Page 5 | Currently on a secondary school waiting list - moving child a few weeks into the start of term?

Turquoiseturtle3 · 2023-08-21T07:09:49+00:00

Hi all, with 2 weeks to go in slightly freaking out about the start of secondary school. We are currently on the waiting list for our top choice. At one point we were 3rd at the start of July but have now slipped to 10th. So the chances of being offered before term starts is now extremely low. I was hopeful we would be offered in the summer holidays and everything would work out. So we are now potentially facing a dilemma if we are offered once term has started. Has anyone moved their DC a few weeks into term? I am gutted he will miss out on the “getting to know you” stuff. Of course he might not be offered at all and this is also semi wishful thinking. But I have to be prepared. The school he is currently going to is further away but he will know quite a lot of people from primary. Our first choice school he will know practically no one. Im worried about him making friends when groups have already been formed. But know this is probably short term pain. Any advice welcome. TIA

LadyLapsang · 22/08/2023 13:55

Hi OP, Did you appeal for the preferred school (& not succeed) or just go on the waiting list? I’m surprised the preferred school took so many children in September last year, did they take a bulge class, or go over PAN? As well as children going to the independent sector, gaining places at other schools or moving out of the area, be prepared that more children will move into the area over the summer so rise above you on the waiting list. Also, children may be allocated to the school from the Fair Access Panel.

Have you considered at which point you will commit to the allocated school, e.g. half term or Christmas? Have you looked at the subject choices for Year 7, e.g. do they both offer the same language choices or will your DC need to catch up?

redskytwonight · 22/08/2023 07:33

JaukiVexnoydi · 21/08/2023 13:26

In terms of streaming/sets - If you end up getting a place at your first-choice place, do check what has happened already by the time your child joins. I know someone whose child joined a year late and was put into low sets for everything (one step up from the lowest-ability) because they had missed the assessments that would have been used for streaming and they didn't have the capacity to run the assessments again just for one pupil so they felt that was the safest bet. They weren't able to change the groups until the start of year 8, so it was a frustrating time for the child.

I'd go so far as to say that if OP's school streams, or only reorganises sets once a year, I would avoid the school altogether. Rigid sets is really poor practice.

lanadelgrey · 21/08/2023 23:18

we moved around on the list, after failing with an appeal. Neighbour’s DC 10 doors up and therefore closer to school got in before the half term and settled in easily but lots of primary year group went. It was expensive on the uniform front for them ie two lots of different kit inc sports kit. By end of half term when school rang to see if we wanted to stay on the list I felt it was too late and my DC was happily settled in.

SheilaFentiman · 21/08/2023 23:02

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 21:49

It’s a shame that people get away with just turning up on the first day. If they have a private place, without good reason, they should not be able to just be no shows.

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Do you mean “just not turning up”?

Mine are in private and we gave up our state places on offer day, but if we had felt our jobs were at risk, say, we might have held onto them over the summer.

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 21:49

Foxy1616 · 21/08/2023 19:18

There is a LOT of movement in the first 2–3 weeks of the autumn term. Some students will have moved house over the summer, some will have gone into care and thus might have a different priority for schools, some parents will have decided to privately educate, and of course new people will have moved into the area.
schools will try to ensure that they are as full as possible for “school census date” (which is last week of Sept/first week of Oct) after that there is far less movement - pupil numbers on that date affect funding for the next academic year.

It’s a shame that people get away with just turning up on the first day. If they have a private place, without good reason, they should not be able to just be no shows.

OP posts:

Foxy1616 · 21/08/2023 19:18

There is a LOT of movement in the first 2–3 weeks of the autumn term. Some students will have moved house over the summer, some will have gone into care and thus might have a different priority for schools, some parents will have decided to privately educate, and of course new people will have moved into the area.
schools will try to ensure that they are as full as possible for “school census date” (which is last week of Sept/first week of Oct) after that there is far less movement - pupil numbers on that date affect funding for the next academic year.

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 16:19

HarrietJet · 21/08/2023 16:02

The new kids starting a couple of weeks into first term thing happens all the time, op. They seem to settle into friendship groups with very little problem.
To be honest, the friends kids make in the first few weeks aren't necessarily the same ones they'll have a couple of months down the line; Year 7 is a time of great change in that respect.

Thanks - that’s really good to know and is reassuring. I think it’s just the initial discomfort of changing which would hopefully subside quickly

OP posts:

Summerslimtime · 21/08/2023 16:15

The councils normally have the year 7 waiting list for the first term, then they hand it over to the schools. But obviously this may vary.

Greenfingers1980 · 21/08/2023 16:02

No - it's not managed by the council. I have to wait for the school to open in September to find out direct from them.

HarrietJet · 21/08/2023 16:02

The new kids starting a couple of weeks into first term thing happens all the time, op. They seem to settle into friendship groups with very little problem.
To be honest, the friends kids make in the first few weeks aren't necessarily the same ones they'll have a couple of months down the line; Year 7 is a time of great change in that respect.

