Anyone else waiting for offers day - March 2nd here?

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We have put an out of catchment school as first choice. Second choice is our catchment school. Some years we would get into our first choice, some years we would not. So we are anxiously awaiting the email...

Chippy, no, I just put in my login credentials from the eadmissions email. Seemed to accept them ok, and now just cheerfully tells me that I have no messages.

Same here topMuffin. I keep rechecking but nothing

I did put my phone number in but it still wanted all the other details, so think the number must be an optional extra. Good luck all.

Heels99 - is that aimed at me? Or Wanton? Either way, I assume you know the schools and our children. I judged the schools on value added score, location, facilities, post 16, atmosphere, extra curricular opportunities, staff attitudes, kids' attitudes. And I'm thrilled she's going to a school where the staff seem to have some energy and I know she will thrive. And I would have been pleased with St Katherine's too. And yes, I did look at both Cathedral and Colstons girls. And hated them both.

Bucks here, so the nerve-wracking bit was last October really when the 11+ results came out, however, it's always nice to have it in black and white. DS got his first choice grammar, which we're delighted about. Sighs of relief for everyone who had good news and commiserations to those who didn't get the news they were hoping for

guardian

Is it this thread the Guardian is quoting?

"Among readers of parenting website Mumsnet, tension has been mounting in online threads as what has become known as national offer day approaches. “I am dreading it,” writes one parent."

Apparently the Cameron's are also waiting.

Bet their dd won't be going to the unpopular choice local secondary.

thanks, tiggytape. that's helpful. I would like to appeal but can't see a basis for it: my daughter has no special needs, the school is non-selective, we don't live very close. My main issue is that I want her to go to a non-academy school (I spoke to the head of her first choice school at an open evening and he was 100% opposed to academies) but I don't think that will be considered an issue at all.

Am I right, or is it always worth pursuing an appeal? I'm reluctant to go all out for this as it sends the implicit message to my daughter that the school she will almost certainly end up going to is not good enough. Any thoughts?

Has anyone in Kent or Sussex had an email yet? Supposed to be 4pm I think!

well and chippy I'm glad it's not just me who feels like heels is trying to piss in my cornflakes with that comment. I thought perhaps my sleepless night last night had made me ratty. And you both put forward better responses than I could have managed.
heels We're very happy with our allocated school and most likely for reasons you couldn't possibly know or understand did I mention that one of the male teachers was a god amongst men?

Thanks Tiggytape

I wasted a lot of energy worrying about secondary schools because of the huge number of people telling me I should be worried. Then I went and looked at them and was reassured by how nice they were. I know for a fact that there will be tears in the playground when those that bought into this hysteria don't get their unrealistic choices. Some families refused to even look at Fairfield because they heard it was awful.

I know wellwellwell.

One of my friends was sobbing into her latte over the fact her daughter has been alocated the nice local comp where my DD goes. It is a good school, but she wanted the one with the posher uniform and smarter buildings (gcse results are same!). The frenzy and madness on the playground!

I managed to be be sympathetic. Just, though I may have laughed a bit at the rant about clip on ties (the horror!)

WantonMother -I think that is a legitimate reason for preferring one school over another Mind you, you DC may never be in his class..

Do you think SamCam is lurking?

Wanton you have chosen schools in north Somerset rather than bristol. Presumably because like many other parents in bristol you are not thrilled with the provision from bristol lea.
Bristol has a very high proportion of children educated outside the local area and the highest % nationally of children in private schools. Bristol is at number 141 out of 151 local authorities for gcses. Its widely recognized, not least by the education authority, that bristol needs to do better. People like wanton shouldn't have to bus their child out the city for secondary school, the schools in the city should be better than they currently are. G doubt there is be educator in the city who would disagree with that.

If that pisses on your cornflakes, so be it.

And fairfield is the most oversubscribed school this year. So presumably many people who wanted to go there may be disappointed.

Oh heels it's not that pissing on my cornflakes, it's the snide remark you made about being happy with a school that is performing under the national average. As if you are some kind of authority on what people should or shouldn't be happy with! As if you are privy to the reasons why people have chosen their desired schools!
Yes, in some respects Bristol LEA has work to do but I found your comment very unkind and unnecessary on this particular thread. Are you waiting for results or are you just hanging around on here passing comment on people who are going through this process? Perhaps you should start a thread about Bristol schools, not undermine people who are celebrating/commiserating?

Like I said - unhelpful. Has it occurred to you that parents are trying to do the best for their DC, regardless of where they live?

Are you waiting for results Heels99?

Defo chippy oh I don't know, I'm sure ds will need extra help and lots of parent/teacher discussions in this particular subject

'Fairfield is the most oversubscribed school this year' - where did you get this information?

fuck knows what it is at this point though! ^

Pretty certain the head of Fairfield was quoted as saying everyone who put it as their first choice would get a place.

Sussex are hearing today throughout the day - we've heard DS got his first choice as the school he's off to has a sibling policy before a straight lottery and older DS got in last year.

Very very pleased, the school is oversubscribed as we already know 3 friends who didnt get in and the next few years look very tough for those without siblings at the school as its a 4-18 age school, max 120 intake in yr7 and could be dominated by siblings applicants quite easily within 2 years. No catchment, just straight lottery after looked after, SEN, siblings and founders/staff children.

Once the shool is up to 750 or so(by 2016/17 intake) kids I can easily see 100 siblings applying for the 120 spots, which doesnt leave alot of room for others to get in.

and West Sussex applications website has a very handy document which gives all the school stats for the previous years intake on application numbers, places offered and the breakdown via category of the places offered.

Dont know if other regions have that?

First choice here. I can't quite believe it after last year and so many at our area not being offered anything initially. I hope it is good news for all the kids.

Good luck to those still waiting. Well done to those that have received good news and for those that haven't had the outcome they were hoping for lots of unmumsnetty hugs, hope waiting lists and appeals bring the result you want.