Is there a nervously awaiting primary admissions thread?

[drspouse]

Or have I just started the first one?

[FishWithABicycle]

and (and if you need it) for everyone on this wait.

But remember - research consistently shows that the school a child attends is massively LESS influential on eventual outcomes than factors like parental engagement, how many books there are at home and how much time you spend reading with your child. We didn't get our first choice school and everything is ok. The very fact that you are on this thread means that your child is already scoring highly for parental engagement so is probably going to be fine.

[Spindelina]

I'm delurking. We've put the "wrong" school as our first choice (as in, the school that historically everyone tried to avoid), with the "right" school as second choice (the naice school that you go to church to get into). I've filled the third place with a school we probably won't get into, but it's our fourth closest and the only other school within several miles which we have any hope of getting in. I will be deeply shocked if we don't get our first choice, but I'm still a bit nervous whether we've done the right thing in putting it first.

Part of me hopes that when the data come out, they will show that we never actually had a choice anyway!

[Spindelina]

Yeah, I know all that. We really did like the unpopular school much more than the bun fight one. My nervousness comes from the feeling that everyone else knows something we don't! Why else would it be so unpopular?! (Actually, I can answer that - it's historical and council estate snobbery - but it still niggles me.)

[drspouse]

Tarahbabe sadly we are "outside the website coverage" on that school catchment site. There are some little lines on there drawn round a few areas and it looks like it might do London, Bristol, Manchester and that's about it.

tiggy I have a couple of questions:

1. Is it the same for primary as secondary, that you are automatically put on the waiting list for no 1 if you are allocated no 2? Do they leave you on there until you say "please remove me" even if you've accepted no 2? Or do you have to tell them to leave you on there?
   

And who do we contact to find out where we are on a waiting list - school or LEA?

1. When you say that a child could qualify for more than one school - is this for example where, supposing all schools have an intake of 30,
   

Family puts school A first and is the 28th nearest to the school after siblings and other priority have been allocated.
Family puts school B second and is the 15th nearest to the school after ditto all others with priority allocated.

So in the case of school A some of numbers 1 through 27 might have put the school 2nd or 3rd? So, after they've accepted their first choice if they got it, you might move up to no 26 or 27?

And ditto in the case of school B suppose they are no 15, they can't have a place at that school as well as school A, but if they are eligible for school B do they automatically get a place, or am I right it works like this:

Johnnie is 28th on the list for school A and 14th on the list for school B, and put school A first. Johnnie is eligible for both schools but put school A first. Johnnie is allocated to school A.

Freddie is 27th on the list for school A and 15th on the list for school B, and put school B first. Freddie is also eligible for both schools but now that Johnnie has been removed from school B's list Freddie is no 14 (but this makes no difference) and as Freddie put school B first, Freddie is given a place at school B.

Mary was 31st on the list for school A and 32nd on the list for school B. One child in each school who was

[drspouse]

Thanks, that all makes great sense. We are not in Herts but you may remember from our other thread about what supplementary information to submit, our LEA is not noted for being sensible or joined up. So we will check and double check about waiting lists and offers. And get on the waiting list, if necessary, quickly! That's Monday's job sorted...

All the schools we put down are community schools. So at least there's that.

[drspouse]

Spindella

I agree re. reputations - our "no thanks" close school actually sounds rather similar to your first choice (it's not the reputation that's putting us off but at least 3 other factors that are specific to our family including the rather niggly but important time-after-school-club-finishes), and our second choice close school is the one with the fabulous reputation that people ooh and ah over, while our first choice Lovely School has clawed its way back from "why would you go there" to "almost everyone gets in but not quite" which is why we are a bit nervous.

We liked Lovely School for reasons relating to being sensible, pastoral care, classroom organisation etc. We suspect that everyone else is now thinking it's lovely because it's got a nice new building .

[MiniMover]

I'd take any of the local ones except my nearest 'outstanding' graded one. Sadly due to tight catchments I will only be offered said closest school. They are only interested in their super high sats results and pushing their academically able cohort. I have an academically very able child and it's the last place I'd want him.

[Pengweng]

Clearly my council is keen on dramatics. I just received this email.

[MiniMover]

@ that email from the council.

[zippyswife]

That email is ridiculous!!

[alien11]

You find out on Saturday? That email is ridiculous!!

[drspouse]

Quick check to find out which email address we used - this is the info about waiting lists:

"Waiting lists
You must confirm that you want your child's name on reserve lists for other schools and academies and request appeals information by the following dates: "

Please complete the form below etc. etc.

[drspouse]

(So it's not automatic)

[Shiraznowplease]

Am really nervous here too. What makes it worse is that everyone keeps saying that we will be fine as have a sibling and live in catchment plus she attends the nursery but school is oversubscribed. Only put one other choice as we are out of catchment for all others and they are massively oversubscribed. Our emails are due 18th

[Pengweng]

Yes we find out sat via online login. Think letters and emails go out monday.

[Gizlotsmum]

Mon here for online login. I will probably try over the weekend tho just in case

[alien11]

Monday after 4pm here but will log in numerous times over the weekend no doubt!! All the schools know and I just wish I could find out somehow! I'm not good with waiting

[zippyswife]

Do the schools know?

[Tarahbab84]

I actually can't believe I'm sitting here with a glass of wine "catching up" on the primary school thread. I never thought I'd be so obsessed with a school place. My friends describe me as "laid back by nature" I think the school round the corner going into special measures has turned this into an obsession. I looked at 8 schools. 8 schools and I go to bed every night with a knot in my stomach wishing my life away until the 18th April.

[starpatch]

know what you mean. I just want to know now really. Havent told DS it's Monday because if it's not our first choice may delay telling him in case of waiting list offers. I'm not even 100% sure which school I like best 1st or third choice plus all DS friends mums have plumped for 4th choice making it more attractive.

[alien11]

zippys yup they know now before we all do.
I'm the same as you tarah although lack of sleep is more to do with my 6 month old...
star my daughter knows it's Monday but we ve chatted about what happens and that she may not know what school until summer instead. She just wants to get into school and start working!