School allocations coming up!

[Inyournewdress]

I was wondering how everyone is feeling about the upcoming allocations next week, and if anyone has any intelligence about how this year looks?

From what I have heard from a couple of friends who work at primaries, applications were way down which could bode well for some of us. But so many local factors!

Yes, lots of parents don’t realise that small class sizes are actually a disaster.

agree

I think birth rates round where we are in SE London were down that year, so it could affect things

Most London boroughs are affected apart from some of the outer ones were people have moved to

schoolsweek.co.uk/unfilled-primary-school-places-up-6-in-a-year-as-falling-rolls-bite/

My DD was a classic lockdown surprise baby, she was born in January 21, in the middle of that horrible 3rd lockdown. I remember the midwives saying things were quiet presumably due to people putting off having babies.

We are 0.4 miles from our oversubscribed first choice. I’ve heard various conflicting rumours about our chances of getting a place, so no idea what is going to happen! Some people saying applications are way down, others saying there are only X amount of places for non siblings.

Our second choice is a fairly good option, but still really hoping for the first choice 🤞

Does anyone know why allocation day falls in the Easter holidays ?

Its the same date every year (unless it falls in a weekend or Bank holiday). Easter itself is late this year.

Also its not the Easter holidays in the whole of England& Wales. Some regions are in school this week.

Many parts of central and Zone 2 London have falling rolls. I work in a part of London where schools are closing and others are reducing PAN because there is a surplus of spaces.

We are in Merton and nearly everyone school we visited (and we went to about 8 😅) has either reduced from 3 form entry to 2, or from 2 form entry to 1. One school told us they only had around 18 in reception last year.

Why is this so nerve wracking?
We are a three minute walk from our first choice where my elder son is also at nursery, but it is so heavily in demand. We should get in if recent years are a guide, but am still jittery about it all.

Our second choice is also a great school but really not that close and will mean my two children go in opposite directions in the morning.

We were told 10am but received an email just after midnight... We got our first choice woohoo!! Good Luck to everyone else still waiting

We haven't had an email but I checked our portal - we got our second choice. It's still a great school but don't think it will be as good a fit for DS.

If we go on the waiting list and are offered the place on it, do they take the accepted place away before you accept the waiting list place? I'm not sure whether to go on the waiting list for school 1 as I might warm up to school 2 when I find out where his friends are going. I don't want to lose this place if I change my mind to school 2!

Got 1st choice!

So jealous you got results! I’m still waiting. We’ve applied out of catchment but it’s a small school in a village and I know someone very near me that got in last year.

planbea we had a waiting list offer for dc1, we got a few days to think about our offer of a waiting list place before we accepted it.

No place at DC1 school for DC2 here so we are on the waiting list again. (13 siblings in a 15 child entry).

DD got into our first choice school

Congrats to those of you who got first choice.

LegoLandslide sorry to hear that. Can you find out your position on the waiting list?

Did those of you who've found out get an email? I've not got anything, checked the portal but also nothing yet. This is where the irrational paranoia kicks in about whether something has gone wrong and I accidentally didn't submit the application right or something (even though it literally says 'submitted' on the portal)!

Our borough does not release the results until 5 pm. It’s on their website. Check yours, maybe it’s the same?

Our portal was updated with offer when i checked 12.10 and an email had been sent 12.08am. Think all local authorities slightly different tho as my friends website says email will b sent 5pm today.

Does anyone know when Hertfordshire release? I can't find anything on website. Portal not updated yet either.

East London borough here. Haven’t received any notification. Checked portal it’s not been updated yet.

Congrats everyone with good news!

Our authority have said they will be sending emails 'in the afternoon' (whatever that means?!) and that they won't update the portal until emails are sent.

It's going to be a long day, made worse by a quiet work day so no distractions!!

All of London has a 5pm release time. (Deliberately apparently so people can sleep on the result before contacting admussions)

Yes same here, Hertfordshire but it doesn't say what time anywhere. So frustrating!

Apparently ours comes by email on the evening! Such a long wait compared to others it seems.

This varies by LA, some let you decide, some automatically give you the waiting list place instead of the one you have been given. Don't assume which one yours is, find out now and decide whether you want to stay on waiting lists (and for how long) if it's the latter.

@WildJadeWasp @Bubblebubblepoppop

I'm Hertfordshire - they post a post on their Facebook page saying emails will go out 'in the afternoon' :')