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 15:58

Greenfingers1980 · 21/08/2023 15:43

At the end of the summer term we were #9 on the list. I think we might have scraped it last year at that position but obviously every year is so different so we're preparing positively for the offered school while quietly hoping for this option to come up...

Have you contacted the council to find out your latest position?

OP posts:

Greenfingers1980 · 21/08/2023 15:43

At the end of the summer term we were #9 on the list. I think we might have scraped it last year at that position but obviously every year is so different so we're preparing positively for the offered school while quietly hoping for this option to come up...

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 15:36

Greenfingers1980 · 21/08/2023 15:31

In the same boat here too. Hoping for a miracle offer in the first week of September or early in the term but would consider a move at any point in Y7 at this point.

Fingers crossed for you. Where are you on the waiting list? Do you have any idea on movement last year?

OP posts:

Greenfingers1980 · 21/08/2023 15:31

In the same boat here too. Hoping for a miracle offer in the first week of September or early in the term but would consider a move at any point in Y7 at this point.

TeenDivided · 21/08/2023 14:28

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/08/2023 14:20

That sucks

Why should a child moving to town in a closer house get up the list quicker

Because that's how the system works.
Lists are held in admission priority order, not based on how long you have been on the list. Distance is the 'tie break' within each category (normally).

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/08/2023 14:20

That sucks

Why should a child moving to town in a closer house get up the list quicker

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 13:58

calmcoco · 21/08/2023 13:47

It'll all work out either way is my feeling. Kids move all the time, it's only a problem of they move repeatedly or at very difficult points.

Do NOT mention the second child in discussion with the first. Only make it about the first.

If he really doesn't want to move when the time comes I'd have a rethink.

Do you mean don’t consider the second child when making this decision?

OP posts:

calmcoco · 21/08/2023 13:47

It'll all work out either way is my feeling. Kids move all the time, it's only a problem of they move repeatedly or at very difficult points.

Do NOT mention the second child in discussion with the first. Only make it about the first.

If he really doesn't want to move when the time comes I'd have a rethink.

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 13:47

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/08/2023 13:41

Then surely if they want to add their name they should be behind op son

They should be 10th if he was 3rd

2 more spaces refused and her son would get the space

Or not how it works ?

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Sadly not. They go on the admission criteria - distance, siblings, ehcp and re rank every time there is a new application.

OP posts:

SheilaFentiman · 21/08/2023 13:43

@Blondeshavemorefun no, waiting lists are in criteria order not order of being added.

So if someone moves into the county and is 2 miles from this school and 1 mile from another, and op is 3 miles from this school, the new person might put themselves on both waiting lists, hoping for the 1 mile school. In the meantime, they would go above op for this school.

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 13:43

JaukiVexnoydi · 21/08/2023 13:26

In terms of streaming/sets - If you end up getting a place at your first-choice place, do check what has happened already by the time your child joins. I know someone whose child joined a year late and was put into low sets for everything (one step up from the lowest-ability) because they had missed the assessments that would have been used for streaming and they didn't have the capacity to run the assessments again just for one pupil so they felt that was the safest bet. They weren't able to change the groups until the start of year 8, so it was a frustrating time for the child.

That’s really bad. Hopefully they would use the Sats results as an indicator or at least speak to the primary school.

OP posts:

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/08/2023 13:41

SheilaFentiman · 21/08/2023 13:09

@Blondeshavemorefun also people are advised, if appealing for a school, to add their names to any other lists that might be a match. There may be people on the waiting list who are on several other lists

Then surely if they want to add their name they should be behind op son

They should be 10th if he was 3rd

2 more spaces refused and her son would get the space

Or not how it works ?

JaukiVexnoydi · 21/08/2023 13:29

joined a year late sorry I was distracted and multi-tasking while typing - joined a term late (ie at the start of November, in an area where the year is considered as 6 terms that broadly follow the "half-terms" of other schools)

Original poster

Turquoiseturtle3 · 21/08/2023 13:26

SheilaFentiman · 21/08/2023 13:09

@Blondeshavemorefun also people are advised, if appealing for a school, to add their names to any other lists that might be a match. There may be people on the waiting list who are on several other lists

When do appeals usually take place? 8 people have been added after the transition day at the start of July/now. I would have thought if they were due to the appeals they would have been added on before July…

OP posts:

JaukiVexnoydi · 21/08/2023 13:26

In terms of streaming/sets - If you end up getting a place at your first-choice place, do check what has happened already by the time your child joins. I know someone whose child joined a year late and was put into low sets for everything (one step up from the lowest-ability) because they had missed the assessments that would have been used for streaming and they didn't have the capacity to run the assessments again just for one pupil so they felt that was the safest bet. They weren't able to change the groups until the start of year 8, so it was a frustrating time for the child.