decision on 1st March? Anyone want to sit and sweat it out with me?

[MsIngaFewmarbles]

Urgh I am starting to feel queasy. I just want to know now. PFB (dd1) doesn't care which school she gets into and dh is being irritatingly pragmatic.

Is anyone else twitching nervously?

Nice try Bati, but I seem to remember getting the impression that all the allocations are not really entirely sorted until Offers Day or close to it (seem to recall seeing some type of timetable to that effect).

Tiggytape, yes, part of pan london. Does that mean that the emails are sent then or that I could log in then and no earlier? Not that it matters in the great scheme of things!

I seem to remember DC's Head last year swearing blind she didn't know the schools allocation but we knew she was lying! It think it's a tad unfair that the Heads get to know before parents and children -what's that all about Tiggytape?

ChippyMinton, I seem to recall last year that it was on the strike of 5.00 pm that the allocated school details were available online on the Pan-London site. And yes the official emails didn't arrive until some time later...(a matter of hours methinks).

Nooo do the heads really know before us? Why?

Feeling quite calm, before the storm perhaps ;) Quick question we shall (most probably) be appealing at one GS as DD missed out by a very small margin and had I believe mitigating circumstances. Anyway she shall of course go on waiting lists for the GS's she passed but just wondered IF she is very fortunate and gets a place from say her '3rd preference' GS waiting list after March 1st, would that then mean it cancels out all her other waiting list places at her '1st' and '2nd' preference GS? Am guessing she shall get allocated the comprehensive and then go on waiting list for the 3 GS's. Is probably VERY unlikely but wondering if she accepted a '3rd choice' waiting list place, could we still hold on for a GS higher up our preference list and hope she may get a place further down the line? I suppose knowing where she is on the waiting list/s help to see what probability of her getting a place is. She passed 3 GS exams, but due to ooc criteria/over subscription not feeling to confident she'll be allocated one.

As for the appeal, mostly because I don't want any 'what ifs' in the future. Is a school appeals are very rarely upheld but have to at least go for it. Then again I could of course be appealing at the GS's she passed at anyway! Oh the joys!!

Thanks so much tiggytape, really really helpful so thank you very much for that. Yes appreciate the special circumstances don't have the same weight as her academic ability. She was out by what would have equated to maybe a couple of questions and is strong level 5a at school
( doing the level 6 extension papers in May) doing very at school, high spelling/reading ages, YG&T. She also passed 3 other GS exams and had an indie offer (due to finances have had to decline) Was 'expected' to pass, have strong support from head and class teacher who shall be writing supporting letters and I do have documented 'medical' evidence and a SC form was handed in on the day. Of course hindsight is a wonderful thing and I did question whether I should have taken her, and postponed exam, she begged (almost) to be taken on the day she's one of those that 'enjoys' in her own way tests/exams and so I trusted her judgment. Hey ho, I like a challenge and so although I know is the longest of long shots want closure really if that makes sense.

Thanks again for explaining the waiting list thing, lets hope I have just one appeal in my hands :) Keep practising how to word our reasons for appeal letter, have heard both keeping it short and to the point the best, and yet others also say make it as lengthy and 'wordy' as possible as you may not get the time on the day to explain your reasons.

Good luck everyone else waiting!

Quick question, if DD doesn't get her first/second preference does she auomatically go on the waiting list of these or do we have to contact the school and add her name?

Just wish the 1st would hurry up so we know one way or another. This is my first going to secondary (can you tell lol) didn't realise the waiting would be so stressful!

Ha ha thanks tiggytape We have everything crossed she gets her first choice GS but we are relying on the distance criteria after LAC, medical needs and then siblings so it could go any way just like to be prepared and ready for any eventuality x

One week to go. Hopefully we will know before he goes to school in the morning!

How do you find out what yr birth rate is for the year?

I asked our admissions office at the council, back when DS1 was starting primary, and confirmed it with them when I was doing the Secondary application for him.

Might be worth ringing yours?

I think historically it's the last of three low-birth rate years in a row (this year's Year 6, current Year 7 and current Year 8) before the huge upturn in the birth rate...

Technically speaking the 'fun' with secondary school admissions has yet to come .....

Boooo my eldest are in yr 3 ....

I would agree with that, it's what we were told too.

It's one of the reasons I am hoping we get DS1 into the boys school - if we do, the sibling rule will mean DS2, in YR2 at the moment, will have the option of going there too, if we deem it the best fit for him closer to the time.

I looked it up on the ONS website. There was a dip in 2001/2002/2003 then it creeps steadily upwards.

And as I've flagged up already, you don't see the Councils rapidly expanding existing or building new secondary schools..... yet.... They will undoubtedly wait until there is a crisis for places before they act...

The birth dip is sickening for me, because DD, who's in a lowbirth year is likely to end up going to a single sex school and hence DS will have to fend for himself in the chaos of September 2015 entries without a sibling leg-up

Exactly the same here manky, dd2 and dsd are both in year 4, they all really want the girls school. If we get dd1 in now then the sibling rule pretty much guarantees them places.

Well our DS goes to a grammar school out of Borough so no sibling rule will apply for DD (7). There are girls grammar schools around too but not sure at this stage whether with increased competition, DD will make it. The half-decent non-selective girls school in Borough is on the other side of it. It's quite possible that although historically all girls from within Borough have been given places, because of the rising birth-rate and its increasing popularity, by the time DD gets to that stage she might not even get a place.

DW is already starting to agitate about it..... and it's still four years off before we get really angsty.

My DD has done very well and hopefully has got a place at a semi selective. Has just got into the 12 number cut off. However, I won't feel happy until I have official notification and am (ridiculously) slightly anxious. Do hope it all works out. If, and just if, she doesn't get in she will go to the local school with her friends....just she is really excited about going there, making new friends and no longer being thought of as one of the nerds...
DS younger and going into ks2 - shouldn't really be thinking about his future yet.....(not sure he will do as well in the exam as very different child!). Feel for those who are in a different position....hope it all works out for everyone.....