How do you know where you are on the waiting list?

[Gurraun]

Hi. My ds is on the waiting list for all 3 of my preferred schools. The LEA (Oxfordshire) say they can't tell me where he is on each list until all offers have been responded to and places reallocated and this will be 29 June!

Other people seem to know already - how? Will the schools know? LEA say they won't but I am going to contact them anyway. Thanks

Manchester immediately published the distances and told people that phoned them but obviously this will change a lot now - other LEAs wait

Right, so some LEAs tell you were you are at that moment in time with the caveat that it is a moveable feast and less helpful LEA (yes you Oxfordshire) don't tell you until the list is fixed :-( Having a rough idea would be very useful at this moment in time. Will the schools know?

I am not sure the school will know. They would have their original list eg of the 300 children who applied for their 90 places, but mot their preferences. They would know the original order they ranked them in. They will know the list of children offered. They would have no idea of the fate if the rest. An example is - we put 5 choices. We would have been very near top of list for 2 schools. No 1 School on distance and No2 on RC criteria and distance (v close to both). No 3,4,5 were back up. School 1 & 2 tell LEA were eligible for a place. We are given No1 as we put at preference 1. The next person on the RC school list gets that place etc. hope that makes sense

Sorry about phone typos. To carry on that example. If I now decided I really wanted No2 RC school and jumped on that waiting list, I would displace others who were lower down the ranking as they lived further away. They would go down the wait list. Someone on our No1 school wait list would stay where they were however until I actually got offered and accepted an RC place, if some one else declined - hence so much juggling about. There is an argument to say that the LEA is sensible to wait as so much changes happen early on, although a heads up is useful eg if you are 25th on a list you may decide its no use etc. hope it works out. I also know people who have in the past 3 days given up on choice 1 but added themselves to wait lists for schools they did not put down 1st time also if they think they have a better chance ... Just to make it more complicated

Thank you. Next question. I have the rejection notice. It says there were 47 applicants, 28 places offered but only says 11 children were not offered places...? 2 of these were in catchment and 9 out (other children category). As we are in catchment I assume we are 1st or 2nd on waiting list BUT where are the other 8 kids (neither unsuccessful nor offered a place)???

Thanks Tiggytape - that makes sense. I think I will go and chat up Head!

When DS was on a waiting list last year the LEA wouldn't tell us at all at any point.