Countdown to 3rd March

[LittleWomen2]

Anyone with me?

DS sat Wilson/Wallington and passed 2nd stage of both. Sat Sutton too. The wait to 3rd March seems a long way...

Don't understand why it has to take so long either.

Parents who sat independent schools as a backup would be busy right now with interviews, but for us, a stretch too long.
Looks like Sutton Grammar not releasing their 2nd stage results until the D day!

Do the indies who test in January demand acceptance with deposits before 3rd March?

Yes am on countdown too. I applied on 1st September so seems like a lifetime ago. We get three choices and we are guaranteed at least one as Dd attends a feeder school. Hoping for two others though first.

I was the same for primary school I do worry so much.

Me too, I'm 99% sure dd will get her first choice but I'm still worrying just in case - it's daft because I never worried with her older brother.

barbour the indie results come out on 13th Feb, as far as I know the next 2 weeks, run up to 3rd March, is used as decision making time. They usually give about 3 weeks to make a decision and confirm your choices.

Oh the worrying never stops! The "what if...?" scenarios keep on running in the mind with a stream of back-up plans

We were in this situation last year and the private school wanted an answer before we got our state offer. We ended up paying the the deposit for the private school and then got our preferred state option. I think it's really bad that you have to commit yourself to private (in our area) before you know state offer. We lost our deposit

DS1 passed Wilson's and Wallington and sat Sutton.

Luckily our back-up local comprehensive is way better than it used to be. That does make me worry less than if the alternative was terrible.

I think the indies we are applying to want an answer by 5th March, giving you a few days with all the options on the table.

have anyone managed to extend an indy's offer deadline?

I ask because some indies impose a deadline a couple of weeks before 3rd March...

WRT Whitgift and Trinity, I think offer acceptance deadline is about 3 weeks.

Most HMC and GSA schools allow you to wait until 3 March before handing in deposits. And certainly most heads understand that some parents will want to weigh up between state and private, and will allow you to negotiate handing in a late deposit. There is plenty of movement after 3 March as some children turn down excellent state schools in preference to indies, and then those who had accepted indies get their waiting list places at state schools.

It has become more common for parents to pay a deposit and hold onto a Sutton grammar place until the new parents/boys meetings to give them a chance to weigh up the different peer groups, so there is often even movement in late June/early July.

Paying a deposit for an independent place and losing it because you eventually take a state place isn't the worst thing that could happen - if that's what we do, we'll have paid a small price relative to the entire cost of independent education to secure a range of options that parents would cut their arm off for.

What I do fear is paying a deposit on our second-choice independent because the deadline hits, and then getting a place at our favoured independent. We have money set aside for school fees and inflation, but very limited income, so it doesn't really allow for too much wastage of the odd couple of thousand here and there.

I am fully prepared to pay for a deposit for one school to reserve a place while waiting for results on another and then giving ourselves time to think over which one would be best with both options in hand. I'm resigned to seeing it as the price you pay for keeping options open.

You shouldn't have to do that though? Which independent schools are asking for 11+ deposits back before 3 March out of interest? When I checked with ds1 it was only the boarding schools (Worth was the only one that I found) that did this, and even then you could wait until National Offer Day if you asked? [The reason I had looked this up then, was it was a possible way of getting early information out of the other schools as to whether you had passed etc].

Just a word of warning W don't look for a deposit but by accepting a place you commit to a terms fees! Also I did get extension from T last year as I was ill so always worthwhile asking.

Does anyone know when the Wandsworth Test results are released? They usually tend to release the results before National offers day.

Has anyone had an offer from a GDST school yet?

Sutton High and Croydon High were out before Christmas. I think that CHS are having an afternoon today for those holding offers.

Interesting, Alice. We are waiting for Wandworth too. i thought you didn't get any results until offer day. Just googled and couldn't find anything. How do they communicate the result?

(We are not in a Wandsworth primary school though so perhaps the primary schools get some info. Just a thought.)

JustAnotherUserName I called up Wandsworth Council, I was informed that they will release the results end of next week.
Last year a friend called up the council earlier than the results day and they informed her over the phone

It's only 2 weeks away now! Surprisingly this thread is very silent!

For anyone who is interested the Graveney scores are now available from Wandsworth Council