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Secondary education

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Original poster

Offers Day 1st March 2012

776 replies

gazzalw · 06/01/2012 18:44

Anyone else feeling like we do about the impending Offers Day?

Not at all a foregone conclusion that DS will get into any of first five choices (all selective, two 11+ passes, one 11+ result due this coming week) so rather up in the air.... Sixth choice is okayish but DS has talked it down to the point that he is now desperately hoping it's not his one and only choice! Otherwise DS is being quite mature about considering that he could end up at any of the schools and is already thinking about which friends from primary school he is likely to stay in touch with etc.....

It all feels a bit as if life is on hold till 1st March.....

OP posts:
Blu · 02/03/2012 11:30

Simdani - yes you can accept the Graveney place and stay on the waiting list for the grammars - make sure that you do accept the place offered, and that you do put your name on the waiting lists for any schools you would prefer, if any.

gazza - yes, you can also go on a waiting list for any schools lower down your preference list if you have had a change of thought since the application. But you have to put yourself on - they don't automatically out you on like they do for cimmunity schools of higher preference. The grammar will be a good option, though, won't it? How are you feeling this morning? Your boy should be well proud of himself, anyway!

I think we will be keeping Graveney as a possibility for 6th form.

StressedSian · 02/03/2012 12:45

SchoolsNightmare- I am really sorry. That is stressful and means this will not be over for a long time for you. All the best, Stressed

mooze14 · 02/03/2012 13:06

i got a school that im shocked we got.. was our dream school all boys ( ex grammar) and we got it .. i accepted before they could say its a mistake lol

mooze14 · 02/03/2012 13:07

some of ds class mates still waiting for there post >>

kravings · 02/03/2012 13:41

congratulations mooze14

bizzey · 02/03/2012 13:49

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE had to ring p sch to find out as no post but he is going to be so happy

Migsy1 · 02/03/2012 14:05

sisterbaby You are two-faced and rather offensive. I hope your son turns out to be a priest.
yummyhoney You are ignorant and offensive.

YummyHoney · 02/03/2012 14:55

Grin Thank you. (and to Seenbutnotheard)
bizzey Congratulations - very pleased for you.

bizzey · 02/03/2012 14:55

Migsy1 thank you ..can't say much more as still feel sad about other comments but....ha ha ..have to laugh if they think "church"is now finished they have got in to 2nd catholic school...got my school though !!!(TG) excuse pun

bizzey · 02/03/2012 14:58

yummyhoney thank you

Zed4 · 02/03/2012 16:13

SchoolsNightmare - It's a difficult time for you all. Thinking of you, just hang on in there, I'm sure things will come good for you in the end.

Tattymum · 02/03/2012 16:28

Another Southwark Mum with very unhappy son - got offered a RC Boys school he has never even seen despite the reason given for each of our [hollow laugh] choices was that we wanted a non-religious coeducational school - and, this offer is further from home than any of his choices. We are atheists BTW.

He has been to school today and officially has the most mad offer of all of his peers, thinking of asking the Pope to intervene.

Blu · 02/03/2012 16:42

Oh, no!
Any hope of a place from the waiting list, Tattymum?

bibbityisaporker · 02/03/2012 16:46

I am sure you will go up the list Tattymum. You never know, you might even get a place at the blessed K now that their interim ofsted has been published Grin.

Tattymum · 02/03/2012 16:47

Thanks Blu, we are hoping for two where we got waiting list and will go to discuss options with the school preference team, the others were a straight No (Lewisham) he's passed for an independent but the fees are scary and he's not keen but I reckon I'll pay the deposit just so I can sleep at night....reaches for remortgage forms.

