National Offer Day why does it not mean a particular day?

[Arkwright]

I thought the whole point of this was to make it the same for everyone. It should be 1st March for Secondary and 16th April for Primary. Some authorities do it on the stated day, some do it on the next working day and some do it on the previous working day.

My local authority delayed the Secondary allocations a couple of years ago to two days later. However they have notified parents of the Primary allocations today.

Why are the authorities not made to do it on 1st March and 16th April?

Because they don't work weekends?

Surely though it's an automated process so wouldn't need someone physically in the office.

They would need someone in the office to deal with the inevitable phone calls though. If your child didn't get any of their choices, you'd probably want to speak to someone about the next steps ASAP. As would lots of other parents for various reasons.

My local authority have sent out the emails today. If you have any issues you can call from Monday onwards. It seems unfair some areas have to wait until Monday.

"They would need someone in the office to deal with the inevitable phone calls though."

Not so sure about that! The Pan-London system does it at 5pm precisely so that people have an enforced few hours cooling off before they hit the phones.

I think it should be properly on the day, or the next working day if at the weekend. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any way to enforce this with LAs.

Practically, there is no advantage to finding out today over Monday, since deadlines for accepting and appealing are set, and waiting lists aren't first-come-first-served.

Don't get me wrong, I remember the nail-biting wait. But to say it's "unfair" that some people find out today and some on Monday isn't really meaningful.

In my industry there are deadlines set by law. The law also very clearly defines what to do if that falls on a non-working day, and it's always the next working day. It's ridiculous that the law should set a day for allocations but not explain what to do when that's a weekend day ... especially since it's a pretty new rule and it's going to happen nearly a third of the time!!

I disagree MrsHathaway the school I wanted for my daughter takes children from two counties. Some people found out on the Friday (just after midnight on the Thursday) whereas I had to wait until the Monday. I do think it is unfair.

But what difference does it make? Genuinely. It's not like finding out about two job applications on Friday and Monday.

What disadvantages are you suffering?

Having to wait the extra days. I was in a complete panic she wouldn't get in. I didn't sleep for weeks. Knowing others knew before me about their children.

I absolutely get that it's annoying, but I think that's quite an extreme reaction and may be related to anxieties outside the school places circus. You're not disadvantaged so although it's crap I don't think you can call it unfair.

All the best for Monday.

This was two years ago for secondary. She didn’t get the place we wanted. I understand the outcome would have been the same whatever day we heard on. I still feel though that everyone should be told on the same day across the country. This was how it was announced originally. It seems a bit of a farce to have 'National Offer Day' which could be any day around that date.

We are on the border and near diff LAs. Three have sent emails and the others not yet. Painful for anxious people waiting but ultimately it doesn't change anything surely?