Alleyn's 11+ waiting list

[Amsr]

My dd has not been offered a place at her first choice of secondary school, Alleyn's but has been put on their waiting list. Does anyone know how many kids are usually put on the waiting list? And of those how many usually get offered places after the acceptance deadlines? Also do you think the school will tell me what number she is on the waiting list? She has been offered places at 2 other schools (but only single sex schools) but is devastated as she has always had her heart set on Alleyn's and is definitely a mixed school kind of girl.

The registrar at Alleyn's is really helpful so I'd have thought you wouldn't have anything to lose by calling and saying its your first choice school and how keen she is to go there

Most of the children who have offers will also have offers from other schools and if course each child can only accept one place. I'm not sure how much they over-offer by but obviously they do so there might not be much movement towards the waiting list until after the state school offers

Good luck

Thanks basildonbond. The letter asks us not to call so I have sent a letter saying exactly that. Fingers crossed. Dd seemed ok about it but then found her sobbing into her pillow. Heartbreaking! Feels like my nerves have been shredded waiting for letters and had thought it would all be over but the waiting continues!

Amsr, they will definitely be quite a few Alleyn's offers declined, i.e. there will be girls choosing JAGS over Alleyn's, boys who got scholarships at Dulwich College (who is much more generous in terms of % reduction that Alleyn's) and will choose that, and kids who'd take Latymer Upper. Of course, I don't know by how much they over offer. But waitlist will definitely move so your goal is to make sure you are the one who will get one of those places.

Is your DD at a prep or state primary? If at the former, go to see your HM and get them beg your case with Alleyn's, confirming it's your first choice, how she'll fit in personality wise, etc. We've known people from our school get into Alleyn's from waitlist using these tactics. Are the other two schools your DD got academic(ish)? If so, did you include them in the letter? It will confirm to them that your DD scored consistently in several exams to get these offers, etc.

Holding fingers crossed for you. I know it's tough when you settled on a co-ed school and it's the one that ends up being the waitlist.

Amsr from what I've seen if you're on a waiting list for a school you really want and you make that clear to the school (striking the right balance of keen but not pestering), you've got a very good chance of being offered a place. Seen it happen several times. Good luck!

Thanks irisha. Dd is at state primary. Good idea to see if I can get her head to push her case. Just last week he told dd that she should have tried for art scholarship. She has offers from whs and Streatham & Clapham and I mentioned that in the letter. We didn't put her forward for jags, phs etc as didn't think they'd suit her.
Thanks claramaugham - I hope so. Just got to get that balance right!

If it's any consolation Alleyn's seems to have been really hard to get into this year - we know quite a few children who I'd have put money on getting an offer only making it to the waiting list but they've all got offers (and on some cases scholarships) everywhere else they'd tried. The children we know on the waiting list will be accepting one of their form offers so won't be pursuing a place any more so definitely worth letting Alleyn's know how keen you and dd are

Gah - hitting 'o' instead of 'i'

In some cases

And firm offers ...

Good to know basildonbond. Thank you. It's hard to know how to balance giving (still very upset) dd hope and preparing her for accepting one of the other schools. Will certainly take all of the above advice.