How have people managed to get places already?

[MsFiremanSam]

We are on the waiting list for a school for which we are just outside catchment, having been offered our 5th choice. I was holding out hope we'd get in after the reshuffle. As I understood it, the deadline for inclusion on the waiting list is the 30th and we'd hear shortly afterwards whether we'd got in.
However I've heard today of two people who have been offered places by basically pestering the school on a daily basis. They live nearer than us but we were refused on the grounds the school is full. How can it be full if they're offering places still??

I think the people who have been phoning were just higher (closer to the school) on the waiting list than you. Have you called to find out where you are on the list?

Would there already be a list? I assumed it would be put together after the deadline, in priority order? Or is it first come, first served?

Usually you will be automatically placed on the waiting lists for all schools that you listed as higher preferences than the school you've been allocated. So the waiting list is compiled at the same time allocations are announced. But people can ask to be added and removed from waiting lists at anytime. The waiting list is in the same order as the original criteria for getting a place at the school (cared for children, siblings, in catchment etc). So people living closer to the school will automatically be higher on the waiting list.
I don't know about the 30th April deadline, I'm not sure if that applies to all areas.
Give the LA a call if you are concerned.

Thanks for that, will do!

Places will become available if those allocated the school turn down the school place allowing the LA/school to offer places to those at the top of the waiting list.

Our LA isn't telling everyone where they are on the waiting list, most have been told but then others, who narrowly missed out on places in their own village are being told they won't know until after the deadline for accepting places has passed.

It doesn't see like a fair playing field. A friend of a friend has been given a place by the school after forgetting to submit her form - basically she cried to the head! I thought everything had to go through admissions at the LEA.

The head of a maintained school can't allocate places no matter how much you weep ... You haven't got the whole story

basically she cried to the head

Forgetting to apply does not mean you go to the end of the waiting list. Your position on the waiting list is determined by the school's admission criteria. If a late applicant comes ahead of on time applicants on those criteria they will go to the head of the waiting list. It is likely that the parent crying to the head had nothing to do with it. They were simply at the head of the waiting list and so got a place when one became available.

If the school really has given someone a place because the parent cried to the head that would give whoever is at the head of the waiting list a very strong appeal case. But that is very unlikely.

Thanks for your replies. According to Admissions the Head has a few 'round up' places he can allocate. They don't live nearer than us but it's still their nearest school, and the lea prioritises nearest school over distance.

shock

That is so wrong as to be ludicrous. There is no way that any school has a few "round up" places the head can allocate if we are talking about a maintained school.
For the admissions people to be saying that is completely wrong. They either were higher up the waiting list in allocation order than you or the school / LA are doing something completely illegal.
Please go back to the admission people by email, say that you had a conversation (with a named person if you know their name) and that you understand this is what was said. Say you do not understand as you are on the waiting list for the school and understood that all places were allocated on the 16th April. Please can they explain this in writing.

He said they never fully allocate and always leave a few places 'spare'. This woman who forgot to send her form definitely doesn't have siblings there ready. I obviously wasn't there but she's telling everyone she met with the Head, burst into tears and secured a place during that meeting. According to Admissions late entries are low priority so if she'd gone through the normal procedures she might not have got it.
The school is so oversubscribed they haven't even taken all kids for whom it's their nearest school, so I guess our chances are pretty low - I just think it should be done fairly. We have our 5th choice and not keen on the school at all.

Admission, I'll definitely email them.

It's a maintained school as well.

A state maintained school would be in breach of the admissions code

They can't be oversubscribed and have a few spare places for the HT to hand out as he fancies.

There is a big bit of story missing here. No places are ever kept back. HT are not able to hand out places to their mates as they fancy (can u imagine!!!). She must have got her form in on time

As others have said, schools cannot legally keep spare places. The only way any school can have spare places is if there were fewer applicants than places. But if the school is oversubscribed they are not under any circumstances permitted to hold places back. Indeed, the LA (which co-ordinates admissions) should ensure that all places are offered.