Waiting Lists, Help!!!

[Orchidbrum]

Hi there,
So to fill you in on the story. I put three choices of my local schools on my original form, my first choice (my 2nd closest school and outstanding Ofsted) I'm 23rd on the list so I've accepted theirs no chance of ever getting a place. I did however get offered my 2nd choice which I really liked when I went round. But when the letter came through the door I suddenly had a crisis about the distance and a few other minor things (it's a mile from our house) and just decided to not accept it and go with the school round the corner for convenience. So instead of thinking about it for a while I called the education and changed my choice to the school round the corner. Now I'm semi regretting it. The school still isn't out of special measures and although it is improving its still got a long way to go. I wished I'd have accepted the offer for my second choice now and waited to see what happened with the special measures school. Anyway, in a crisis of confidence the other day I called the local authority and asked to be put on the waiting list for three other of my closest schools, now these schools weren't on my original list as I wouldn't have got into them in them last year but what's thrown me is that to my surprise (the schools are all heavily oversubscribed) I'm top of the list for two of them and 2nd on the list for the other one (unbelievable!!!) Now what do I do? Do I wait to see if I get a place at any of them? Do I draw a line under the whole thing and just send her round the corner? When should there be a cut off date mentally for school places?
I'm in a mental pickle and don't know what to do for the best.
Oh I forgot another reason for not going with the offered school was because I kept telling my daughter she was gonna go round the corner and she cried her eyes out when she knew she had a place at another school. It's all my fault as I'd resigned myself to only getting the special measures school and so kept mentioning it.
The hubby is currently unwilling to even talk about her not going round the corner as he's had a enough of me and wants to stick to the sensible option of the nearest school. My tactic with him is gonna be not to bring it up again until an offer letter arrives (he knows we are on the waiting lists)

I'm not surprise your Dh is frustrated. I think you need to set yourself a deadline by which you accept the school you have chosen and stick with it, otherwise you'll have continued uncertainty throughout the summer which will inevitably transfer to your dc. Have you attended any information and settling sessions yet ?

There are no guarantees with waiting lists but I would think that you have a good chance of getting in before September or just as they start. Does she have friends going to the offered school? In my experience they are fairly fickle at that age and will swap allegiances quite readily. Just really big up the other school which has x or y and that they really wanted her to come to it. Having said that it is worth considering your dd's needs and whether a school around the corner would suit her as the school run over 7 years (more if siblings) can be a drag, plus if there are siblings whether they get priority at the other schools.

You also need to explore more about why the school requires improvement. Is it because some policies were out of date and the HT will authorise the odd holiday, is it because there are problems with the management and teachers or (most concerning to me) is there a problem with the behaviour of children and unresolved bullying? Do you see yourself and your dd fitting in with the other parents/ children there? Wander past at pick up and drop off time.

I know I'm a nightmare, LIZS mind you I have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder which I know would affect a big decision like my DD starting school.
She's due to go in on 30th June for a morning as apparently here in Birmingham that's the day when all the kids across the city go to settle in at their new schools.

Shouldwestay your so right, she could be convinced I'm sure if I go about it the right way and with your suggestions, the hubby however might be a different story
The school had the book thrown at it in Summer 2014 for everything from bullying to pupil safety to quality of teaching etc etc Ofsted hasn't indicated when it will be coming out of it yet. Basically the academy sponsor fell through and it all went downhill from there with mismanagement etc. Since Septmeber 2015 they have a new headteacher who was head hunted and given a ton of money to relocate and turn the school around she seems to be taking a tenacious approach to the task and the school is really coming along.
If I'm honest the parents coming out of their look like they are from deprived backgrounds Id prefer a nice mix of backgrounds which is odd as the area isn't deprived and the road the school on is an affluent road. I do know though that barely and of the locals go to it now (it's can only manage to get 36 people for September for 60 places) and a lot of them are stuck with it and come from all over. Such a shame as I know historically the school had a great reputation.

Children coming from all over wouldn't be great as chances are that as soon as they get a place nearer then they will move. You might also get lots of mixed classes as they can't fill a year group, but with 36 there are too many for one class so they may mix with yr1 if they are also under PAN. For some that might suit but others have problems with that system. Chances are friends will come and go a bit and classes will be rearranged each year. It depends on your dc as to whether they will enjoy the new friends and new challenges or if they need stability and consistency. Two of mine would have been fine with mixed classes, but it wouldn't suit the other one. To be honest, if it was me I probably would go for a different school because I think that whatever they do to change the school culture, for this year group it is likely to have quite a few people coming and going from it for a few years yet.

Shouldwestay I agree with you. In fact one parent has already pulled out for a better offer. The other few kids from DD nursery are kind of pot committed as they have older children already there that they worry about unsettling. My DD is my oldest so I also need to thibk of DS who starts in 2 years time. The best option for me as an alternative is one of the schools where DD is top of the waiting list. It's a 20 minute walk so there's the option to walk, it has an amazing nursery that takes rising 3s (so dear son could start in Jan) saving me two different runs as the school round the corner doesn't have a nursery. Also some of my friends children go there and love it. I didn't consider it as an option because for the last 3 years it went 950m and I'm 1,240m so thought it would be a wasted choice, so I'm amazed that she's top on the waiting list in front of 50 other people ( I only phoned the council on the off chance and was amazed at being number 1 of 50 last year they said I'd have been in the high 20s)