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Original poster

Waiting for Results on 1st March

959 replies

GORGEOUSPSYCHIC · 13/01/2011 20:32

Thought it would be nice to start a support thread on here about the wait for our DC getting into secondary schools. Anyone else glad the tests are all over?

OP posts:
Lucycat · 02/03/2011 17:43

And mmj the head is a complete arse- he's just got rid of 11 staff who he claims didn't fit in with the school's ethos! Being an Academy they can do whatever they like but to announce it in the local press....I'm glad I don't work for him!

Jynxed · 02/03/2011 17:45

Idling, Citrus, Weblette - another one from West Sussex here, absolutely tearing my hair out. I also phoned the council (the poor woman on switchboard said it had been red hot all day) and the Admissions Team appear completely unperturbed by their monumental f**k up. How difficult can it be to send out a few thousand emails?? I'm not sure I can stand the tension, as 2nd class post could take up to a week!

weblette · 02/03/2011 17:48

No, I'm Bucks. E-mail finally arrived - 5.17 today so only 24hrs late Hmm

Mama, if you want a gang of us to sort out your MIL I'll happily volunteer. What an insensitive cow. Angry

themildmanneredjanitor · 02/03/2011 17:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GORGEOUSX · 02/03/2011 17:53

Jynxed Appalling! here Wine

Jynxed · 02/03/2011 17:57

Thank you for your sympathy Gorgeousx. I've been boring everyone at work today about how dreadful it is, but unless you've been in the same position you just don't understand how dreadful it is. I just want to KNOW!

moscow · 02/03/2011 17:59

Balarat: Erm...yes...! Don't know how old your children are, but the chances if it improving in the next three or four years have got to be extremely slim. After that who knows, but I hope so, for the community's sake. As you're looking to move into the area, pick the school you want and make sure the house you buy virtually guarantees the place! For some primary schools here, without a sibling you need to live less than 200m away, I am not joking. And for secondaries, if you look at the out-turn reports on the web, you will see the historical distances from where children have got places. This week's is already available!

GORGEOUSX · 02/03/2011 18:01

I agree - if the admissions staff didn't have major Attitude it would help. Hmm

moscow · 02/03/2011 18:04

Balarat meant to say that W'stead children have generally had a very tough time re secondary 'choices'...and particularly those at the 'wrong' end of the village. They often get FB, although the relevant local councillor has battled for them for some years. Gorgeous village but nightmare for secondary stress!

Ballarat · 02/03/2011 19:59

Can't believe children in W'stead get FB! It seems so far away. Gosh, I'll need to look carefully at everything. Thanks for the tip! Tbh, I have really just been looking at primary schools at the mo as my eldest is Y2. Both the primaries in W'stead looked great hence us thinking that was a good bet. I think DH and I have a weekend of googling ahead!

Ballarat · 02/03/2011 20:13

Meant to add that the school in question doesn't, at first glance, seem to be in a dodgy area (if such a thing exists in StA). In fact, we saw online that an infant school which looks to be just around the corner has a great ofsted and looks lovely.

From what I can gather online, I'm guessing the secondary school we should be aiming for is S! Is that about right? Which I guess means we should be aiming to get primary places at the primary sch which seems to be either next door or on the same site? My eldest is already at school so may be an issue there but I can apply for DD1 for next year and maybe DS would then jump up the queue as a sibling??? Sorry, I should start a moving to StA thread. Thanks for advice, Moscow. Smile

Though, I guess I want to be in the best position when our '1st March' comes. Smile

BiscuitsandBaileys · 02/03/2011 20:52

We got our letter this morning saying dd has got her first choice school. Very pleased and relieved.
I really feel for those who have not got the school's they wanted. What an awful position to be in when all you want is a good education for your dc's Sad

snowegg · 02/03/2011 23:04

We got our offer by email last night, had to let it sink in as we did not get in the GS although know DS passed. Comp offered is good, but I remain convinced GS would be best. Was rather naive about how much prep was needed for the tests, did not help that we had to switch schools i sept due to moving house
have been advised by Gs to wait for letter to tell us where we stand, though wondering havin read some of the comments above whether should be thinking of appeal.
DS is not unhappy with offer but I have shed a few tears on the sly.

curlymama · 03/03/2011 08:18

Snowegg, that's possibly even worse knowing that he passed, rather than missing it by 8 marks like we did. (I found out the pass mark was 340)

But it does mean that he should go on a waiting list, and then stands a chance of a place if others decline for private school. At least that's how it works for our GS.

