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

elsieP: remember that the family has a huge effect, despite the school. In fact, I have heard some say that good pupils at poor schools get star treatment because the school's only hope for results all hangs on them!

I'm way past this (thank goodness) but I gather that UQD is your man for appeals and there are some websites out there.

Hennipenni, my Ds2 didn't get into the same school as Ds1 as we don't live in the catchment area. Does your sibling rule apply to any siblings regardless of where they live. We are trying to gather some facts for appeal. Thank you.

Senua - it is awful, I agree.

We have been allocated out nearest mixed school which is about 1.5 miles away. It's an undersubscribed school which has a bit of a bad name, rightly or wrongly - I don't know. We didn't even go to see it! It's next to a dodgy estate

Our numbers 1 (single sex)and 2 (mixed)are about 2 miles away and our 3rd choice is a hugely popular faith school which I knew we wouldn't get (although we are catholic, but it's highly selective and you practically have to have a reference from the pope to get in).

I have registered for continuing interest and will appeal, fwiw. My fabulous ds has been great although he's a bit worried that he's the only one going to this school . Just typing that has made me cry!

Any advice from appeal veterans will be gratefully received!

Northernlurker - how did you find out where you are on the list?

Good luck to those still waiting to hear!

And exhale! Have just ripped the admissions letter from the postman's hand. DS1 got his first choice which is a fab school so we are very happy. We were fairly confident he would get in but there's still a big element of 'phew' after all that.

Commiserations to anyone who did not get what they wanted, it's a horrible state of affairs that so many end up unhappy.

Sorry should read oldest Dsis

Cherry yes south london - of course system crashed as expected but got on at 8.15 got 2nd choice - knew we wouldnt get no 1 live too far away no siblings etc plus its a faberooney school - very happy with 2nd choice - good luck and commiserations to everyone who does or doesnt get what they want - we were told to fill our forms in as otherwise would end up with local dump - so glad I did that now

We're still waiting for snail mail to arrive, I and DD2 are hoping that she has got into the school of our preference as it's not our catchment school. her older DD is there at the moment so we are hoping that the sibling rule applies otherwise we are going to struggle.

Northernlurker - surely that's good news? I hope so, good luck.

Good luck to all of you who perhaps don't have a school you wanted. I hope that you either move up the waiting lists/your dcs get a place/it turns out well at the school they do go to.

Congratulations to all of you who have your first choices.

Ds has been allocated his first choice. Unfortunately, it looks as though he's the only one going there; so not quite the most ideal result. But still, we are really pleased.

Fingers crossed for all of you still waiting.

I rang the council this morning and found dd1 is number 1 on the waiting list (unless anybody moves into the area) so I guess that's good news as well as being totally gut wrenching because we've only just missed out! They are sending me the appeal stuff anyway but I don't think we have any grounds. Will just have to hope for the best...

Good luck to all those waiting/appealing

Congratulations to all who got their preferred school. My ds was gutted when I told him we hadn't yesterday and has been marching around the house shouting 'appeal! appeal!' ever since. Don't know what good it will do- rang the school to ask where we are on waiting list and they told me to ring back in about 2 weeks cause they've not sorted it out yet. Stopped myself from muttering about incompetence - don't think that would help somehow . I really feel for those of you still waiting; might not have had the result we want but at least I'm not still hanging on to find out

Mollyroger - hope you get what you want. I kept waking up hourly from 3am. Took me 30 minutes to log on as obviously everyone was doing the same thing! We were lucky and got our first choice - ds1 very pleased ... no over the top reaction, but a big genuinely happy smile!

Good luck for everyone else.

this is gut-wrenching - I won't find out til post comes around 2pm.....I had a terrible night's sleep.

elsieP: that is awful. What have you been allocated? - is it OKish, is it fairly local?
Will you appeal?

YAY!!!! Ds got in to his first choice school!! I was so relieved I burst into tears Ds is really pleased!! Good luck to all those still waiting, and hugs to those who didn't get what they hoped for.

I wonder who does the choosing .... Is there a school secretary somewhere saying 'That one will do' or, 'certainly not'

DS1 was over the moon and screamed around the playground when he found out he got in.

Sorry for everyone who didn't get in

We got our first choice but that was not really surprising as we are in the catchment area and have a dc there already!

I am really upset for a friend though who ended up with a school she didn't even put down as an option - of course it is the only school in the area that is undersubscribed - with good reason! They are all devestated tonight and there is nothing we can do to help!

It is such a roller-coaster isn't it? Good luck with your appeals everyone!

Just to say, ladies, that when our primary class went through this, the two children who did not get their first choices both got them on appeal (one boy appealed twice and got in), so don't give up yet.

DS didn't get 1st choice school, logged on to admissions at 8am today, very disappointed by seeing the words "not allocated" against 1st choice as such a brilliant school, small classes, great exam results etc. Got 2nd choice school which is fine but not quite the same as 1st choice.
Research on county council website tonight has found that 1st choice had 180 places, 244 children applied so dont know if worth an appeal due to high numbers.

We got our 1st choice. One very happy ds . Good luck to those who are still waiting.

we got an email after 5.00 today... ours arrived at 6.10pm

dd got our first choice so she is very happy... MSN has been manic tonight

very best wishes for tomorrow

This really is the thread of delight and despair, isn't it?

I see us as hanging around in a rather utilitarian room, waiting to be handed envelopes, while all around us, mumsnet whirls in a happy, chatty party.

In ones and twos we're handed the news and people either skip or walk out.

But maybe that's just me.

Ah well. Fiona Millar will be here tomorrow, to tell us that all our troubles will be cured/magnified with a lottery system.

Am feeling v sorry for myself as, out of a class of 30, we are the only one that didn't get our first choice.

We didn''t get 2nd or 3rd either!

Cornsilk and lulu41 - are you Londoners too? We get the results on-line at 7 tomorrow. I'm fully expecting the system to crash with the numbers logging on but that's just cheery old me. Are you North or South? [Nosey emoticon]
Good luck, girls.

Great news for all those of you who have the places you wanted. Hope it turns out well for those of you who haven't - wishing you waiting list luck and that actually all turns out to be well.

Now I'll just go off and fiddle nervously with stuff until tomorrow morning.

We didn't get our first choice Dd1 seems fine but I think she is disappointed, dh is being very pragmatic and I've surprised myself with how upset I am! (Possibly the fact that I've had a d&v bug isn't helping...) The school she's got is fine but I preferred the other one. 92% of parents round here got their 1st choice. I'm really ticked off that we didn't!

Our 1st choice is closer than the one we've been allocated - can you appeal on those grounds - stamp your foot and say it isn't fair!