Anyone else anxious about primary school allocation day next Thursday?

[Scared102]

How is everyone feeling about national allocation day next Thursday (16th) for primary schools?

Do you already have a good idea whether you will get one of your top choices?

Not interested if you already have a child at one of your preferred schools! More keen to hear from people doing this for the first time.

I am in Hertfordshire and I know I’m going to be checking my emails like CRAZY all day haha.

Yes, me! We’ve been counting down for weeks and weeks now.

Our first choice is where we would like to live long term but it is always full and we’re not in the catchment. Second choice was our catchment school, so that would be a definite, they’re not oversubscribed.

We really want our first choice though, so I’m very nervous!

I’ve been anxious since before the application deadline in January 😂 I only applied to 2 schools — daft, I know! But of the just 6 that I would accept, I wouldn’t meet the religious criteria for 3 of them and 1 of them was subpar (and oversubscribed anyway). That left 2 schools — my 2nd choice which is undersubscribed (would be quite happy to take that as a backup although I desperately want our first choice) and my 1st choice which is 2% oversubscribed.

I know that a lot of movement happens up until September (my neighbour’s child got their first choice school literally a week before the first day of Reception!) so if I don’t get my first choice, there’s still hope, but it’s not exactly helping my nerves 😬 SW London BTW.

@blueberrymatcha- I’m trying to work out if we don’t get our first choice, how long id wait for it through the waiting list. I know nursery do meeting the teachers etc beforehand, so I think if that had all been done and it was so close to starting, would I then still be desperate for the 1st choice or let it go? No idea!

I don’t think I fully know how I feel until I see which schools we get initially 😂 this has been looming for so long, can’t believe it’s finally this week!

Have you found the Primary School section yet @Scared102? I found that helpful when mine were starting school

Hertfordshire usually get emails out by 10 am ish @Scared102.

I imagine it all boils down to how badly you want your first choice school and how much “better” it is compared to your other choices of school!

For what it’s worth, when my friend was offered her first choice school a whole SIX days before the start of Reception, she was on the fence about accepting. She did anyway (I imagine it was a mad scramble to sort out new uniforms etc) and now she couldn’t be happier. Especially as it’s one of the most sought-after schools in the borough (oversubscribed, also a feeder school to one of the top secondaries in the same borough) and her other children then easily gained entry based on sibling policy!

So nervous! And we’re Surrey so need to wait until 5pm!! 🙄

Also herts. Generally we get told by 10am so on the lucky end. Barnet next door where a lot of my friends live don't get til 5pm!! insane. I am immediately behind my no 1 pick so unless A LOT of siblings there is little chance of me not getting in but still nervous in case of mess ups etc. Though there's like 18 kids just from her nursery applying! More nervous to find out if many of her friends will be going. Have about 8 friends who are siblings so fingers crossed!!

Good luck wherever you want!

Hertsmere are up on the portal now. We got our first choice :)