Offers day: 1st March 2024

They can only offer according to their admissions criteria. They can't take other things into account.

Buckinghamshire used to assume that you wanted the higher ranked place & automatically removed the previous one. Their reasoning was that if you'd stayed in the waiting list you'd want the place, & of course it freed up another place at the same time. My understanding from some posts on here is that it may be against the admissions code. I don't know if they still do it. It should say in your offer letter, I would have thought

There's no incentive for parents going private to relinquish their state place early (or at all). Most will, hopefully, at least at the point they are committed to fees for the school (start of the summer term for September start), but there is no come back if they don't.

But shouldn't they all make their mind by the deadline of acceptance that is 15th of March and therefore the new places would be released after 15 awaiting acceptance ...and then all rounds completed by around May?

Just asking.

This was Primary not Secondary but...

We accepted a school place in April. DH was told his job was relocating abroad at the end of June... we moved in August. So a place at very popular Primary school suddenly became available.

Circumstances change all the time. Ans it has a domino effect with several waiting lists.

The local main privates x 3 here released offers this week. They have reserve lists too, some kids will get 2-3 private offers plus a state one... some parents are deciding which private to choose and some are still deciding fee / no fee depending on what state they offered eg popular comp or maybe a state grammar.
We are a city

@RedFluffyPanda I think it varies.
But all the private school kids I know applied for a back up state place - even those in all through schools where admission to high is 99%
They wait until state offers are out and only then get round to saying no thanks. In some cases people took weeks to get round to it.

I've been back and forth with the LEA since we decided to move home last year. If there's enough space in my first choice school we will get a place despite our address. If not we will have to go on the waiting list. I'm hoping there's movement but it's a very popular school. My second choice school was under subscribed last year so we would have got a place there but obviously birth rates differ this year. Just keeping everything crossed that they took our situation into consideration or the school is under subscribed!! We will see! Good luck everyone

I think from reading mn there is at least one area that automatically assumes you want the higher up place (or at least used to), but generally you get asked.

@RedFluffyPanda Yes I think you do have a choice. I remember from when my daughter and her friends went through the process. You can stay with the original offer and decline the high preference that you were on the waiting list for.

Roughly by what date the applicants have to accept private school offer? For how long are the " movements" on the waiting list?!
I live in London, I suspect many kids are going to private too

One more question. If we are offered one school and are on the " waiting list" for the one above on the list, and uktimateky we will get an offer from the school that we ars on waiting list- do we have a choice then accept or not to accept the one from waiting list? Or is it automatic that we will get it?

Just asking as I am unsure how it works.

Last year we applied and then moved house (and across LEA - we live on the borders) between applications opening and offers day - offers made based on where we were when we applied and we got our second choice.

Then got a call from the LEA offering us a place in our first choice school, and despite us ringing them up and telling them we'd since moved further out of catchment - they were happy about it and that the offer still stood because of where we'd lived on the day applications went in.

You all have my sympathy. We know my sons place already as he has a EHCP and they have named our first choice. His brother is already there so we are happy with the school.

I may be wrong but as I understand it, the admissions board would take into account the address you are resident in when applying for a school place, offers are then made on 1st March. If you don't get your first choice tomorrow you can accept what ever place you are given and request to go on a waiting list for your preferred school, if you move back to the u.k in June your waiting list position will become higher so that if any spaces becomes available you will have a better chance of getting a space, as previous posters have said there is often movement. I would call/email your council so you can be 100% on their specific admission policy.

@RedFluffyPanda in our area there is at least 10% movement as that is roughly how many apply for state then go private. Then there is significant shuffling until Oct

For very popular schools there is little change before Sept. Only top of the waiting list is benefiting from the cha ge until Sept

@poolcrew don't panic as there is so much change before Sept

I'm worried as we are currently living abroad, but will be home in June. I've had to apply for a place for my daughter but they are apparently judging our application on our overseas address. I've provided mortgage letter etc and am just hoping that will suffice on Friday

Yes starting to get the queasy feeling now. Our closest school is 2nd choice but I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get choice 1 as it’s a much better fit.
it’s just the fear that we won’t get any of our choices and get dumped in the inadequate bin that is one of the high schools!
DD is at a feeder school so the highest category after ECHP/looked after and siblings. I just want to know now!

First choice is the local Grammar. Not sure DD will automatically get a place as they take top 180 and it’s extremely competitive.

Second choice would also be fine but we are just under a mile away and it’s very popular.

DD desperate to go to the closest school to our house as all her friends are allegedly going. I put it last on the list as really not keen. Headteacher left a poor impression at the Open Evening, many of the kids seem unruly (which was mentioned in the Needs Improvement OFSTED) and there just seems to be a general air of malaise about the school. Feeling slightly stressed but what will be, will be.

And I have to go through it all again with DS in 3 years😩

My son passed the 11+ and is in catchment for the grammar he wants to go to, but still a little worried he won't get a place. But like 90% sure he will get his first choice. But still, roll on Friday!

Won't be long now guys. My child is in last group of oversubscription criteria and out of catchment etc for first preference but last year was undersubscribed and last distance admitted was almost 5 miles. It's the historically bad school but it recently got a good Ofsted and neighbouring schools inadequate so hoping that doesn't make it shrink drastically. We loved it at the open day and are less than 0.4 miles away. 🤔 We would have just missed out on second choice last year and we have put our guaranteed Ofsted rated good school third but it's the furthest school with a ridiculous route x

I’m not nervous this time round as I’m confident we will get a place at our first choice school due to sibling link. But two years ago we didn’t get a place at any of our preferred schools and got given a place at a woefully inadequate school instead. It really was an ‘over my dead body’ school and I went against the advice and rejected the offer.

Knowing I had limited chance at appeal we were very fortunate in the end to find an absolutely wonderful school 25 miles away that was undersubscribed that year (rural location). It’s a small secondary only around 100 pupils per year which was perfect for DS who has anxiety.

Fortunately we were in a position to relocate closer to the school and we couldn’t be happier. It was the best decision for us as a family and I’m really glad now we didn’t get a place at our preferred schools as I don’t think DS would be doing as well

I don’t think it’s common knowledge- I only know because I’m an admissions nerd who read the entire county council agreed admission arrangements and timescales 😂

Eek! I wouldn't want to be a year 6 teacher today then, I imagine they must get parents desperately trying to find out from them!