Anyone else stuck in waiting list limbo?

By miracle, we won our appeal, so my son made it in time for settling in/induction days.
fingers crossed for you @ColdHappyBap x

Oh that’s wonderful @AmeliaEarhart, so good that he’s feeling happy about it all now.

We are now sitting in first position on the waiting list for school 1, which is a nerve wracking place to be. I’m going to be anxiously awaiting an email all next week, then I think I’ll calm down. I wasn’t expecting such a big flurry right at the end of term.

@ColdHappyBap
Thank you so much x

That's fantastic news @Bellawella1978

Hello yes we received the fabulous news that our daughter had got to the top of the waiting list for our 1st choice school and just in time for the induction day!
I had kind of resigned myself to the fact that her place on the waiting list wasn't going to bring the good news we had hoped for as each time I called to enquire she was moving in the wrong direction down the list. Then from nowhere came the email to offer her a place! Couldn't believe it and my daughter and I couldnt be happier! I am incredibly thankful that she is now able to join in with the excitement for the move to secondary school.
So to anyone reading this you just never know what will happen with the wait lists so dont give up hope. Fingers crossed for all of you who are still waiting.

Just thought I’d resurrect this and see how people are getting on? Anyone scored a place? We got closer to the top and then all of a sudden went back a ton of places so we were nearly back to where we started. I have no idea what happened.

The last few weeks there has been a flurry of movement again though, I think the induction day was the catalyst with it revealing people who weren’t coming. A few people I knew got places and we are now so close to the top I actually think we might get one. It’s slightly daunting knowing that induction days are gone, but then the induction for the school we got was only a day and I’m not convinced it’s made my DD anymore prepared. So maybe a change at this point would be fine.

Thanks Meadow. I see what you mean.
So to make places in an oversubscribed school in Sept, some kids would have to start and then leave the school within a few weeks, or not to have turned up at all on the first day of Year 7? I wonder if that happens in many numbers at schools, I hadn’t thought of that scenario.

There was a flurry of movement on ours and we moved forward about 10 spots on the list. However I just checked and people must have moved or changed applications as we've gone back up 5.

I think I need to not check the list and just get a nice surprise if anyone ever calls me.

Our area are starting appeals, so expect slight movement….

@RoseWindow soon after autumn term begins.

The most movement is in the first two week/first half term. People turn down waiting list places as kids have settled etc

Did you mean soon after the National Offer Day or soon after autumn term begins?

I don't think there is ever that much movement at this point in all honesty. The most movement is in the first two week/first half term. People turn down waiting list places as kids have settled etc.

I would add though, my DD has SEN and a school with an easy route, good support and even one familiar friend is better than one without good SEN support. This holds the same weight if your kid doesn't have SEN. The amount of distruption caused by SEN kids who's needs are not met is not to be sniffed at.
My DD ended up going with the same set up as you. She was distraught with our choice. Knew no one. Within the first half term it was ok. She's now y9 and wouldn't ever go to the other schools she wanted.

Anyone seen any waitlist movement?

@AmeliaEarhart it might be worth contacting the SENCo of 3rd choice school and asking if you can book in an early transition visit. They will probably do some extra transition stuff for DC with ASD anyway, but there's no reason why you can't ask for it now as he's struggling.

Though you might prefer to hold off until you are sure about the others.

FWIW with an autistic DC at secondary, good SEN support is the reason he is still in school, and is now way above academic results on my wishlist.

@asdjklasdjkl that is great. Congratulations!

In case helpful-we were 8th on waiting list last Tuesday-ready for appeal in 2 weeks time and got offered a place yesterday. Good luck everyone

That sounds tough @hayh. If you've got some good evidence to base your appeal on it may still happen though.

I didn't bother going to appeal because I didn't really have a case. There has been some movement on our waiting list but still a long way off. I don't know at this point whether there will be much more movement. I just feel like now is not the time when parents are going to think "sod this, I'm going private".

Hi

it was stage 1, group appeal. The panel explained their role, and the school gave their case as to why we (and the other people on the zoom call) didn’t get a place.
panel agreed school is at PAN limit, therefore we move to next stage of 121 appeal hearings.
there were approx 40 parents on the zoom appeal, so any little glimmer of hope I had, is now gone….
appeals are being heard over the next week….
school said currently all places have been offered, and whilst they don’t know, they don’t expect much movement on wait list.

I do wonder that too- if the rocky economic situation is making some parents more wary to commit to private schooling for secondary- or they want more time to think it over. But surely the private schools can’t let them ponder for much longer? Don’t they have to accept or reject those places PDQ?

To give perspective from a year on, last yr my daughter was one of only 2 or 3 of her friends not to get into the local school, which was a massive deal locally especially with covid having restricted visits etc.

We made the decision immediately to keep the waiting list (we were #19) and subsequent appeal very low key, and let her get her head around the new school. Said school didn't have a great rep and was further away.

Give her her due, she went off and researched it, and got quite into the idea.

She is now 2 terms into yr 7 at the less popular school, and happy and thriving. She was offered a place at the other school a couple of weeks ago and declined.

So these things aren't always the end of the world, and I would really advise not making a big deal about the process to kids, as the last thing you want is them feeling like they're at a rubbish choice if the list/appeal doesn't come through.

Ive just realised you weren't wondering if it was me near you!
Sorry 😊