For those of you waiting for places, or unhappy with the place you've been given, can I share my experience of last year.

[sandyballs]

I know how nerve wracking it is. A year ago I was in this situation waiting for year 7 places for my twin girls. Wanted our nearest school, just over a mile away, great reputation, everyone in the town raved about it, great ofsted blah blah. Well they didn't get a place on 1st March, were given another school which had been in special measures, new head, trying to turn it around etc.

Lots of tears, girls very upset but I was confident they would be given a place before Sept and i was right, by the end of April they were both allocated places. Great, everyone happy.

Soooo, a year on. This 'fab' school has been ideal for one of my girls, very happy. The other not so, not such a 'fab' school if you don't fit the mold. It has gone from being a 'good' school according to Ofsted to a school that needs to improve in nearly every area. Whereas the school we originally got is doing exceptionally well.

Just hope this may reassure those of you who didn't get your first choice, a lot of schools ride on local reputation, almost in a blase arrogant way, this school certainly did, confident that every local parent would do anything to get their kid in there, over 1,000 applicants for 200 year 7 places. I think that may change now.

Are you moving one or both daughters to the other school, sandy?

I totally agree. We have 2 schools in the area, one that everyone drools over and the other doesn't have the same snob value. However, if you look at all the stats, its on the way down whilst the other is on the way up. Even parents have told my daughter that they hope she doesn't have to go to the "worse" school as it's so crap, simply based on hearsay.

We applied to the "better" school, because all of her friends will be going there. We were ridiculously out of catchment, but she's managed to get in today because it's such a low birth year. The look on her face this morning showed how much it meant to her to get in, but I do wonder though if she would actually have a better time at the other school. Maybe choice isn't such a good thing.

Agree with you on the choice being a mixed blessing.

We're having heebiegeebies today about our decision to send DD to a school that is less 'good' on paper than our catchment school.

OTOH, when DS was at the 'good' school and miserable, boy were we glad there was another choice we could make!