Anyone else still waiting for a school place/on continuing interest lists?

[mirrorpants]

Hi everyone.

Starting to panic a bit now. We're in Herts and DS didn't get a school place. He was offered a school I didn't apply for, which after attending the settling in sessions, I rejected the place. He's on the continuing interest list for four schools and I've now done an 'In Year' application for these too.

He will remain at his private nursery for now, and isn't 5 until next July (it's his 4th birthday this weekend) so no rush but still concerned he will be missing reception. We've only seen movement in the wrong direction in the CI lists, currently position 2, 4, 11 and 13.

Also- Herts Admissions are infuriating- won't tell me ANYTHING on the phone everything by email only, but they have a ten day workaround for replies! Grrrrrrr!

Anyone else in same boat?

Agree with mummytime. The school i have experienced that had grace before lunch and prayers at the end of the day, not to mention very 'Christian' assemblies, was not a CofE school, but supposedly a 'plain vanilla' community primary.

[Thinking back to your fall back plan, many village schools are CofE, for historical reasons to do with funding]

Do you have wraparound care in place for the 4 schools that you are on the waiting list for? As many breakfast clubs and after school clubs are likely to be full now for September, I would look into this now

I agree with mummytime too. dds community primary school did have strong links with local church but still managed an inclusive atmosphere where Muslim families joined in the collective worship.
Closest C of E primary school though was far less religious and even had an atheist Head!
Perhaps you could find out on a local thread how religious some of the local schools really are OP?
Good news that you are now first on the waiting list. Sometimes parents don't inform schools until the last minute if their children won't be coming in September.

Yes, the amount of religious instruction/indoctrination is down to the HT. I have worked in a C of E school where only the vicar coming to an assembly once a week gave away the fact it was a church school and I have known of community schools where prayers and God were an integral part of the day. Of catholic schools I don't have any knowledge but don't turn down a faith school just because of the name. I would also consider that an under-subscribed faith school probably practises less because it needs to cast its net more widely whereas an over-subscribed faith school probably is more traditional.

Hi everyone. All 4 schools I'm on waiting list for have wraparound care with spaces available.

Today we visited three schools (which have spaces and wraparound care) which are 20-30 min drives away, and have decided to apply for one of them- although still remain waiting for a place at one of the other four. I'll do as suggested and defer until Jan or Easter (if the school can be convinced) to see if a place comes up at the other four. If not, he can start there, and I'll move house to be closer to it next year. Thanks all for the suggestions on doing that However, need to hope nobody has applied there in last ten days, as of course I had to email them to say I wanted the place... which will take 10 working days to process. Herts are an absolute SHAMBLES.

@grayola thanks for that- can't believe how awful the system is- won't tell you anything on the phone, email in only, replies in 10-14 working days. Why even have phone staff?!