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...

ihategeorgeosborne -the standing advice is to accept what you have been offered, so you have a place secured and in the bag. This does not prevent you from going on waiting lists or appealing other schools. There's another thread in this topic about it - I'll bump it for you. HTH

Thanks tiggy and Chippy. I think my worry is that dd has made such a massive turn around with regards to wanting her second choice school, that I am worried that she hasn't thought it through. On Monday she was in floods of tears because she didn't get preference 1 and yesterday, she was vociferously declaring that she wanted choice 2. I just don't understand how she can make such a huge u turn in 24 hours. I'm worried about her reasoning behind it. She says she doesn't want to talk about it and I'm starting to do her head in apparently (her words). I'm worried that she felt rejected by preference 1 and is now rejecting them herself because they rejected her. So, whilst I am happy to accept preference 2, as I liked it anyway, I don't want to write off preference 1, as we apparently stand a good chance of getting it eventually. Thank you to all of you for your help. I think I just don't understand 11 year old girls . Perhaps I'll leave it for a few days and see what happens and let the dust settle. I think we have until the 16th March to make our decisions.

11yo girls are contrary!

DD and I agreed the preferences, with hers going as number 2 for a number of reasons. She was offered no.1 and was quite upset. 24 hours later, she'd cooled on no.2 school, and if offered from waiting list will "go and have another look around and then see how I feel". This was after she found out where others were going, are on waiting lists or going to appeal. I think she's worried now that friends who have places at no.2 may end up elsewhere. Whereas she has the certainty of knowing that those going to no.1 will definitely be going there.

It's unsettling, and quite hard for them to grasp the subtleties of the process and that other families have different agendas.

It's difficult isn't it Chippy. Dd is talking up preference 2 school so much now, whereas last week, she had nothing good to say about it. How can she change so much? I agree about the friendship thing. It definitely has influence, although I have tried to explain that she will make new friends where ever she goes. She keeps telling me that where her friends are going has nothing to do with it. I keep trying to tell her that the next 7 years are really important and she needs to think beyond immediate friendships and how cool a uniform looks. She tells me she knows this and has changed her mind because she doesn't think choice 1 is for her anymore. The problem is that I don't entirely believe her

Thanks for bumping the other thread for me Chippy. I've read it and some really interesting points there. I'm a bit tired of it all now and will come back to it tomorrow with a fresh brain and hopefully a more positive outlook. Thanks for your help.

I've been watching this thread obsessively with interest as it will be our turn next year and after a nightmare getting DD into her primary school I really want it to be as low-stress as possible getting her into secondary. Commiserations to all of you who are finding it a stressful process and I hope you all end up with places you and your DCs are happy with.

Ihategeorgeosborne we are in Bath too and I am really intrigued about which schools you are referring to, and which one said that everyone who puts it as their first choice gets in! Are either of them the all-girls' one? We are so lucky here that we seem to have a real choice but it's still hard to work out what our chances are like!

Hello well I'm devastated! My eldest son is in year 7 at an amazing catholic secondary, it is out of catchment so we were surprised that he was given a place. We just assumed this year that our dd would be given a place but we found out Tuesday that she didn't get in. I now face the prospect of having three children at three different schools as I also have a son in reception.

Gracie32 - commiserations. Hopefully you can take some of the great advice on this and other threads and get onto the waiting list/think about appealing?

What do you think went wrong Gracie? Was the sibling bit overlooked?

Or despite sibling, because you are out of catchment, you are so much lower?

Hi Joan, she did put the girls' school as her first choice and didn't get it. Apparently, every year this happens, but eventually the girls who were refused a place get in on the second round of allocations in May. This has been the case for the last 5 years apparently. However, dd now says she wants the school she was allocated, which is co-ed. Either way, I'm not really bothered. I just wish she'd make up her mind! You are right though, the schools in Bath are all pretty good. We also had a nightmare getting dd into our local primary so you have my sympathies

Ah, thanks for letting me know. I think that H will most likely be our first choice, DD absolutely loved it when we went to the open day in the autumn, but I liked the co-ed (RA?) very much too, it seems like a very caring school.

It's good to know most people get in to H if it's their first choice, even if not in the first round of allocations. I do know of at least 1 person who has got in but intends to go private, not that it's particularly helpful to you at this stage! I hope your DD is really happy wherever she ends up.

Yes, Joan, both H and RA are excellent schools. They were the two that dd put. She has now decided she wants RA, despite being told she will probably be offered H in May if she still wants it. I still don't know what to do. I guess it boils down to whether she would be happy at a single sex school or would prefer co-ed. They are both good schools though, so we are lucky.

Hmm, that's a tough call. Do you think your DD has decided that based on feeling a bit rejected by the first choice - or maybe just wanting a bit of certainty at the stage, especially if all her friends are talking about where they are going? I know my DD's friends were all driving each other crazy about it around the time of the open evenings, and that's only in Y5, so I imagine they will all be completely wound up by the time they get their allocations next year!

At least you have a bit of time to mull it over, and I'm sure that all the talk at school will die down after the initial excitement so your DD can get a bit more perspective. Could you go back for another visit to them both in the meantime?

• this stage - not the stage

That's exactly what I think Joan. She was so disappointed not to get H and was the only person in her class who didn't! She came home from school the next day absolutely sure that she wanted RA. I have since found out that there are 14 in their class going to RA and 5 going to H. I don't know whether that has anything to do with it. I guess it probably does. So, I think I'll appeal for H, despite dd not wanting me to now and accept RA. I've got nothing to lose. Presumably we can reject H if we are offered it in May and dd will keep her place at RA. Another visit sounds like a good idea. Thanks

We'll I've spoken to admissions, they wouldn't go into too much detail they just said that there were a lot on in catchment siblings this year. I'm going to appeal but I doubt we'll be successful as in previous years they not let anyone in on appeal.

Hello tiggytape I would appreciate your help regarding my appeal as you are clearly an expert in this field and offer such good advice. May I email you on a 1:1 basis please?

Thanks so much x

Dear tiggytape thank you for your message I've sent you a message via MN hope you have received it. Thank you again.