Page 2 | Anyone else nervously awaiting primary school offer day

ThatsGoingToHurt · 2022-03-14T18:33:17+00:00

Is anyone else nervously awaiting primary school offer day? My nearest school we are not in catchment for. Unfortunately, the catchment boundary is my back and side fence due to a wiggly catchment boundary. The school we are in catchment for is 5 mins further walk away but doesn’t have a great reputation. I feel like my life is on hold until 19th April as I hope my DD gets into my preferred school. I’ve applied for DS to go to the nursery next to the school I would like to go to as I don’t want to be doing two different pick ups and drop offs in completely different locations each day!

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GolfForBrains · 14/04/2022 16:58

And also 5 houses away from being in the catchment for our preferred school which has a protected catchment. Put it as #2 anyway. Would be OK with 1st choice.

Did you change your mind on the order between submitting the form and now? Why didn't you put your preferred school first?

Horcruxe · 14/04/2022 17:38

Also waiting.

It should be fine as we have sibling preference but I'm just worried something could have gone wrong.

It's a two school system where the middle school is linked to the infant school, but in terms of sibling preference it should be counted as one school. Obviously sister is in middle school, but should be counted as the same school.

hollyivysaurus · 14/04/2022 21:26

Was looking for a thread like this to ramble on! Also waiting and getting nervous now. We should be fine as DS has an older sister at the school already, but we're out of the traditional catchment area by quite a bit, so now I'm starting to worry about whether there are potentially SEN/LAC and almost 30 siblings that live closer than we do!! It should be fine, the school's not usually oversubscribed but they're getting a good repuation for SEN and as such are becoming more popular.

Frustratingly DS has SEN needs (suspected ASD) but he wasn't on the register before we submitted the application. I did it the first day I could because I'm a total geek, I now wish I'd held off until later on as we could have included that and (I think) had more priority.

He's already at the school for preschool and the teachers are SO incredibly wonderful with supporting his needs, I'm properly on edge about the idea that he might not get in and I'd need to appeal!

Original poster

ThatsGoingToHurt · 16/04/2022 12:52

If anyone has found out today then I hope you got the school you wanted. Some of my friends in other parts of the UK have found out today but I’ve got to wait until Tuesday.

OP posts:

Kite22 · 16/04/2022 13:01

I though it was just closest to school the way the eagle flies or whatever that saying is?

It's a crow

forevertired12 · 17/04/2022 07:24

For the ppl who found out early did u get an email notifying u to check the website? Or did u just randomly check and it was there

TeethingBabyHelp · 17/04/2022 08:55

@forevertired12 I logged onto the online portal. Not expecting to see anything of interest but I wanted to check I knew my password and reset if needed before Tuesday morning as it's been so long since logged on.
But my portal says "closed applications" and then when I click "view offer" it comes up with the offer and shows that we've been offered first choice.
But I'm too scared to trust it until I get the official email on Tuesday

Original poster

ThatsGoingToHurt · 17/04/2022 09:23

@TeethingBabyHelp did you get the school you wanted?

OP posts:

TeethingBabyHelp · 17/04/2022 09:27

@ThatsGoingToHurt we did. I'm so thrilled. Then too scared to be thrilled. Then perusing uniforms. Then too scared again

I half wish I hadn't looked, it's a rollercoaster now until I'm sure I can trust it

Yellowmellow2 · 17/04/2022 09:27

@hollyivysaurus

Was looking for a thread like this to ramble on! Also waiting and getting nervous now. We should be fine as DS has an older sister at the school already, but we're out of the traditional catchment area by quite a bit, so now I'm starting to worry about whether there are potentially SEN/LAC and almost 30 siblings that live closer than we do!! It should be fine, the school's not usually oversubscribed but they're getting a good repuation for SEN and as such are becoming more popular.

Frustratingly DS has SEN needs (suspected ASD) but he wasn't on the register before we submitted the application. I did it the first day I could because I'm a total geek, I now wish I'd held off until later on as we could have included that and (I think) had more priority.

He's already at the school for preschool and the teachers are SO incredibly wonderful with supporting his needs, I'm properly on edge about the idea that he might not get in and I'd need to appeal!

Having SEN doesn’t generally make any difference to priority unless you can argue special circumstances. This would be proving that your child has to go to a certain school as they offer something specific for your child that other school don’t offer, and needs the backing of other professionals. Or, if your child has an EHCP, in which case the process for admissions is different.

