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In year applications and waiting lists

8 replies

Tingface · 04/06/2019 16:48

Wondering how this works and hoping some of the admissions bods can advise- I actually used to work in this field years ago but in a different county and I’ve never come across this before.

Our county doesn’t hold in-year waiting lists. So if you apply in year and the year group is full, you will be declined and given the right to appeal. You win or lose at appeal and that’s the end of it; you’re admitted or not.

But I’m confused as to how this can be fair. If child A loses at appeal on 1st October, say, and child B happens to leave a week later, then child C applies; presumably child C would get the place regardless of any criteria; because child A’s parents would never even know the space had come up.

Surely it can’t be that luck of the draw? In both authorities I’ve worked in; the LA maintained waiting lists till Christmas each year and then passed them over to the schools to manage for in years... but the lists still existed.

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admission · 04/06/2019 17:10

I am afraid that you are completely correct in your assumption. Because the admission regs say that it is up to schools and LAs to decide on waiting lists (other than the period through to 31st December at admission years) many do not officially hold a waiting list.
If the school is sensible they have what I will call the "continued interest" list and when a place becomes available they contact all who have expressed an interest to say they can apply for a place which has come available with a cut off time for application. The school then put those that confirm they are interested in the place in admission criteria order and offer it to the successful candidate.
With the squeeze on finances in LAs I suspect more and more LAs will delegate in-year admissions to the schools

Tingface · 04/06/2019 17:12

I did wonder after I posted if it would be something like that.

Hmm.

Well, at least I know! Thanks for answering Smile

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Tingface · 04/06/2019 17:14

It also seems like it would add unnecessary appeals traffic if you have to lose an appeal first to get on a CI list.

Oh well. If I ruled the world...

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Frazzled2207 · 04/06/2019 18:40

Yes that's right however if a particular school knows you are interested I'd be very surprised if they didn't call you back if there was suddenly a place.
Each place means extra money and if someone is already interested there ought to be less hassle in offering them the place than getting another family involved.

prh47bridge · 04/06/2019 19:19

You don't necessarily need to lose an appeal to get on a CI list. Many, possibly most, schools that keep such a list will automatically add anyone who applies.

Tingface · 04/06/2019 19:26

That’s always been my experience prh but that wasn’t what I was told happens here, and it just surprised me and made me ponder it really. I suspect you’re right and behind the scenes it probably is what happens though.

I’m not quite at the point of applying; just researching options, but yeah, it’s just different to the other LAs I’ve known either through work or as a parent.

I sound like I live some sort of nomadic lifestyle now Grin

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Tingface · 04/06/2019 19:27

Thank you all for your thoughts, anyway Smile

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RomanyQueen · 04/06/2019 19:31

We moved mid year, many years ago though.
There was a place for one ds at a school but none anywhere for ds2 it was yr1.
That's when I had my first dabble with H.ed and he was at home from feb to sept, no places, any school we could get to.
I'm sure it's changed now. I was calling the LA daily at my wits end. Grin
All a distant nightmare now.

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