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Original poster

Waiting list question - SE London

33 replies

alwaysthebalancingact · 26/04/2025 19:03

Our child has been offered a place for our fourth choice school (Lewisham), which we've accepted while staying on the waiting lists for the others, with all fingers crossed! We've just received the enrolment forms and wondered - do we just carry on as normal and fill them in etc? I assume this won't affect us continuing to be on the waiting list? Also if anyone has any positive waiting list stories, would love to hear them!

OP posts:
Original poster
alwaysthebalancingact · 28/04/2025 10:13

@FishfingerFlinger I can only imagine! That must be a lot of unsettled feelings to manage. We are basically trying not to talk about it in front of our DD and focusing on the choice we've been offered, but it's not easy as first or second choice, and even third would be so much better! We are in the 20s for all three of our waiting lists so not holding out much hope....

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FishfingerFlinger · 28/04/2025 10:07

alwaysthebalancingact · 28/04/2025 09:47

Brilliant @FishfingerFlinger - that's really positive news! Fingers crossed for your first choice. I'd better get form filling today then...

It's such a rollercoaster though - I'm trying not to think about it and but it's not all that easy!

It's horribly stressful! Trying to protect DS from it but it's been very hard for him to first be told he's not been offered a place at the same school as all his friends, then get used to the idea of going to one school, now getting used to the idea of another and still holding out for the possibility of getting into our first choice without raising his expectations.

Hope things work out for you! We are SE London too but different borough and there's definitely been movement, we know of a few people who have been offered different schools in the last couple of weeks and that then creates a chain of movement - it can all take time to work through the system. Have you managed to find out where you are on the waiting lists?

Original poster
alwaysthebalancingact · 28/04/2025 09:47

Brilliant @FishfingerFlinger - that's really positive news! Fingers crossed for your first choice. I'd better get form filling today then...

It's such a rollercoaster though - I'm trying not to think about it and but it's not all that easy!

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BangersAndGnash · 28/04/2025 09:23

Waiting lists move all summer. Right into the first two weeks of term when kids just don’t turn up as the parents have moved or gone private and forgotten or not bothered to say.

Nothing disadvantaged your place on any waiting lists, and if you get a place in a higher preference school you can still stay on the list for highest.

FishfingerFlinger · 28/04/2025 09:18

I’ve filled out one set of enrolment forms, then got a place at a school further up our list, so completed another set and are still holding out for our first choice!

Just fill everything out and keep your fingers crossed.

Original poster
alwaysthebalancingact · 27/04/2025 21:13

Thanks, this is really helpful, and great to hear about your classmate too! Yes, I think waiting lists have moved - we've heard of some that have been offered places. I'm not sure if everything is stalling now though, or whether there will be another flurry at some point....

OP posts:
Annoyeddd · 27/04/2025 10:15

Have waiting lists started moving yet on non-selective schools?

CatatonicLadybug · 26/04/2025 19:38

Fill them in. You can stay on as many waiting lists as you like, but this way you are all set if you need to start at this school.

We are in this borough and a classmate just went from a choice not in her six that had her in tears to top of her list. There is definitely movement!

Good luck!