Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

National Offer Day - 1st March. Anybody else anxious?

286 replies

ToxicGirl · 23/02/2022 15:22

I feel like a woman on the edge. Am unbelievably anxious about 1st March. Made my peace a long time ago with the fact DD won't get a place at our nearest secondary (within easy walking distance) because it's so oversubscribed. All her friends and most other children from her school will go there. We live a tiny bit further away and just won't get in, particularly as I understand it's a big birth year.

Would be happy with either our 2nd or 3rd choice schools. They're further away and not as popular but we'd have got a place at them in previous years as we're in catchment and just within the distance they usually offer.

However our LA has warned of unprecedented pressure on school places this year and said that the schools are likely to be significantly oversubscribed. I'm worried that we now won't get a place at the schools that would previously have been 'bankers'. Our other preferences are too far away. We won't get a place at them. Just put them down because there was nowhere else.

There are a couple of hugely undersubscribed and really poorly performing schools in neighbouring towns within the borough. From everything I've read and from looking at Y6 leavers destination info from previous years, I'm absolutely convinced we'll be allocated one of them. They're the schools people get allocated when they only put one choice down and don't get it.

I'm so anxious about it. Can't think about anything else and am driving DH mad. Am managing to hide it from DD but know she'll fall apart on Tuesday. She's prepared to go to school without her friends but not to a completely unknown school in another area.

It's going to be a long few days...

OP posts:
LightBulbous · 28/02/2022 22:03

[quote Echobelly]@LightBulbous - yes, siblings are high up in priority, I think statement of special needs is only thing above it.[/quote]
They most likely have looked after children higher too but that’s very high for siblings compared to my area. Good luck

Echobelly · 28/02/2022 21:29

@LightBulbous - yes, siblings are high up in priority, I think statement of special needs is only thing above it.

LightBulbous · 28/02/2022 21:14

@Lindy2

Yes, siblings are above catchment area at our school. They are one of the top criteria.

It must be very tricky if siblings don't get priority and have more chance of ending up in different schools. I hope you manage to get your preferred school.

That’s lucky. Most secondaries in my area put sibling low priority as it’s thought Y7 upwards can make their own way and don’t need parents to take them.

I’m not waiting thankfully. I’m an admissions officer though so hoping the best for everyone. Good luck.

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 28/02/2022 20:06

Fingers crossed for everyone. I think dd might be nervous, she's been crazy emotional this evening & almost the first thing she said when she got in the car tonight was don't read the email without me......suspect they've been talking about it at school & the snobby element are saying that one of our choices is terrible despite not seeing it.

Lindy2 · 28/02/2022 20:05

Yes, siblings are above catchment area at our school. They are one of the top criteria.

It must be very tricky if siblings don't get priority and have more chance of ending up in different schools. I hope you manage to get your preferred school.

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 28/02/2022 19:31

Thanks everyone for your useful advice

LightBulbous · 28/02/2022 19:27

[quote Echobelly]@Lindy2 - I'm the same DS should get in to same school as older sib, but there's always this worry that something, somewhere has gone wrong![/quote]
Does the school have siblings as high priority? I. My school we rarely get to siblings criteria as it’s low down. We fill up on catchment pupils before we get to siblings.

Whatwouldscullydo · 28/02/2022 19:16

Nerves kicking in now.
Wish I'd bought some wine for tonight.

Three might be some Xmas bailey's left ill see

ExitToTheLeft · 28/02/2022 19:08

I've just started a new thread as I couldn't find one.
I have twins and I'm crapping my pants that they either won't get into their first choice or will get into different schools,which is what happened with their primary and I ended up having to appeal.

I'm also in london where they seem to want to punish us by making us until the evening, which won't stop me from looking at midnight Grin

But wish you all good luck and fingers crossed all your dc get the school they want.

tigerbear · 28/02/2022 18:50

@TeachersPetMonkey same here, we don’t get the result until the evening tomorrow.
So envious of those who can find out from midnight tonight!

Echobelly · 28/02/2022 18:47

@Lindy2 - I'm the same DS should get in to same school as older sib, but there's always this worry that something, somewhere has gone wrong!

Sweetbabydust1989 · 28/02/2022 18:28

We don't get ours until 4pm tomorrow so scared it's my first born so very nervous he seems happy with which ever he gets as he kinda wants to start a fresh x

wendz86 · 28/02/2022 18:08

I’m nervous although first choice was closest school so hoping she gets in . We don’t find out till afternoon .

TeachersPetMonkey · 28/02/2022 18:05

Offer day tomorrow and I am a wreck! I don't think my area gets the email until 5pm so it is going to be a very long day.

Good luck everyone.

Comedycook · 28/02/2022 17:55

I haven't been discussing offer day with my DD because I don't want to make her stressed. Unfortunately all the kids at school were talking about it today and she is now really nervous. Argh!

hibbledibble · 28/02/2022 17:52

Also checking in here. I'm feeling really nervous but can't share in real life as I don't think most would get it.

I have some fairly horrific local comprehensives I'm keen to avoid, and possibly won't get any of my choices. My child has special needs and would get eaten alive their.

Africa2go · 28/02/2022 16:45

@boyblue Every year DC in my area 6 miles away and not in Trafford get places in all of the except ABS. (Urmston but too far for people to put down). They run the school bus service for them all

Thats probably because the catchment area for the schools (except AGSB) is more than 6 miles - AGGS is 8 miles from the school, for Loreto and St Ambrose the catchments are massive. AGSB has a very small catchment. So those schools are not under-subscribed as you say, they just take pupils from a wider catchment.

boyblue · 27/02/2022 23:12

@SecretSquirrel111 it also depends on how decent preference 2 is for people.
If people get a decent second choice school, once they child has done transition, bought uniform etc they might not bother moving.
So it might be that the first eg 10 people on wait list post Sept turn down subsequent offers and no11 gets a space.
But if pref2s are awful / much further etc then everyone on wait list might take up any offer made.

boyblue · 27/02/2022 23:06

@SecretSquirrel111 impossible as some cities are transient & some small towns not etc. Some have lots of private schools near and loads don't.

SecretSquirrel111 · 27/02/2022 20:40

@ufucoffee I just need a crystal ball… fingers crossed for everyone.

ufucoffee · 27/02/2022 19:50

@SecretSquirrel111

I’m going to ask an impossible question…!

Any idea on average waiting list movement. Is there a big washout in March and then if you didn’t get in give up or is it steady all the way through to September…? At an average oversubscribed comp…?

That's an impossible question like you say. There is no way of telling who will move, change their mind, decide to EHE, or not. There may be movement. There may not.
SecretSquirrel111 · 27/02/2022 19:14

I’m going to ask an impossible question…!

Any idea on average waiting list movement. Is there a big washout in March and then if you didn’t get in give up or is it steady all the way through to September…? At an average oversubscribed comp…?

SwayingInTime · 27/02/2022 18:41

Midnight works for me as I am at work but website likely to crash for a bit.

greyinganddecaying · 27/02/2022 15:28

I don't think I've seen a time for Trafford allocations to be announced. With primary it was midnight I think, so possibly the same again

Whatwouldscullydo · 27/02/2022 11:19

I'm bucks so 12 noon is the time given here. Although they have always cone earlier but we will.see