NickBWilliarms · 17/04/2022 19:56

Fingers crossed it's a true result TeethingBabyHelp

SeekingBalance · 17/04/2022 22:24

I'm so glad I found this thread, I have been so chilled about admissions...until now!
Got talking to the local primary teacher in the park before admissions, casually asked her about their projected intake and was reassured siblings list was small for this year. Now someone else we know who works there casually commented last week on how 120 applicants came in for round 1 (what on earth that means I do not know) but this is a 60 place year group, well less if you count siblings so naturally I'm spiralling.
Its utter torture, even more so with a very relaxed husband.

How I'm going to get through tomorrow I do not know.

Charmatt · 18/04/2022 00:17

@SeekingBalance they won't all be first preference applications.

chocolatepenguin · 18/04/2022 00:26

I've tried logging into the portal a few times to see if my offer is showing, but no luck! I'm in London and used up the top 3 choices on a few long shots (always oversubscribed, would never usually be in the distance criteria) but we would get in option 4 in 2 of the past 3 years, and options 5&6 haven't been oversubscribed for the past 4 years so I'm optimistic we'll get one of the 6 choices! Hoping that pandemic/Brexit/low birth year might get us a spot at one of the oversubscribed schools, but there's always the waiting list.

Holidaylover20 · 18/04/2022 08:10

Good luck to everyone, hopefully you all get what you are hoping for. It's such a long wait from applying to the result day! I should get first choice on the sibling criteria, but won't relax until I see it in black and white.

Emma4452 · 18/04/2022 08:36

I’m a nervous wreck. I’ve been thinking about schools for years. By the time it came to pick and actually get to look round the schools, I don’t really like my 2nd and 3rd at all. Feel like I’m going to be devastated if my little boy doesn’t get 1st choice. Not managed to stop thinking about it for weeks

Schoolchoicemission · 18/04/2022 09:01

Ah I just logged on to the portal to check just in case but no joy! Will be on there at midnight tonight again. I’m working tomorrow so will be difficult to concentrate.

Horcruxe · 18/04/2022 09:06

Just tried to log in to check. But it says the system is unavailable as they are sorting out the offers.

Will have to wait til tomorrow.

BuanoKubiamVej · 18/04/2022 09:09

Just remember that if it's bad news that's not the end. There's always some movement between now and September and the chances are you may well get a better offer if you really persist.

However if you aren't happy with your first offer, don't therefore reject it. You can still be on waiting lists and making appeals if you accept the offer and rejecting it doesn't make it more likely that you will get what you are hoping for - but does mean you could end up with something even worse if you are unsuccessful.

teadress · 18/04/2022 09:10

Has anyone done this process before with an older child and do u always get an email saying to check ? Also is it midnight tonight we find out or 6am tomo? I'm in croydon if they helps

prh47bridge · 18/04/2022 09:27

Can I just remind people that they should accept whatever offer they receive no matter how much they hate it. The LA does not have to come up with another offer. Rejecting the offered place won't help you at appeal and may harm your case.

Primary school appeals are generally difficult to win as most are heard under infant class size rules. However, around 15-20% of appeals are successful. If anyone is thinking of appealing and wants advice, you are most likely to hear from the experts if you start your own thread and include "appeal" in the title.

Holidaylover20 · 18/04/2022 09:39

@teadress

Has anyone done this process before with an older child and do u always get an email saying to check ? Also is it midnight tonight we find out or 6am tomo? I'm in croydon if they helps

3 years ago, when I was doing this for my eldest child, I had to wait until after 5pm on the offer day. It was a very long day! I'm in a London Borough, usually have a very long wait on the day. I was constantly checking online all day, it finally popped up about 45 mins before an email came through.

BendingSpoons · 18/04/2022 10:09

@teadress as Holidaylover20 says, it is about 5pm/6pm in London. I logged on to the portal to see. The email didn't come until about 8pm.

Oysterbabe · 18/04/2022 10:21

Nervously waiting, but v high chance we'll get what we want. I'm in Bristol and with older sibling we got an email at midnight so I shall stay up.
Good luck everyone!

Clairelucyr · 18/04/2022 11:03

Yep with my oldest we had to wait until 5pm and that was Croydon