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!

Commiserations. Ditto my previous post though; it's worth finding out your position on each of the waiting lists. The more available spaces at each school, the higher your chances of getting offered one. There is definitely hope!

We got our second choice which is close to us, but still keen to find out where we are on the waiting list. We are in SE5 - Lambeth/Southwark.

I had a weird feeling you were in the same catchment as me, and just checked on your previous post and you are. Which school have you been allocated if you don’t mind me asking? Is it La Fontaine? Which was your first choice?

DS1 was originally at bickley park but moved to St George’s in yr1 due to introduction of VAT (3 kids etc). Anyway - we waited months and months but we did eventually get a space in St George’s and DS2 has just got in as a sibling even though we are too far away really to have got in originally. When we moved DS1 from private we were on the waitlist for basically every school I remotely liked and spaces came up constantly in all the schools. There is SO much movement around here you wouldn’t believe it, so don’t be disheartened. If you end up hating the school you got allocated then I’m absolutely certain you’ll be able to move to a different one as they’re almost all 2 form entry so lots of room for movement.

ps no hate on La Fontaine I just know it isn’t well liked (and personally I can see why)

Hi, that isn't our borough for schools I'm afraid but just an area I know well. Good detective work though! Thank you so much for your kind words too

We didn’t get offered any of the five we listed, we are in NW London Barnet/ Camden border.

Our first choice is really close (0.27miles) and from 2023/2024 data we were well within the distance offered on offer day.

Hoping for a miracle on wait list as the school they have given us I hadn’t even heard of! It’s further than all our 5 choices in distance and has got terrible results. I’m devastated. What a stressful and scary process.

@NWnatureyou’re not alone. We’re in exactly the same boat but we’re in Herts. Devastated.

I’m sorry to hear that @ett4 I hope the waitlist comes through for you.

@ett4 @NWnature

so sorry to hear that

@NWnature you should be able to find the cut off data for this year on the council website already.

@Emilienne I can for Barnet but don’t seem
to be able to find for Camden yet

Thank you, I will definitely do that, didn’t know until this thread that you could! I am not sure exactly how many but one is two form entry and the other is three form entry so a fair few.

If we accept our second choice, be put on the waitlist for first choice and eventually get the 1st choice off the waitlist, do we have to accept it?

Course not. If you accept 2nd choice and are happy with it, then get offered 1st choice - you can just say no thank you we’re happy where we are now.

I think it's depends on your council, ours are very clear that waiting list offers are automatically allocated and your original place withdrawn. Could be a shock if you've adjusted to the original school and it's 2 weeks before term starts!

It's 30 per class so 60 + 90. That's 150 places in total so depending on your position on the waiting lists you should be within a decent chance of getting one!

I think we are very close to you ( camden/barnet border) and got offered a very random school not on our list

It's hit me today that ds will be going to school. Currently crying whilst he eats his breakfast.
I even got dh to search the attic for a book my mum read to me when I was starting school.
Ladybird talkabout starting school.
I had an awful time in school, no friends, no one played with me and secondary school I had a few friends but only because I made them laugh.
I'm almost 40 with no friends and no idea how to make them apart from offering freebies that ds has grown out of.
I hope life is kind to my sweet boy. I hope he doesn't have mental health issues like I do and autism.

@NWnature @ett4 Sorry both

0.27 miles is really close. How many places are there? Many there were lots of siblings this year.

Mght be worth checking the distance used and furthest offered this year. The decision letter may show the calculation applied. Errors do occasionally happen and , if so, and it denied your dc a place they should correct it.

29th on waiting list for 1st choice. Yah that’s not gonna happen.

Thanks @LIZS I am trying to find what the further distance they stretched to this year was just to make sure there wasn’t any admin error perhaps arising from the cross borough application- but maybe this is wishful thinking! Could be a high sibling year but literally every school we viewed were so adamant about low birth rates in our area, really lulled me into a false sense of security I think.

Local friends who’ve been through it before are saying “hold your nerve” for waiting lists but it’s so scary and hard, particularly when we didn’t get anything of the five and the one we’ve been given is so far away (and awful rep/ results).

Did any of the schools have borough priorities as opposed to just distance?

Oh I’m sorry to hear that. It’s so scary isn’t it - especially when the offer is somewhere you’ve never even heard of! Our offer school is further than any of our preferred five and had not got a good reputation / results so I am really disappointed this is the outcome.

Everyone is adamant that cross borough applications don’t detriment you so I am hoping this is true…

I hope waiting lists come through for you too!

I know! I can’t take ours as really cant put my child there in good conscience- it is really bad. Really hope there will be some movement quickly!