My ds is happy with his offer too, sometimes it is way worse for the parents!

mamatomany · 03/03/2011 08:22

I've probably said two or three times on this thread my neighbour appealed and was offered her first choice school on the 2nd september, she had to rush out and swap the uniforms.
People will turn down grammar school places and with a bit of luck those who appeal seem to be allocated them.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 03/03/2011 08:41

sorry for those who havent got what they hoped for :(

For those who do know where their dc are going - has the enormity of it hit you yet? I was awake much of the night, trying not to fret but failing - worrying about whether we had gone for the right school - it is out of town and although there are buses they are a bit rubbish if dd misses the school one. They arent allowed phones at all and I don't drive. Horrible fears of dd ending up abandoned somewhere! And hardly anyone she knows is going to that school.

MaryBS · 03/03/2011 09:09

snowegg, my DD said if she didn't get in the school we wanted, she wanted to appeal. If you feel strongly about it, and your DS is happy for you to appeal, I would go for it, you've nothing to lose, and at least the school you've been offered is still good, even if its not much comfort.

miniwedge · 03/03/2011 11:46

A very quick update for you all;

DD has been reallocated a school that we are very very happy with. Grin

I called the admissions team yesterday and got through to a very lovely lady who spent ages talking to me about why we weren't happy with the school we were given.
She then had a look at schools that still had places and came up with a school that we had looked at and loved but had been told we would have no chance of a place as we are out of catchment.

She didn't have to do this and I am so grateful to her for her assistance.

She is sending out the new offer letter today. Grin Grin

Thank you so much to all who offered support/commiserations.

Best of luck to all those of you who are still trying to get a resolution.

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 03/03/2011 12:41

Minwedge - wonderful news!!!!!! Isn't it lovely when people go out of their way to help you like that - now there's a lady who can go home knowing she's done a very valuable day's work and made a real difference!

CointreauVersial · 03/03/2011 12:58

Wow, Miniwedge, I never knew it could be that simple!!

You must be so chuffed.

I do feel sorry for the Admissions team, as virtually everyone who calls in is under stress, unhappy, complaining etc. and it's not their fault.

When the man at the other end of the phone told me my good news I was whooping and shrieking; he gave a sigh, and said it was so nice to get a good reaction for a change! It can't be easy for them.

snowegg · 03/03/2011 13:12

Curly and Mary, I am certainly keeping everything crossed and waiting to hear where we are on the list (they will not tell me, say I have to wait for a letter!) - but I think there were 390 who passed for 150 places. however - my hope is that since DS managed to pass the allegedly most difficult GS exam in the area(probably the one its hardest to coach for - he is bright, but was unprepared), maybe many who missed out will have been offered and accepted places elsewhere.But maybe I am dreaming!

Badkitten I think it does take a while to sink in, especially if you haven't got exactly what you want. I noticed on Tuesday that nearly everyone posting had been lucky - either MNers' DCs are charmed, or lots of us had to turn away for a while..

miniwedge · 03/03/2011 13:15

I know, I am amazed at how simple it was in the end.

And bizarrely, it is further away but a far simpler journey for dd.

I would email a thankyou to the lovely lady but she said she wasn't really supposed to be doing that so I don't want to get her into trouble. I did thank her profusely on the phone though.

Our biggest issue was the lack of sixth form provision which has been solved with this move and it is just in general a lovely school.

Am going to relax now. Phew!

GORGEOUSX · 03/03/2011 14:02

Soo pleased for everyone who's happy and really feel for the ones who are disappointed.

DD has scored very highly in the Tiffin Girls test and we are now in the very enviable position of being able to CHOOSE a GS. We have accepted a place at our 2nd choice and Tiffin was our 3rd choice, but we can now go straight to the top of the Waiting List, if we choose to.

Tiffin is harder to get into than our first choice, but she had a bad day on first choice school (Nonsuch). Although I'm thrilled, deep deep down, I want her to go to Nonsuch because her sister is there and it's just a walk away. I'm not moaning, just voicing thoughts really.....

kitchensync · 03/03/2011 14:10

Congratulations can you not get her into Nonsuch then I don't understand ?

kitchensync · 03/03/2011 14:12

Sorry about the lack of punctuation. Is anyone else totally exhausted by all this ?