Does my chance suffer if I only send the In Year Common Application Form now?

[Fiona2011231]

Could you pls advise?

My child will be in Year 3 from Sept. Meanwhile, I still hope he will be able to move to another school. So he has been on the waiting list for the last two years.

In July the council sent me a letter saying that my child will automatically be removed from the waiting list on the last day of term. If I wish my child to be place on the list for the next year, I should complete the new In Year Common Application Form.

I was so sorry that I forgot about this until today. So I can only come to the council with the form next week.

Do you think my child's chance will suffer due to this problem?

Thank you for your advice.

The waiting list is ordered using the school's admission criteria. They are not allowed to put late applicants at the back of the list. You may have missed out on a place over the summer, although that is unlikely. Once you have submitted your application you will be in exactly the same position you would have been in if you had applied at the end of last term.

Thank you for your reply.

Do you mean basically that my situation would have been the same even if I had submitted the paperwork earlier?

Yes. Your position on the waiting list depends purely on the admission criteria. A late applicant can go straight to the head of the list if they are in a high admissions category or live close to the school.