Waiting list | Mumsnet

PiratePetespajamas · 2025-02-15T15:22:53+00:00

Has anyone joined a waiting list, now or in the past? How does your place on the list get determined - is it how quickly you wrote back to accept the place on the list?!! Or something else? Much appreciate any info!

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RatedDoingMagic · 15/02/2025 15:29

It will depend on the school.
I got a waiting list place for my own independent senior school several decades ago. For that school, the waiting list was simple sorted in order of entrance examination mark, as those with the highest scores got places and those just below thr cutoff formed the waiting list. It would be different for a less selective school of course. For some schools if you write to thank them for keeping you on the waiting list and assure them that they remain your #1 choice, you are not accepting any place elsewhere and are able to pay the acceptance deposit immediately if a place comes available, that can sometimes make a difference, but each school will have its own policy there are no statutory rules in private schools.

tennissquare · 15/02/2025 17:46

@PiratePetespajamas , are you talking about a WL place for a secondary private school that was communicated in the past few days? If so move to the secondary education threads.

SeaEssence · 16/02/2025 15:46

RatedDoingMagic · 15/02/2025 15:29

It will depend on the school.
I got a waiting list place for my own independent senior school several decades ago. For that school, the waiting list was simple sorted in order of entrance examination mark, as those with the highest scores got places and those just below thr cutoff formed the waiting list. It would be different for a less selective school of course. For some schools if you write to thank them for keeping you on the waiting list and assure them that they remain your #1 choice, you are not accepting any place elsewhere and are able to pay the acceptance deposit immediately if a place comes available, that can sometimes make a difference, but each school will have its own policy there are no statutory rules in private schools.

"write to thank them for keeping you on the waiting list and assure them that they remain your #1 choice, you are not accepting any place elsewhere and are able to pay the acceptance deposit immediately if a place comes available, that can sometimes make a difference" - this is exactly what was recommended to us by DS's Y6 teacher, the school also followed up themselves. Not sure if it helped but we got an offer as soon as the acceptance window closed. A polite and thankful communication can't do any harm...

EdgarAllenRaven · 17/02/2025 11:08

tennissquare · 15/02/2025 17:46

@PiratePetespajamas , are you talking about a WL place for a secondary private school that was communicated in the past few days? If so move to the secondary education threads.

Why could she not post in the Private School thread? Is that a rule..?
(Genuine question! As Secondary relates to all things secondary, I thought Private relates to all things Private so there could be some overlap surely?)

tennissquare · 17/02/2025 11:22

@EdgarAllenRaven because the London private secondary school threads have been running for longer than this private school section on MN that was set up more recently. On Friday the offers were send out and the Secondary threads are full of WL tips and it gives you an idea of the volume of places that are given up - ie dc with 7 offers who are giving up 5 this week.

If the op is looking for a reception place etc this of course would not be relevant.