West London Senior School Occasional Vacancy process

[yearofbacon]

Hello All - please may I have some advice?

My DD (my eldest) has just finished up her 11+ and she does have a senior school place. (Yay!)

She is very sporty and through the process has become very very keen on PHS for which she is still on the waiting list (list length/ranking unclear) but the movement is likely limited by now absent the odd individual move by a family (I think?)

We therefore started to wonder about the occasional vacancy route - but do these work at senior schools? Does anyone have any PHS, WHS or other experience they can share on what to keep in mind? Is it worth attempting in Y7 or Y8? Don’t senior schools generally have a large waiting list from the 11+ process that they continue to draw on?

Thanks all for any thoughts, new to all of this!

In yr 10 now, so going back a couple of years but we generally found places do come up in Year 7/8 in most schools. I know of a few parents moving between west London schools for various reasons in Yr7, because the initial school didn't work out.
If you are willing to start at one school and maintain in regular contact with schools you want for occasional places in yr7/8, I think you will have a good chance.

I would absolutely email the admissions person and tell them that you're really keen and why. If she's good at a sport they play. They want good sports people. Private school places move all the time. Senior international professionals move a lot and their children move with them in lower senior year.