Primary School Waitlists

[LouRee]

Hi all.

First post to ask about other experience please. It feels a bit daft to get worried about this given what is going on with the country at the moment but some reassurance would be nice.

We got our place for primary school for our little boy yesterday and unfortunately didn’t get any of our 3 choices. The school we have been given is by no means bad, but it’s much, much further away (and over a large main road) and we haven’t even seen it. Obviously at the moment it’s also impossible to visit.

Our LEA publishes the furthest distance stats for all schools for the last 10 years and at no year would we have not got into any of the three we chose, so really thought we had done our due diligence. Looks like this year we have been unlucky with a mega sibling year.

Our first choice admits 60 a year and this year had 32 siblings. The furthest of the remaining 28 admitted in was around 500 metres away (we are 580m away). For context last year the furthest away was over 1400m and normally hovers around the 700m mark.

We’ve been told we are on the waiting list automatically and have emailed to ask where exactly on the list we are but got an auto response saying not to expect a reply for 10 days. Normally I’d just call up - but they have shut the phone lines.

I guess what I am asking is if anyone has experience on being on the wait list from this point - do people really turn down places immediately? I’m not sure if people who are going private will still have to applied through the LEA?

Thanks for reading…

Hi.

It was a few years ago now, but my DD got her second choice school, which was fine - it was happy with either school.

The first choice school was a massive 4 form entry - and a child (no siblings) two doors up got in. So although I have no idea where we were on the waiting list, it must have been pretty high up.

I didn't think any more of it until I had a phone call when DD was in year 2 saying a place had come available and she was next on the list. So that was nearly 3 years later...

I'm not sure you can extrapolate much from that as all schools and catchment areas are different. You may be lucky.

I hope you are

Many people who had intended on going to private school at reception also will have applied to state school. Unfortunately I think a lot more people will be holding onto those places a lot longer than they normally would whilst they wait and see the impact of COVID19 on their income.

It doesn’t help your question though other than looking at past years movements are probably not a good indicator of what will happen this year.

We were going to send our daughter to a private school but also applied to state schools. We turned down our offer for the private school in the end as apart from smaller class sizes, it offered nothing that could not be provided otherwise, especially as this early stage in her education.

Luckily we got our first choice school and we’re very happy with it.

I expect you’ll get some who won’t accept the places offered to them and it will bump you up the list, especially as you are very close to the distance accepted this year.

My experience with waiting lists. With DD1, we got offered her first choice. In June, DHs job moved to the Mediterranean... And so did we. So obviously her place came available... (The school had a long waiting list).

Four years later, moving back to the UK after living in two different countries. In Yr application... One of the schools we applied for we would usually have no chance. But five children had left the school in DD2s year over the summer. They filled 4 places for waiting list, then received our application, so although we lived a couple of miles away, she was offered a place. DD1 moved from 9th on her waiting list to 1st as a sibling, then got a place on appeal.

Waiting lists can be completely unpredictable. DD1 was the first person to join her Year group in 3 years. (She was a Yr4).

The lists aren't up and running yet.

People do move homes, change their minds or jobs. may be offered their 2nd option and then get their 1st. This may allow 3 or 4 people to move along.

Some schools no one gets in from the waiting list. Sometimes you move down as others are added.

It really is just a waiting game sorry.

A lot depends on how transient the area is. I'm in London and myDS is currently Year 2. We were originally given our fourth choice. The last day of summer term we got a call from our first, second and third all offering a place. I kept in touch with all choices and on our first choice we were second on the waiting list. If you are high on the waiting list and in a transient area there is a strong possibility you will get in albeit in a few months. Once all accepances are confirmed in a few weeks your first choice will be able to confirm where you are on the wait list. Hope that helps and good luck!