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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Secondary applications and waiting lists.

21 replies

TotemPole · 02/03/2013 13:56

Hi, we didn't get into our preferred choices.

Do I need to contact each school to find out where we are on the list?

What determines our position on the list? Does the order we put the schools in on the application affect it at all.

Can we remain on more than 1 waiting list? And can we remain there until after the start of the school year.

Thanks

OP posts:
mummytime · 02/03/2013 14:11

Contact all schools where you want to be on the waiting list (this could even be schools you did not apply to first time around).

You probably won't be able to find out where you are on waiting lists for a couple of weeks. However once you get to the top, you should be offered a place as soon as a place becomes available. However you can move down as well as up a list.

You should also be prepared to appeal for any schools you really want. There will be lots of advice on appeals in old threads and appearing here soon.

lemonmajestic · 02/03/2013 15:19

I think that the LEA manages the waiting lists not the individual schools. You can go on as many lists as you like. Your place on the list will be determined by how you meet the admissions criteria i.e. how far you live from each school for community schools.

tiggytape · 02/03/2013 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tiggytape · 02/03/2013 16:03

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lljkk · 02/03/2013 16:12

In our LEA there are almost no waiting lists even for over-sub schools, I think few of the academies are over-subbed schools anyway. You are supposed to just keep applying, just before half term for start of following term is the official time to apply. I would phone my preferred schools & LEA to ask about local procedures.

tiggytape · 02/03/2013 16:16

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummytime · 02/03/2013 17:46

There used to be a system as described by lljkk but only for years above year 7 .
However the national admissions code requires waiting lists to be kept.

lljkk · 02/03/2013 17:49

Previously I had a long online chat with Prh47bridge (?sp) and it appears that our LEA is indeed breaking many national guidelines. If this should prove true for OP, as well, OP may not feel like taking the system on.

lljkk · 02/03/2013 17:51

This thread.

NickNacks · 02/03/2013 18:09

I'm also in the awful situation as the op. none of our three preferences were allocated to us.

Anyone know how we find out if we can appeal? Obviously will go on the waiting list but not sure what good that can do. His friend got in and lives quite close so not sure what we did wrong :(

tiggytape · 02/03/2013 18:19

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NickNacks · 02/03/2013 18:43

That is helpful tiggytape

Yes the friend is in the same criteria, no sibling, same current school (which is a list 'feeder' school, no church attendance etc. That's good to know we should be near the top of a waiting list then. They def live a bit closer not further.

Appeal wise I don't know if we do have a case. Is it up to us to find out where an error has been made or do we just get them to double check?

Thanks.

tiggytape · 02/03/2013 20:50

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
TotemPole · 02/03/2013 21:05

Thank you to everyone for the replies.

tiggytape, we've been rejected because of distance. So if we moved closer to the school would we move up the waiting list or would we need to make a late application for a new address to be taken into account?

OP posts:
tiggytape · 02/03/2013 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
TotemPole · 02/03/2013 21:40

tiggy, that's a good point about the timing. We have to move, but it won't be for a few months.

It's tough decision, choice 1 and 2 are in opposite directions from here, so the move will definitely put us in a worse position for one of them.

But, saying that, I think we've only missed out on choice 1 by a short distance. We know that someone slightly further away than us was offered a place last year. I suspect there's been a reduction in the catchment area.

OP posts:
mummytime · 03/03/2013 03:49

There can be a lot of movement on waiting lists. My son was originally 25th on his schools and was offered a place at Summer half-term.

Appealing - to win an appeal you only need to show that the harm to your child of not going to "preferred school" is greater than the harm done to children already there of having one more child in their class. A lot of people do win their appeals every year.

SavoyCabbage · 03/03/2013 03:50

Bump

NickNacks · 03/03/2013 08:14

Mummytime - what was the PANof the school you got into? The one we want is only 60 so I'm thinking if we aren't in top 3 then he won't stand a chance. 25th place seems like a fab result!

mummytime · 03/03/2013 08:35

300, and it also always loses 10% to private but wasn't allowed to over offer that year. It also had about 10 successful appeals.

60 seems tiny for secondary to be honest (my DCs primary is bigger).

NickNacks · 03/03/2013 08:54

We're not technically Secondary. It's a three tier system and this is middle school. It is the smallest one but the largest is only pan of 150.

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