Waiting list in private prep schools

[Brize]

Hello, I am In a panic. I started to apply to prep school one year before reception is supposed to start. But they are all full up because of all nursery children in these schools suppose to move from nursery to reception. I am about 8-10th on the waiting lists in 3 different schools. Do I have a chance to be offered a place in reception? What can I do ?

For Sept 2017 unlikely now ( although not impossible if plans change) , for 2018 you may not find out until Easter, when state school allocations are made.

It is difficult to know - it depends on the uptake of offers ahead of you.

Just put in applications in schools that are less subscribed to ensure that you have a place. You can always switch - it happens more than you might think with people moving for work, etc. Good luck.

Thank you, I am applying for September 2018. You are right about Easter time but it is such a long wait it's crazy. Plus schools have a one term notice period to leave the prep school which bring us to September.

Why not try a state school?

depends entirely on the schools involved? Speak to the admissions secretary to understand whether they usually have kids leaving after nursery.

If you're 8-10th on all 3 lists then it might be that these are the same 8-10 kids so the situation is not as bleak as it appears?

But you do need to hedge your bets - apply for state schools and consider any independents you haven't yet looked at?

If you were local to me I would say you would be in before Christmas of reception year. It is very very common for children to be in private schools until the free hours are used up (thus creating a discount in school fees). Then as the children start turning five they leave for local state schools. My daughters year started with 29 they are now down to 13. The teachers have known who is likely to stay and go and tried to engineer friendship groups around this. They deal with this every year.

engineer friendship groups? amongst 3 and 4 year olds?? how odd.

Just as you are on the list for 3 different schools, and your name will fall off the other lists once you choose a school, a lot of the other children are also likely to be on the list for several schools, so there will be spaces if you're 8th on the list.

Thank you girls for your response, I am going to apply to state school as well as a worst case scenario. Unfortunately, in some preps even though I am 8th there is assessment in January for Reception entry and apperrntely it doesn't matter what number you are in a list.

Very odd to have a waiting list if they also have assessment (some close their list when they have as many as they can assess) as the waiting list falls out of their assessment of the children. Are you sure that you fully understand the process at those schools?

I wouldn't panic. Lots of people will be on multiple waiting lists and as they accept places at schools you will gradually move up the list. Several of my friends who either didn't get private places initially or decided to change to private part way through primary school have all eventually got places by waiting.

I am sure. Two schools have a waiting list of 30-35 people for 5 places. All 35 people will take assessment in January a then they choose who they want to take.

So how is that different from the Ines not on the waiting list - do they not get assessed at all? Very unusual system - schools normally do one or the other.

Yes, some preps dont assess children at all and just offer the place if it's available for people from waiting list, but in our area it's quite rare. Most peeps have not spaces and they get really picky.