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Original poster

What are the chances of getting in before September?

37 replies

Ooohee · 05/03/2025 10:18

Does anyone have any experience of being placed on a waiting list and your child getting in before September?
We’ve decided to place dc on the waiting list for our second choice school as we no longer want first choice. Bit worried that they wont get in but also that they might be offered a space after term starts which would probably be quite disruptive.

OP posts:
Thekaral · 05/03/2025 21:02

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viques · 05/03/2025 20:56

Don’t forget that waiting lists are run on the same criteria as admission, so you could be at number 1 then a child living 20 m closer, or is a former LAC, goes on the list and snaffles a place from under your nose. You really can’t rely on waiting lists always going in your favour, though I do hope it does for you.

billandtedsexcellentadventure · 05/03/2025 18:01

Literally happening to us too. But we've been added to 3rd choice too. Let me know how you get on.

Burntsausages · 05/03/2025 16:21

We got a place off waiting list but had to wait until mid-June. Accepted the place initially offered though. We also gave ourselves a deadline of moving up/transition day in early July (when all the yr6 kids visit their new secondary school and meet new classmates etc) that if we'd not received a place by then we would stick with the original offer. Luckily we were happy with original offer but preferred wait list school if it came up. I think you need to give yourself time limit as also though wait lists can remain open long after September, you need to decided how your DC will feel switching schools and starting all over again.

BlumminFreezin · 05/03/2025 11:16

Ooohee · 05/03/2025 10:29

Would you recommend getting in touch with the school directly? So far I’ve only contacted the LA

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Definitely contact the school.

You won't get 'official' figures but they will absolutely be aware of how much their waiting list tends to move and can give you a good overview.

PopcornPoppingInAPan · 05/03/2025 11:00

It’s worth contacting the school to ask, some are much more forthcoming/ helpful than others. I’m not sure if it’s the same everywhere but in our LA I believe you can find out your WL position in the admissions portal once they’ve run the first round of continuing interest.

It sounds like you’re hoping to get in your second choice on the basis of distance. Your LA should publish stats for previous years as to the furthest distance offered on NOD and for the continuing interest rounds. That should give you a reasonable idea as if you are well within that distance you should be near the top of the WL for continuing interest. If it’s not published on your LA site then you’d need to ask the school directly.

Best of luck!

Original poster
Ooohee · 05/03/2025 10:31

PopcornPoppingInAPan · 05/03/2025 10:26

Just checking that you’ve accepted your first choice school (which you should definitely do) rather than rejecting it while you go on WL for your second choice.

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The offer email says we don’t need to accept/reject, just that they’ve been offered a place at choice one and they’ll be in touch.
I definitely won’t reject the place they’ve been offered.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ooohee · 05/03/2025 10:29

TeenToTwenties · 05/03/2025 10:23

If you had put school 2 as first choice would you have been offered a place? if so you might be near the top of the list at the moment (can go down as well as up).

We would definitely have been accepted had we put it as first choice. It’s very local. Kicking myself now tbh.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ooohee · 05/03/2025 10:29

BlumminFreezin · 05/03/2025 10:21

Hugely dependent on where on the waiting list you are and the general area.

Ime the school can usually give you some guidance - ie 'we rarely see the waiting list move unfortunately' or 'we usually see 5-10 people from the waiting list receive an offer before September' etc.

Would you recommend getting in touch with the school directly? So far I’ve only contacted the LA

OP posts:
PopcornPoppingInAPan · 05/03/2025 10:26

Ooohee · 05/03/2025 10:18

Does anyone have any experience of being placed on a waiting list and your child getting in before September?
We’ve decided to place dc on the waiting list for our second choice school as we no longer want first choice. Bit worried that they wont get in but also that they might be offered a space after term starts which would probably be quite disruptive.

Just checking that you’ve accepted your first choice school (which you should definitely do) rather than rejecting it while you go on WL for your second choice.

TeenToTwenties · 05/03/2025 10:23

If you had put school 2 as first choice would you have been offered a place? if so you might be near the top of the list at the moment (can go down as well as up).

BlumminFreezin · 05/03/2025 10:21

Hugely dependent on where on the waiting list you are and the general area.

Ime the school can usually give you some guidance - ie 'we rarely see the waiting list move unfortunately' or 'we usually see 5-10 people from the waiting list receive an offer before September' etc.