London waitlists -- not moving?

This should say more like independent special schools.

Being faith schools doesn’t mean they aren’t also independent schools though.

All the ones I listed have an official open date of this academic year.

Apex secondary school for boys - 6/2/2025 - you can see the official open date here.

Apex secondary school for girls - 6/2/2025 - you can see the official open date here.

Cambridge Muslim secondary school - 17/7/2025 - you can see the official open date here.

Edullect Academy Independent School- 5/6/2025 - you can see the official open date here.

Nuqtah primary school - 29/1/2025 - you can see the official open date here.

The Light Christian school - 10/2/2025 - you can see the official open date here.

Talmud Torah Yetev Lev D'Rabbeinu Yoel - 4/12/2024 - you can see the official open date here.

Some of the ones you listed opened earlier than 2024/5 so yes facts are important.

All the ones you listed below are religious schools which you can only enter if you are of that religion. They don't take children from outside that faith.

That isn’t the case. ‘Other independent schools’ are what mainstream schools are recorded as. ‘Other independent specialist schools’ are what special schools are recorded as.

Although some other independent specialist schools, so technically mainstream, are not typical mainstreams and are more like independent schools.

Well no because "other independent" schools are not MS, they are specialist SEN funded by taxpayer via EHCP

Whatever anyone’s opinions, it helps to have accurate information. There is more than one ‘other independent school’ (which is what mainstream independent schools are classified as) with an open date this academic year, according to the official government’s establishment data.

Apex secondary school for boys
Apex secondary school for girls
Cambridge Muslim secondary school
Edullect Academy Independent School
Nuqtah primary school
The Light Christian school
Talmud Torah Yetev Lev D'Rabbeinu Yoel

Yes, faith schools, but that doesn’t mean they are not also independent schools.

I haven’t listed the ones that are technically registered as ‘other independent schools’ rather than ‘other independent special schools’ but aren’t really mainstream schools.

The joys of peri-menopause!

Yeh that's the last published data but isn't about student numbers. The ISC did a census survey in Sept and one I think in July, not released yet but the tracked figures of pupil numbers from Sept 24- July 25 = 16K fewer throughout the year. Majority have moved into state schools.
Sept 25 starts will include those who decided not to start the independent journey so will be interesting to compare.

Anecdotally schools are reporting 10-15% leavers per school this academic year. That's why there has been a 67%+ closure rate, 15% fewer children = financially unsustainable. So we expect many more to close next year, indeed there were approx 44 more closures than on that table after Jan 25 as the data collection stopped there.

Unfortunately Labour chose not to monitor or track or collect data on this so they can keep gaslighting everyone as per PP above by including specialist SEN schools in the open/close data 😡

I only looked at the table posted at 3:30am. 3:30 am! you must be exhausted, have you slept at all?

That's why I said Sept 24-July 25 cos that's the academic year! Between Sept 24-July 25 there was a sustained fall each month totalling 16K by July 25.

Isn't Jan 24 & Jan 25 two different academic years? Wouldn't Jan 25 account for those who didn't start in Sep 24? I'm sure VAT has had an impact but I can't believe birth rates haven't impacted the independent sector too.

So 16K fewer kids by end of academic year 24/25 than the start of 24/25 doesn't = left. I mean, that's pretty much exactly what it means!
Nowt to do with falling birth rate if the number drops throughout the academic year is it?!
It's almost like there was something going on from Sept 24-July 25 which was causing 16K to leave independent schools constantly throughout the year........

Here is actisl data for openings/closures.
The only schools to open (bar 1) have been SEN specialist schools ie funded by EHCPS (LAs). They are lumped in as independent schools and majorly skew the data. Phillipson however omits to tell anyone this.

Decreased doesn't equal to "left", it's your interpretation.

16K kids didn't "leave mid-year". There's less kids on roll in private schools this year because the birth rate was declining. State primary schools are closing for this reason.
Closure rate is not +67% either, in fact new independent schools keep opening as usual.

When I last checked, Tiffin waiting list moved to the 40th person on it. Catchment for our local sought-for secondary didn't shrink either.

always

The school (very popular) also has dc who don't turn up in September.

And in terms of the numbers who leave my dcs school to private secondary they seem to up compared to previous years which did surprise me. I also know 3 dc who didn't pass high enough on the grammars but got subsidised places at various privates.

Waitlists can move in September when kids do not turn up or have moved in summer.
Or turn up and change mind. Wait til end September.

I haven't noticed that (working in a school). The birth rates drop have yet to hit secondary but apparently fewer parents got their preferred primary option because schools have closed/reduced forms.

This is the data and it doesn't show what you are claiming. Even this is out of date now as the number of kids leaving = 16K

I haven't got time either as going to work, usually if you claim something though then you need to have the data. I've been involved with this for 18 months and I haven't come across that data. Plus if it's a historical post then it wouldn't be up to date would it ie it won't have accounted for the full 16K which have left this year as many left in the last term OR the projected number leaving + not starting in Sept.
VAT has caused the largest exodus going to figures as of end of term and the exodus is still going, it isn't 1 year and done.

I'm getting ready for work. If you go through the Mumsnet search engine you can find it. I will definitely find it but not atm. I wasn't aware myself and that's where I learned it and the data was provided too.

Can you show me the data?

Actually if you read the threads on the topic you will find more people withdrew their children then than at any other point. I will see if I can find it. I'm not saying VAT didn't have an impact I'm pointing out the gross exaggeration in comparison.