Secondary school admission

[R4444]

Hi! We didn’t get in any of our choices. We are in 400’s on the waiting list for our preferred secondary school (that was the only school we were in the catchment for according to last year’s allocation) and in 300’s for our 2nd on the day the places were rolled out. People say there are lots of movements till September. Could there be this much movement?

Is there a shortage of places? Ate these your nearest schools?
Have you checked they got your address correct?

Hi! Could I have some reviews of St Andrew The Apostle Greek Orthodox Secondary School N11? We got offered this school although it wasn’t on our list

No my son was number 212 last year and never got a place at chosen school.

I guess they have the correct address as the council sent me where we are on the waiting list with the distance which seems about right. We are in 3 and 4 hundreds on the waiting list for our first 3 choices of schools. We were in catchment for the first choice according to last year’s allocation, not in catchment for our 2nd and 3rd choice even though these are the nearest school to us.

I'm trying to understand how you can live in London and not get any of the schools you applied for. Did you list those on your application that you were likely to get into based on admissions criteria and historic data?

Ypur letter ahould tell you why eaxh of your chocies was refused and the distance used if relevant.

I have a family member at St.A's, and my kids go to another school in the same academy trust. They are very good schools, with a lot in common - very similar curriculum on their websites. It's a small trust, and they seem to give their schools a lot of support. St A's isn't strongly religious - my family member is an atheist, and she is very happy there - it's inclusive of different viewpoints. Our school is non-faith and some other schools in the trust are CofE, so its quite a mix. St A's are due to move into their new building soon - our school got a new build too and it's lovely.

This. I cant beleive any of the London schools have 400 pupils waiting list, are you sure of those numbers?

I also don't think this makes sense

This is very common for London schools because everyone has 6 preferences and automatically stays on the waiting list for higher preference schools that they didn't get allocated on offer day.

but you only go on the waiting list for the first choice school? so I'm inerested to know the name of the school, it must have been some large schools in London commuter belt that recently (in the last few years) had an influx of people from inner London areas.

It may not he uncommon to have a long waiting list, but to be so far down from a school they would have got into the year before, and their closest school?

No, in London you go on the waiting list for all the higher-preference schools you didn't get into, not just the first preference. After March 1st you can also ask to be added to the waiting list of any other school you didn't list.

Which schools were you hoping for? East Barnet? Compton?

This is very common for London schools because everyone has 6 preferences and automatically stays on the waiting list for higher preference schools that they didn't get allocated on offer day

I have worked in admissions and it's not common that your catchment school has 400 dc ahead of you on a waiting list.

thats correct, still 400 people on the waiting list in the catchment (as per the previous year catchment) sounds quite a lot, I know one of the most desired North London comprehensive schools didnt have such a long waiting list of kids living in the catchment, but OP didnt clarify which area she is in, so im not sure about the situation in other parts of London, it must be some large school with large catchment area id assume?

It would have to be a sought-after school, probably without a banding test as that would result in multiple shorter waiting lists. West London Free School had 940 applications for 130 places. I could believe that half of the unsuccessful applicants had put it higher than the schools they were actually allocated.

Edit: that's last year's 01st March data, not this year's.

I know loads of schools that have 1000 plus applications for 250 places or whatever but that's because so many people who don't have a chance of a place will still put it down.

It would be very unusual to have 650 children all of the same age living very close to a school.

This is very unusual. Not to get any of 6 sensible choices and to be in the hundreds on the waiting list for a school you would have been in catchment for last year seems very unusual and as though something has gone wrong?

id agree, the unusual bit here is not the number of applications, its the number of people residing in the catchment as per the last years admissions, so unless OP names the school and tells how far she lives from it, its a guessing game. Some schools have very complicated admissions banding with feeder primary schools so we need the school name to advise if its likely to be an error or not.

And, in London, if those people who don't have a chance of a place put it down above their realistic choices, they'll be added to the waiting list.

My point, addressing the post I quoted, is that it is very possible that some London schools do have 400 pupils on the waiting list. I agree that such a large change between two years, going from eligible for a place to being behind 400 pupils would be very unusual. Given how convoluted many London schools' admissions policies are, I wonder if OP misunderstood what their eligibility would have been last year, e.g., wrong religion or wrong side of a catchment line.

@user149799568 I'm a Londoner, I get it.

My point, addressing the post I quoted, is that it is very possible that some London schools do have 400 pupils on the waiting list

agree

I agree that such a large change between two years, going from eligible for a place to being behind 400 pupils would be very unusual.

This is the bit I find unusual & it doesn't make sense.

I think the OP has been offered a good school though?

This is normal in London. Our DS only got his 6th choice. That means he is now on the waiting list for 5 schools. Repeat multiple times then you could easily have waiting lists with higher numbers that the number of places. At this stage all children who will go to private school also still have a state place (and potentially are also on waiting lists).
The second round of allocations is in April. At this stage some families will accept their school and come off the waiting list. Those moving away or private will come off completely and the lists will move. This year is a bit more unpredictable as we don't know whether parents holding private places will take them in the same numbers as a 'normal year '. May depend on whether your local privates attract the very well off or those who need to choose between holidays and small luxuries or those who really stretch to afford the fees.
Good luck.

as per the discussions above its not "normal" to be in catchment one year and then jump to being in 400s waiting list the next year