Waiting list

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Just checking if anyone has had much movement on waiting lists for secondary schools?
We're 11th and no movement so far.is there still a chance we could get in?

How many children are in the intake and did the school over offer (some will do this if they normally have places declined eg by parents going private), or did they only offer the places available? If a large school and no over offering, then you have a fair chance but quite possibly a long wait. Most LAs publish offer info on their websites so you can tell if they over offered. Parents decline places at the initial acceptance point, but also later when they need to complete the batch of forms about friendship groups, medical history, consent etc. Others may be wait listed for other schools and cannot decline unless they get another offer elsewhere. Plus sadly some don't decline until the summer/start of term.

Unfortunately the process of offering out declined places can be very slow, as schools normally require each place offered to be accepted or declined in writing before the place can be offered out again. A few years ago our local secondary was still offering out declined places in December the following year because of this, but they fixed this in subsequent years by over offering. Try asking the school admissions officer how many places are normally declined and if they over offered. Good luck.

Tiggy, schools do over offer in my area, the LA states that "This school offered over their allocated published admission number (PAN) with an intention of dropping back to PAN by September 2013". The schools that do this are used to having places declined due to parents also holding offers from private schools. So they are not intending to exceed their PAN, rather they are trying to avoid a long drawn out process of offering declined places. It makes a big diference to whether you are likely to get offered to from the wait list, as if they have already over offered by 10 or 15 places fewer places will be offered from the wait list.

The admission code for 2012 specifically allows a school to exceed their PAN. If an admission authority decides that it is able to admit above its PAN in the normal year of entry it can do so on the basis that this would not prejudice the provision of efficient education or efficient use of resources at the school.
Any admission above PAN does not constitute an increase in the school's PAN, however for most admission appeal panels it is setting a precedent that is then very difficult for the school to go back on, which is why it does not happen as much as may be expected.
There is always a time scale to the waiting list. The places were originally offered on the 1st March and there is then a period where parents have to accept or decline the offer. Realistically this is at least two weeks, so to expect any movement before the end of March is not very realistic, by which time the LA will know what the situation is and start to make offers where there are spaces in schools from the waiting list. I would suggest that any movement on the waiting list will be from now through to 1st September.

In my area I think there is a second round where a whole load of new offers are sent out. I think this happens early in May, so the wating lists don't start moving until after that here.

Well in DS's class several children have now got their preferred choice via waiting list. One was initially allocated her third choice, then second and week before last, her first choice - all in very overscribed London.

We were very late applicants for our son. He was offered his 2nd choice, but today got a letter saying he has been offered a place at his first choice, from the waiting list.
We are in Surrey.

Thanks for all the encouraging messages.guess I just need to sit tight

Why don't you ask the school how far they went down the waiting list last year? Should think that would be a pretty good guide

DD1 was 13th on waiting list last year and was offered a place 2 weeks into the September term. I think only 4 came off the waiting list before September. There was alot of movement right up to christmas actually.

I would expect a lot of movement in Surrey, its a low birth rate year, and a lot of children in Surrey go to the Privates and only apply to the State as a back up.