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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

1st on the waiting list!

28 replies

breward · 26/08/2013 19:12

My DS has been first on the waiting list for a Grammar school since June. People have mentioned that he might get a place on the first day of term if a child does not turn up.

Does this really happen?

Do you know of children who have got a waiting list place in September?

(Luckily our allocated school is fantastic, it's just some distance away.)

OP posts:

MrsBartlet · 26/08/2013 19:34

Yes - ds is going into Y8 at a grammar and someone who should have been in his class didn't turn up on the first day. They obviously didn't want the place and didn't tell the school. 2 weeks after the start of term a new boy joined them after having already started at another secondary. I felt so sorry for the boy and his family who will have bough the whole uniform/pe kit etc for the other school and the poor boy had to start at two different secondaries within 2 weeks. It is unbelievably thoughtless of people not to bother to let the school know they are not going to take up the place.

Original poster

breward · 26/08/2013 19:39

We have bought a uniform, but the outfitter is aware £206 worth of uniform might be returned! When do I label it all... 2nd Sept?!!

OP posts:

MrsBartlet · 26/08/2013 19:45

Definitely don't label until after 2nd Sept as that is when the school will find out if they have any no-shows!

Which school is it you are waiting for, breward? I am sure I remember your name from the Essex 11+ thread.

tiggytape · 26/08/2013 22:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trix2323 · 27/08/2013 12:20

In my experience, there is always someone who doesn't turn up on the day.

If I were first in line on the waiting list, I would turn up on the day hoping that someone else isn't there.

Don't worry about sew-in labels for the first day - just write his name in pen onto anything he might take off during the day, and label everything after he gets home before the second day.

Hope it works out for you.

DeWe · 27/08/2013 14:46

Don't turn up on the day. Even if someone doesn't show up, they can't just assume they're not coming, they can't withdraw the place simply because they haven't turned up on the first day.
I think they have to try and contact the person to confirm they don't want the place, and if they are uncontactable (eg moved away) then check in other ways.
Almost certainly the place won't be offered from the school, but from the county waiting list, so I'd be surprised if they managed to turn it round inside a week. (friend's experience was around 2 weeks)

MrsBartlet · 27/08/2013 16:08

I agree with DeWe. The boy in ds's class who replaced the child who didn't turn up on the first day didn't start until 2 weeks after the start of term.

Original poster

breward · 27/08/2013 21:31

I would not dream of just turning up. DS would miss his first day at his allocated school, which will most probably be his school for the next 7 years.

I was planning to email his waiting list school to see if they could confirm that everyone had turned up... that way we can draw a line and move on. If they say that they had a no-show (or we get that info from the new Yr 7 boys), we will pester county. I can't imagine moving DS after 2 weeks. He would have made friends and started to settle. What a dilemma. Just hope it gets sorted before term starts or he never gets offered a place.

OP posts:

AtiaoftheJulii · 29/08/2013 01:12

I think ds started y7 at his grammar school on a Wednesday last September. A boy he'd met at the induction day wasn't there, and on Monday they had a replacement. His dad told me they'd sent him off to their local comp with instructions not to get too settled! And fwiw, he's doing extremely well there, definitely not struggling at the bottom of the class.

Original poster

breward · 29/08/2013 19:30

Thanks, that's reassuring!

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racingheart · 29/08/2013 23:02

DS1's friend went to Tiffin last year and told us one boy left after a few weeks because the parents were emigrating to USA. Staggering to think they took the place anyway for a week or so as they must have known the move abroad was on the cards.

Never found out if the place got filled, but I really hope it did.

Vijac · 29/08/2013 23:06

It's worth letting the council and school know that you're ready to move in if a space comes available even after the start of term. Just so they don't forget to fill the space in the start of term rush.

Dancergirl · 30/08/2013 19:22

I've also heard of children not turning up. OP, I'd said the probability is quite high of getting a place! Let us know the news.

Original poster

breward · 31/08/2013 19:28

I phoned the council yesterday and DS is still at Number 1. This was a relief as I hadn't phoned since July then panicked that late applicants may have pushed him down the list.

I also phoned the school but the answer phone said the school office is closed for the summer and to phone in September.

The council did say that places are rarely allocated during the summer because all offers have to be confirmed with the school and school offices tend to be closed during the summer. They said there can be quite a lot of movement in the first few days of the school term.

DS now wants to just go to allocated school after being desperate for waiting list school since March. I just want everything to be finally settled and to know one way or another. I will let you know what happens.

OP posts:

Dancergirl · 31/08/2013 21:16

Gosh, what a frustrating situation, the uncertainty must be awful.

Would YOU be happy with the allocated school for him? If you think the grammar is worth waiting for then I would stick it out. A bit of disruption for your ds in the first few weeks will soon be forgotten about.

DIddled · 31/08/2013 21:21

Girls grammar (my son goes to the boys)has just offered out 6 places ( I believe) last week!

My friends girl lost appeal for local o/s comp three years ago- and on first day was offered a space as 12 had not turned up.

So yes it can happen- hope you get a place.

SweepTheHalls · 31/08/2013 21:26

We have places come available in the first week or so every year, parents go to the grammar in the next LA and don't bother declining their place in our LA. Drives us mad, and we always tell our waiting list parents to have faith that they will get in in the end. Good luck.

Original poster

breward · 01/09/2013 08:27

Thank you for all your messages.

I think this situation might be a bit different because the waiting list school requires the highest eleven plus mark. So no one will be holding a place waiting to be allocated a higher scoring school on their list. Also they have introduced a catchment area this year, so no one on his in catchment list (80%) of those offered places will go to an outside lea school.

We are either waiting for a child moving house or one deciding to go private. I think it's a long shot!

OP posts:

Original poster

breward · 01/09/2013 08:28

Very happy with allocated school. It's just the distance. So it's a win-win situation.

OP posts:

ThreeBeeOneGee · 01/09/2013 08:36

Yes, places do sometimes become available in the first week.

Original poster

breward · 03/09/2013 19:03

Phoned waiting list school today. They said there were no unexplained absences. So tonight I have cut off the tags and sewn DS name in the new blazer!

At least we know which school he is going to now. Time to get off the roller coaster of the secondary school waiting list.

OP posts:

tiggytape · 04/09/2013 10:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Evageorge · 04/09/2013 13:17

Yes it does happen. The school is never entirely clear who is coming until they arrive. Some parents keep their place until the very last minute, especially if they are moving home. It will probably take the school a week to find out exactly who their intake is. You have a very very good chance.

Original poster

breward · 17/09/2013 22:15

Update: DS has been offered a place today at the waiting list Grammar!!!

Can't believe it. DS nearly cried with happiness, relief, pride... And confusion when I told him. He has spent 10 days at his 2nd place school. He hated the first three days, then settled and really enjoyed the last 7 days.

He has to make the decision whether to change, because I don't want him saying... But you never let me go, or I never wanted to come to this school.

He has decided to take the place offered today. So off to spend another small fortune on a new school uniform tomorrow. Luckily what we spend on uniform will be saved in bus fare (£1200 a year).

Thanks for all your messages of support.

OP posts:

Marmitelover55 · 17/09/2013 22:21

Great news for you znd DS

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