Z” just to keep me going while I wait to hear more.

OP posts:
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CornishGem1975 · 07/03/2022 10:28

Oh zombie threead

CornishGem1975 · 07/03/2022 10:27

17th on the waiting list for ours and got a place 3 weeks after National Offers Day. My friend was 67th on the list and got offered a place in the July.

Sueellen75 · 07/03/2022 06:19

Sorry just seen your update. Makes me feel hopeful and good you didn’t have to wait too long.

Sueellen75 · 07/03/2022 06:16

Hello I’m in the same position as you were last year. We missed out on our first choice school (our nearest school) by 0.008 mile so 12 metres. We got our 5th choice which is much further away. So just wondering how you got on with the waiting list and if you got in to your first choice.

Frazzled2207 · 06/04/2021 12:36

Great update op. I was going to say it sounds positive. Hope dc is happy!

Thischarmlessgirl · 06/04/2021 12:30

I’m number 4 and 10 at our preferred schools

Thischarmlessgirl · 06/04/2021 12:27

@ImpatientAnn I’m currently waiting so thanks for the update. It’s horribly stressful Sad

Original poster
ImpatientAnn · 06/04/2021 11:12

Just updating this for people searching in future years.

We got our waiting list place on 1st April. We were never told what position we were in, despite me asking once or twice a week for three weeks, just got an e-mail offering a place from the waiting list in the first allocations.

Good luck if you are searching for this thread to make you feel better while waiting.

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firedog · 24/03/2021 21:54

Any updates yet? In our area you'd get in as at least 10% go private or have moved in the end

1starwars2 · 24/03/2021 15:01

We were on waiting list for DS1, he started at 8 on the waiting list but went up the list rather than down for a while (people moving in closer, or moving with older siblings I think).
Eventually he was at no. 4 come September. He went to choice 2 school and its been fine.
It was a pretty unhappy summer with DS obsessed with not wanting to go to school 2, and the uncertainty.

DarlingOscar · 24/03/2021 14:54

Best of luck to you. I know a friend's son was 50th on the waiting list for their preferred school on allocations day.

And he got the offer about 2 days before term started. It did mean a mad dash to return one set of uniform and buy another, but they;'ve never looked back!

Champagnecharleyismyname · 23/03/2021 20:33

My DD was 46 in Surrey and got an offer by early May. This was a few years ago though.

Iamsad1322 · 23/03/2021 20:09

I'm 109th for my dream secondary school. I really want to go there. Is there any past experiences/ stories similar to mine

Snuggles23 · 23/03/2021 13:50

We didn't get any of our 3 secondary school choices and were offered an awful school within our catchment. We were in the mid 30's on all two of the school waiting lists and 70's on one list. It was such a stressful time for my husband and I and to top it off although we put an appeal together this was held behind closed doors and all appeals were unsuccessful. What I will say is that we found a place for our child at a different school and although he started not knowing anyone he settled in and then 4 months later we got offered a place at our 1st choice school we which accepted. It's an awful time as you are not in control and its extremely upsetting but things to have a way of working out.

Original poster
ImpatientAnn · 05/03/2021 19:54

That’s fab. I know it makes no difference at all to our chances but it is keeping me sane to see positive stories. Thank you.

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PlayingTheDevilsAvocado · 05/03/2021 18:50

Yes. Similar happened last year to us with a similar distance. We got a place in late July from position 7 ish. Neighbours opposite had the same the previous year and got a place in June from 22.

Original poster
ImpatientAnn · 05/03/2021 18:23

Thank you @TrevvyFownten - we are actually well within the cut off distance on offer day for the last three years.
We’ve missed out by less than 10m this year 😫. If we were on the opposite side of the road or one house left we’d be in.

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TrevvyFownten · 05/03/2021 18:17

@ImpatientAnn It depends on your area. Here in densely- populated London where high numbers of families give up their state offers to go private and everyone gets 6 preferences, the waiting lists can move by several dozen even for the most popular schools. In fact the least popular school has offered 60 more places than its published admissions number because it knows it's at the bottom of the food chain and will lose a lot over the next few months.

If you want to do something practical to keep your spirits up, use the whatdotheyknow website to submit a freedom of information request to your local authority (or to the school if they coordinate their own admissions). Ask them what was the cut-off distance by September 1st in each of the last 3 years.

Waitingfirgodot · 05/03/2021 17:54

@ImpatientAnn good luck to you too. It's horrible waiting.

Original poster
ImpatientAnn · 05/03/2021 17:45

Oooh Good luck. I will feel so much better when I know where we are - whether it is a realistic prospect or not.

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Original poster
ImpatientAnn · 05/03/2021 17:43

Wow 40th to getting in is amazing! That’s the kind of thing I need to hear this week. Thank you. Smile

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Waitingfirgodot · 05/03/2021 17:43

This is making me feel quite hopeful! My son is second on the waiting list for his preferred school, so hopefully we're in with a chance!

AlexaShutUp · 05/03/2021 17:29

We were waitlisted but received an offer very quickly for our preferred school. My friend's dd was also waitlisted and was around no.40 on the list. If I recall correctly, she was offered a place in school in the August before they started.

Good luck!

Echobelly · 05/03/2021 17:26

Can't remember any specifics, but I'm in London and was surprised how many people's waiting list hopes did come through - I think if you're near the top it's quite likely to come out OK.

titchy · 05/03/2021 17:23

@mdh2020

Schools don’t have endless waiting lists. If you are on the waiting list you stand a good chance of getting in. They know from experience how many people will refuse a place.
Errr yes they do. In theory anyway. Anyone that applies - could be tens of thousands of kids(!) - and didn't get a place will be on the waiting list.
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