Tattymum · 02/03/2012 16:49

Thanks bibbityisaporker my son would consider K a miracle (oops forgot we're atheists!)

moscow · 02/03/2012 16:59

Got to stick my oar in about the faith schools. Where we live, there are two fantastic and hugely oversubscribed co-eds in the north and east of the town, an average mixed RC in the east, two good single sex comps fairly central and by lottery, a very good girls' catholic, a fairly ropey church school in the far northwest, a seriously failing co-ed covering a large area in the south, and one other co-ed, sort of average, in southwest. What this means is that you can draw a line down the middle of the town and if you live on one side you have a good chance of a good school, if you live on the other, not so good, and downright awful for some. What annoys me is that the Catholics here are 100% Catholic for primary. As soon as they reach 9 or 10, the Catholicism element of their education is suddenly not important after all. What happens is that the girls get the pick of the bunch and most go to the excellent girls' Catholic. The boys reject the mixed Catholic and take places at one of the better co-eds (many of them seem to live in the 'right place'). This means, and I know plenty of them, that lots of non-Catholics end up with one of the poorly-performing schools, unless they want a place at a faith school that so-called People of Faith have rejected. How come it's Catholic Catholic Catholic until, suddenly, 'Oh, we're not that catholic after all'???

moscow · 02/03/2012 17:12

And btw, we are not Catholic, and we got the school we wanted. I am just cross when I hear about other kids missing out owing to what is a massive imbalance here.

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 02/03/2012 17:30

moscow - I'd say parents just care more about their children getting a good education than they do about them going to a faith school. But actually I think people do care a lot about their own genuine beliefs and faith - it's just more and more people are prepared to work the system - And who can blame them ?
Not me, because that really would be hypocritical (since we did the same to some extent)
There are worse things than wanting a good school for your children, and worse things one could do than go to church and get involved with a faith community.
People have to do what they think is for the best. (Including for their DCs) That isn't always easy to determine.

moscow · 02/03/2012 17:39

Juggling, I know, ultimately all anyone really cares about is a decent-enough education, and everyone is entitled to that, faith or non-faith. I respect others' right to believe, although I am agnostic/athiest myself. Hah! can one be agnostic/athiest?? In any case, I am secular when it comes to schools, as I just feel religion is a peronal thing that should be kept out of state education. It just riles me, that where we live, Catholics get one of the 'best' primary schools in the area purely because of the relationship they have with the Church, and with the priest. And they moan about having to go to church on Sunday mornings, when their kids would rather be dancing or playing football or whatever.,... And it's the worst thing in the world when there are just too many Catholics in one intake year and a Catholic child has to 'make do' with the great non-faith primary up the road. THEN, when it comes to secondary, being Catholic is not important anymore... unless of course, the RC happens to be a great school, then the parents are virtually taking mass themselves in place of the priest...

NotVacant · 02/03/2012 17:50

Seems as though everyone has an offer from their list of preferences. We got none of our preferences and have been offered a school by the LA but will be rejecting it. The school has vacancies because it's not popular. We didn't get schools in our Borough or the neighbouring Borough. First choice was WLFS. Will spend next week ringing around to see where she is on waiting lists but already informed by on school that she is "way down the list as you live 4.8 miles away and children 0.6 miles away have been refused". Thanks! We could potentially have no school as we will be rejecting the offer made to us. No point keeping it for security as we do not want her to go there. They system is wrong. Our garden backs on to the playground of an excellent Cof E school (we have no faith) but we did not apply because 2 years ago or son did not a get a place as we had insufficient points and places go to other faiths. If we all went to our nearest high school (an argument frequently used) then this would be ours. However, the LA consider the school offered my nearest as it's not a faith school. I'm sure we'll get something and can apparently add another 6 schools. Potentially stressful!

Blu · 02/03/2012 18:17

Sorry to hear that NotVacant.
What will you do if no other offer transpires?
Everyone says that lots of places become available in the period after acceptances have to be in, so hopefully you will get an offer that you would be happy / happier with.
There is no disadvantage in accepting the place offered.
There are other people down the thread in the same difficult position.

SchoolsNightmare · 02/03/2012 18:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotVacant · 02/03/2012 18:58

Blu/SchoolsNightmare -have decided to be patient! Three of the schools were voluntary aided and having contacted them directy was told that they will be discussing waiting lists 16 March. Things may be clearer in a couple of weeks. Trying to be upbeat to keep my daughter hopeful. There will be an answer. Will go on waiting lists and seek out another 6 schools (downside of which may be having to travel further than we wanted!).

Good luck Blu!

bigTillyMint · 02/03/2012 19:26

DS's two best friends didn't get any of their (maybe 4 each?) choices and were given a local school that they are not happy with Sad

DD says she knows of loads of siblings at K - I think 6 or 7 in DS's class alone, so that will have squeezed places a bit.