Is there a nervously awaiting primary admissions thread?

[drspouse]

Or have I just started the first one?

[MimsyBorogroves]

Me. I've applied for a new- ish school for DS2 which at the moment doesn't have a catchment. Means he and DS1 will be at different schools but it's a better fit for him.

If he doesn't get in it's going to be difficult for him. Our first choice is perfect.

[strictlylurking]

I think you're right drspouse it does seems to be about distance.

My LEA website says I should be getting an e-mail in the morning on Monday April 18th. Will probably be checking from midnight Sunday. Will check when I wake up Monday.

A friend whose DS already goes to Second School told me a few weeks ago she found her DD has been given a place there. Is that normal? Do siblings sometimes find out sooner?

[ShowOfHands]

I find out the afternoon of the 18th.

I already have a dc who is in y4 of our preferred school. When she joined there were only 16 applications for 30 places. In the intervening years the school has been rated outstanding. The school is no different. It was always brilliant but ofsted are Gods so people have moved their children there in droves. All classes full. Double the school population from 5 years ago. 75 applications last year for 30 places. Other perfectly lovely local schools are deserted. House prices in catchment have doubled and three sprawling developments were thrown up.

If DS doesn't get in we're fucked. I can't be in two places at once and there is no before or after school provision.

I'm a little worried.

[drspouse]

Do siblings sometimes find out sooner?

No they don't. Either there is someone who shouldn't be talking on the Admissions Team, or the school said "oh you're bound to get a place" (they shouldn't, but School 3 said to us "everyone who applied last year got a place" and we know we CAN get a place there), or she's just hoping for the best.

Show if your DC is in Y4 would they be independent enough to go to a friend's house in the mornings? And maybe you could repay with some holiday care? Or maybe a CM for one of them?

We send our two to a CM one day a week and we use her for random other days when they can't go to nursery (e.g. if I have to work an extra day occasionally) and we're planning to use her for school holiday care as well (e.g. INSET days) but she mainly does pickup from our School 2 and if she has another child on the same day wanting pickup from School 2 but we get School 1 obviously she can't do that (plus, School 2 is far from her). So in that instance we've decided we'll keep DC2 at the CM for that day rather than find a new CM, but try and get a babysitter who can pick up DC1 and bring him to our house - meaning I only have to do one pickup. The other days will be nursery for DC2 and after school club for DC1.

It will be more expensive but we kind of have our eye on someone already and it will just be one day a week.

[AliensInUnderpants12]

We find out on the afternoon of 18th April.

I hope we get our first choice school, although I would be happy enough with the other 3 schools we have put down.

I'm a bit nervous as last year there weren't enough reception places as all of the local primary schools are oversubscribed and the closest school had to build a new classroom for 30 extra children.

[ShowOfHands]

Living rurally in a place where nowhere has before or after school provision, childminders with the space or inclination to commit to 40 minutes care per day just don't exist.

If it comes to it, I'll home school ds. I won't have a choice really. I can't rely on or afford to pay somebody to do my school run for me every day.

[MrsBungle]

Which counties find out sooner than the 18th? I thought national offer day was when everyone found out? I'm jealous of those who get to know sooner!

[LifeIsChaos]

I thought offers day was 16th April? And could log onto online admissions from midnight to find out.

[LifeIsChaos]

Just checked for my area. 15th April

[ShowOfHands]

"The application round is closed. National Offer Day is 18 April 2016"

From our lea website. And they e-mailed to say they send out decisions late afternoon.

They wouldn't do it on a Saturday.

[drspouse]

We are not in Blackpool, but their website is one of many that come up by googling that date and 16th April. It states:

The National Offer Date for Primary School applications is the 16 April 2016.

Others include Somerset, Lewisham, Lancashire, Coventry, Herefordshire, Nottingham, definitely some Greater Manchester boroughs... a couple of the others also call this the National Offer Date.

It would be a pain if you were on a border.

[Gizlotsmum]

Everything I have read says 18th 🤔

[drspouse]

Sounds like each LEA has gone its own way but is saying theirs is the One True Date.

[PatriciaHolm]

National Offer Day is technically the 16th of April, has been since 2013.

However, its complicated this year by that being a Saturday, when of course no LEAs will be at work. It would be possible to automate sending of emails for then, but if anything went wrong it would be harder to sort and of course no-one will be in on the Sunday to take phone calls from disappointed/worried parents who didn't get what they wanted or indeed any offer at all.

So many have decided to call Monday 18th Offer Day and send notifications then, which they are allowed to do as offers have to be out on the "next working day" if the 18th is not a work day. So that explains the discrepancy.

[SomedayMyPrinceWillCome]

I am 100% confident we will get our 2nd choice but I really want our 1st choice
I'm really really nervous and have been counting the days for a while

[MrsBungle]

Aaah that explains it patricia thanks.

[AntiquityReRises]

Very worried. Number 1 and the only one I really want for Ds is our closest by their measurements but we're right on the far edge. It's rated outstanding but people aren't always a fan of their methods & tend to compete for RC or CofE for traditional education.

Second and third choices are infant schools so still chance to get Ds into school 1 for year 3 but he's autistic and it would just be best for him and easiest all round to get in now.

[mary21]

Do siblings sometimes find out sooner?
Yes if they have a Statement or EHCP. Nothing to do with being a sibling but children with EHCP are admitted outside the normal admission round.

[snowgirl1]

Yes, we're waiting too. DD is an only child, so I'd really like her to get into the local school so that she has friends within walking distance - but based on last year's admissions she wouldn't have got in. We have our fingers crossed (and have put down one - which is further away- that last year's admissions show that she would have got into, which is our contingency plan).

[PatMullins]

Our first two choices are 'out of catchment', last choice is a good school and would be convenient for drop off before work.

I am nervous, it's so final

[Greentriangle82]

I rang my local authority they said official offer date is the 18th but the email could come through sooner. Not long to wait now!

[Inkymess]

Good luck everyone. So nerve wracking first time round. We await a sibling place but all siblings have always got in despite massive over subscription. Not all nursery children will get a place (maybe 10-20%) but people are told that when they join the nursery: it's done on distance with sibling priority. (After SEN and LAC). Lots use our school nursery as it's excellent and cheap to top up to FT hours but they will never get a reception place as they just too live far away.

[MrsBungle]

showofhands I'm the same in applying for a sibling place - if we don't get in, I've no idea how to get two kids to different schools. I'm worried too.

[JenniferAnistonsHair]

This thread has reminded me how soon 18 April actually is!! 🙈 I think I'll feel ridiculously nervous opening the email...

[NotCitrus]

I'm pretty relaxed this time - dd is one of 25 nursery kids but intake is 60 and she has older sibling in the school.

Unlike last time when I only looked at 2 closest schools and didn't think we'd get into any others (London, not religious), filled my form up with 4 more nearby schools in order of ease of walking, and then everyone in my street got school 3! Which we then looked at, liked more than school 2 by a long way, and never got to the top of the waiting list of school 1.

Luckily it's worked out really well though a bit of a long walk, but huge sympathy to people having this for their eldest! I will just say that it's worth looking at schools before dismissing them on what others say, as reputations are usually at least 10 years out of date and the "terrible" school might actually be really supportive - and the outstanding one might not appreciate any child who doesn't fit their norm...