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!

Hello, Hertfordshire here too. Eagerly refreshing my emails and the portal!!

A kind poster said this afternoon for us.

Bedfordshire here and still waiting for the email here. Came at 8.15 for DD a couple of years ago, and although DS has a sibling link so shouldn’t be any surprises issue I still want to see it in black and white!

South London borough here and it says we'll be emailed "in the evening". EEK! Cue day of nervous waiting. We are in a black hole admissions wise and worried we won't get any of the schools we like...

Yorkshire here and email came through at 6.30 luckily, hope everyone else isn't waiting too long!

We got an out of catchment, usually incredibly oversubscribed school. Which is great but unexpected! Assume the birth rate is very low locally.

West Yorkshire and portal updated around 7.30 (having said it would be 8.30). DD got our first choice, it’s our catchment school but we’re at the edge of the catchment and we’re told we might not get a place.

Congrats to everyone who got their first choice! We got our first choice :) Are we supposed to accept the offer? I thought I read you did but I can't see anywhere to do it

Area dependent. Some areas acceptance is presumed.

Thanks @CarrotParrot we're the second one. It doesn't help our schools are shut until the 29th and we have until the 1st to decide so I can't even go and have a second look around!

@Natasha198 @WildJadeWasp - i'm Herts and got the email earlier, I think Herts is now updated FYI

I’m in Hertfordshire just got a portal update!

Herts data is up

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/research-a-school/school-admissions-previous-years-statistics.aspx#DynamicJumpMenuManager_1_Anchor_1

1st choice too

I’m following with interest as we need to apply for 2026. The two best schools in our area are oversubscribed again and the furthest distance from the schools was way below last year’s. Unfortunately too far from us, so I’m not hopeful for next year 😞 It looks like the private school VAT is driving this, as these schools weren’t this sought after before last year.

You have to log into the portal you used to apply, view the offer and there should be the option to accept.

Don't suppose anyone got Little Heath school?

I think we are in the same borough. Evening is v vague?!

I’m in London too and so nervous as our area is booming with families and the cut off distances are tiny.

This isn't the case in all counties. Here we are told to phone if we don't want the place. It is assumed you have accepted the place otherwise.

London boroughs and Surrey are all the same - portal updates at 5pm and the emails are sent out in batches in the evening. So you can just log on at 5pm if you can't wait for the email.

Indeed.

Where we are, we have to contact the school directly to accept the place. (The fact they are all closed for Easter at the same time is another issue… I feel for the poor sod in the office who will come into lots of emails next week!)

I stand corrected by PPs. That's how it works in my area but not all, clearly.

Very vague! In reality friends have said it means from 5pm onwards

I’m in London too and so nervous as our area is booming with families and the cut off distances are tiny.

I'm intrigued by this & expect distance to have more out this year.

They probably prefer catching up on a mountain of emails in their own time, than the alternative of the phone ringing non-stop on offer day on years where the date falls in term time to be honest!

Every LA is different. Here it's assumed you want the place, unless you contact admissions to reject it. This system is annoying, as most years we have at least one or two who have left the country between making the application and being offered the place. We hear nothing from them but still have to prepare a tray and peg etc for them on the off chance they do turn up in September, even though they've attended none of the meetings or settling in sessions, and the contact number we have for them either just rings out or doesn't work. When they don't turn up, we then have to wait weeks until they can be reported as missing in education and it's investigated. It's usually October half term before they come off role, when the family are finally tracked down. It's so frustrating and a waste of everyone's time. I think it makes far more sense to have to confirm you want the place.