Waiting lists...how long is a piece of string question!

[mammadiggingdeep]

My dd is due to start school Sept 2014, we got 4th choice. The school we really want (along with the rest of bloody London it would seem) is 0.42 miles away but cut off distance was 0.22 this year.

We are number 33 on the list. Has anybody had experience of getting anywhere near the top from this position??? Is it laughable for me to have any hope?

I would give up hope tbh
The waitlist will operate according to the admissions rules so new arrivals who live closer will bump you down the list
How many kids do they take each year?

It somewhat depends on the number of places being offered. If you are talking about 30, then your chances would appear very low. If you are talking about an admission of 200, then your chances are much better but I would say still not particularly good.

Is it the kind of school where many pupils may end up going private? If it's the school everyone wants, then probably not that good - but on the other hand my 2nd choice had friends going from 60th to 15th on the list, with 60 places, and was one everyone wanted.

Though we got to 2nd on the list for my first choice, also 60 places, and the receptionist said it was 50:50 - if a pair of twins announced they were moving the day before a couple local kids got taken into care, we'd get a place; if their parents confirmed the move a day after, we wouldn't.

We didn't. Went back down to about 17th. Luckily 3rd choice school is working really well.

we wet

we were 2nd on one list and 3rd on another and never made it to either school.

Two form entry so 60 places...

Thanks for your thoughts everyone- that's kind of what I thought. Just has a last surge of hope after a stressful time since finding out.

Not funny this whole palava is it?!

mammadiggingdeep:

My advice is contact the three other schools you preferred more than your 4th choice and ensure that you remain on their waiting list.

We moved to an area with a very popular primary school. When I contacted them about vacancies (knowing it was hopeless) it was confirmed that there was a long list at at Y4 the chances of moving were highly unlikely.

Then out of the blue 3 months later a place was available, and we were offered it for DD2.

Finally my view on this is that going to a not-so-good primary school is salvageable. You can help a lot at home but also management there will be under enormous pressure to improve outcomes/ quality of teaching. In the last 2 years our school has stopped this trend of hiring 'friends' and now short-list, hold visit days (assemblies for prospective HT, lessons with prospective teachers) and the governors are much more involved in scrutiny of qualifications and attend assemblies/ lessons in order to also provide an opinion to the selection committee, which now does include the vicar from the local CofE church.

My advice in dealing with schools regarding waiting lists is e-mail them after each major holiday break (Christmas/ Easter/ Summer) and politely reiterate that you are still interested in your child (give DOB & current year at school) remaining on the waiting list. Thus your request is in writing.

I have known people on here to get into schools once the year has started from this sort of place on the list. In London. In large schools. However, I would say the odds aren't great. As others have said, you could go down that list as well as up if people move into that 0.42 of a mile radius around you and the school (and presumably that could be a lot of homes in London).

We were no. 7 ish on a waiting list for a PAN of 60 in a reasonably urban area, and never got anywhere near the top.

We were 5th on waiting list with a PANof 270 we still haven't got a place.School admissions are a nightmare.

Zingy never heard of primary with pan 270 thats like senior pan biggest numbers here are 90 or 120 most being 60.

Admissions said they cat tell us where we are on waitlist school 1 or 2 until every ones accepted /declined their offers and 2nd round allocations done.

So basically end may start june-then wont be much movement until sept after term has started.

we are a distance and know least one sibling nearer than us so have no idea on school 1 where we are.

School 2 is free school with random allocation.

so 30spaces
30offers made

201 applications
171 dident get in so 171 on waitlist

dd2 is number 105 out the hat

but wont stay like that as if someone doesnt accept offer then all 171 names get put back i hat and repulled again.
Same if someone leaves during school year which oddly feels more hopeful and less complex than lea waitlist by distace.

my freinds son was no 14 60 intake.

he got in in ja reception year.

generally longer year goes on people will be reluctant to move unless

school they have truly awful
very far away
or have sibling at another school

some will go private if dont et choice but then they cant move quickly if space comes up due to least terms notice.

good luck everyone.

Its the not knowing bugs me.

Yes it is senior everyone told me we would get in originally and then definitely being 5th on list but no hope.

My DD goes to a school a primary school with 180 intake. My friend's DD was about 36th on the waiting list and third term in on place yet...

no place

Thanks tiggy, that's helpful!

Thanks all...

It is the not knowing that is stressing me out! I want to know where she's going and be able to point the school out etc.

Pastsellbydate
I do agree...it's salvageable and yes, things should be in the up. Data is awful though...the executive head has been there for 2 years now so she should be having an impact by now. Data going down considerably from 2012 has set my alarm bells clanging!