Who else finds out about their dc's secondary school place next week ??

Fantastic!!! Well done

Good news here - heard today from council that dd1 has got a place at our chosen school. We were number 1 on the waiting list so I was quite hopeful but I didn't expect to hear as soon as this - she is thrilled! Good luck to everyone waiting/appealing.

how disappointing Saxlass, good luck with the appeal. Mollyroger, thanks for the link, much appreciated.

Found out on Monday that my son didn't get into grammar school, his 1st choice, despite passing his 11+. Live in a village which has always got each child that has passed 11+ into the local grammar and are in free transport area for this school. This year my son missed out by 0.2 of a mile. His friends further in the village all got in. We're absolutely gutted and feel cheated - my son's worked hard for the last 6 years, passed with an excellent pass rate and still hasn't got in. Been given a school in town - not happy. Going to appeal and fight all the way. Bring it on!! Congrats to everyone who got their 1st choice!

if anyone is appealing, there is a very useful free download avaialble from the Advisory Centre for Education website
here

me too BlaardyBlah, but having spoken to the admissions people today we won't stand a chance. Just doing it to show DD we've done what we can to get her in to first choice high school (having already failed to get in to grammar)

Gah! Looks like I'm going to be putting together an appeal.

DD got our 2nd choice school, we're all happy as really it was a joint 1st choice between two schools IYSWIM

(although we are very fortunate to live in an area where all the schools are good)

She's finding out today which of her friends she'll be with next year.

Cannot believe my baby is going to secondary school

Got into the school 50 yards away. Didn't even bother putting a second choice.

Really glad the next 6 six years are sorted

Chalkpink, You can hear my conversation with Ed Balls on the radio 5 live web site. It's about 2hrs 20 mins into Mondays Victoria Darbyshire show. He agreed that it was unfair for siblings not to go together. Hope this helps your friend.

We are so gutted. We are out of the catchment area for an excellent, ridiculously oversubscribed school and she didn't manage to get one of the few places for out-of-borough children.

The school's announced it's abolishing catchment areas...from 2010.

Ta ta £80,000.

2plus2. Sorry slight hijack but I have a friend whose 4 year old has not got into the school her 5 year old brother attends (they are out of catchment)
Can you say exactly did Ed Ball told you - my friend is appealing and needs all the help she can get.
Thanks

Ds1 is the only one in his school going to our first choice, other children were declined. We applied under rule 2 'medical and social needs' as Ds1 has Cerebral palsy and the school we wanted wasn't a catchment school for us, but is fully adapted so we are very pleased he got in.

well I don't know what to do. DD is beside herself at the prospect of going to our local comp. Am wondering why I ever put it down as third choice? Stupidly thought we'd get our first or second by some fluke. London schools are just so heavily over-subscribed. Our first choice had over 700 applications for 90 places.

Her biggest concern is that no one else from her lovely primary will be going there and in fact this school is used to throw insults in the playground! "You're going to Blah Blah school!"

Called first choice to enquire fter waiting list and was told to call back in September (hmm)

Feel like a useless mum right now.

they live nearer...
When they say 'social grounds' on the appeal form, I wwant to rant about fricking selection on nice address grounds. 'Cause that's what it boils down to.

mollyroger - that's terrrible - how on earth is it fair that you don't get that school when it was your first choice and they do although it wasn't their first choice??

OMG my heart is pratically going to burst!!! Ds got in to first choice on ability test. Can't believe it

we got our third choice.
Feel a bit disappointed as my friend got into our first chouice - but they only had it down as their 2nd choice.

2plus2,good luck with your appeal, it's excellent that you can quote Edd Balls. Sorry I can't find the paperwork (have filed it "somewhere safe") I can't remember what rules came after the sibling out of catchment but I remember thinking that they seemed fairly "petty".

DD has got into our preferred school Yay!

ElsieP, for what it's worth the school that DD1 goes to and DD2 is going to is not the best school in the area by a long way but DD1 is doing extremely well there as she is self motivated and we give her good support at home. One thing that swung in the schools favour when we first looked around for DD1 was the excellent pastoral care that they have. Overall we are glad that we chose this school and not the best one where pupils seem to be pushed all the time beyond their capabilities, which reflects well in the league tables for GCSE's but then they seem to struggle with A level results. HTH

We got first choice too, but I was fairly confident as we live very close. DS1 will probably be the only one from his primary school though as pretty much everyone else is running around manically trying to get into the local Catholic school (which has good results but I wasn't keen on)

Yay! We got our first choice, hands shook as I opened the envelope this am.

Commiserations to those who didn't get their preferred choice, good luck in getting up the waiting list/appealing!

Hennipenni, Thank you, Siblings outside catchment area come after everyone else in our area. Admissions told me he was 58th on the list, but not sure if all 57 will appeal.
I spoke to Ed Balls on 5 live and he said that all siblings should be able to go to the same school regardless of where they live and I can quote him on this.

I rang the education access team at the council and they told me - yes it is good news - just seems quite hard to have come so near - anyway we only need one change for her to get in so I think we have to be optimistic.

2plus2, iirc the sibling rule was about rule 6 out 8 rules for elligability(sp) so it's actually quite far down the list. I'll try and find all the paperwork later and let you know.