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

[cece]

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...

Trying to maintain perspective head-wedged-in-sand Ds wants the out of catchment worth an add arp. Will be perfect for him, he had asd and adhd but no statement f*ing-primary-bs. Trying to resolve that, as they have allowed him to do bugger all this year. 2 ND choice is catchment, so he's guaranteed that, but I really would prefer the school that is a better fit for him. Dreading that transition, especially given the crap he's got away with this year.

"An alternative view this that they want to poach him or convince him"

The letter is dated 13th of February.

The school in question is an up and coming community school, with high numbers of children on FSM and pretty low numbers of high achievers by local standards (19%). It's not seething with accomplished musicians, and actually the majority of bursary awards are for dance, drama or art, with only a handful of students getting a place for music. I suspect many of those who have got a music place sang at their audition. I would think they'd be quite keen to have a child who's a confident pianist and drummer.

The hard thing is that it's also DS's preferred option, as one of his best friends at school also has a bursary there for dance, and the school is small and attractive and friendly. The first choice school would be my preference as their music department is really high-octane.

sunnydayinmay

Those were some high scores you posted on p1! Crossing my fingers those are from DC who'd really far prefer HBS/QE/Habs .

Do you have a gut feel if SW Herts scores are going to go up or down this year?

I've heard of one DC scoring 272 (outer catchment) - but otherwise mainly 240/250s and below - so I'm hoping last year's jump was a blip

Thanks tiggy. You sound very knowledgeable!

We'd be happy with 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice. But 1st choice would be amazing. :-)

An alternative view this that they want to poach him or convince him. I have heard of selective schools contacting parents whose children passed the test but put another school as first choice. The reason for the contact was to tempt pupils away from the school they were offered.

Yes, after Offer Day perhaps, not before. Schools do not know how you ordered them on the CAF. They don't know that you put them 2nd.

All this school know is that your DS passed their criteria for a bursary and that their school is one of your preferences.

Your tea party invitation is just that. A time for prospective students to meet and talk with older students admitted on the same basis.

Hope you get the school you want on the 2nd (or after, as much can change in the time between March and Sept.)

WatfordWaiting - I don't know whether I just happen to know lots of high scoring children.

Everyone is in a tizz because they are worried there will be another jump. I'm not sure - I know a lot who are favouring other schools over the grammars. Actually, of the four highest I know, one is likely to go private, one wants R and one wants P.

Do you have a gut feel if SW Herts scores are going to go up or down this year?

My guess is that they will be somewhere between 2013 levels and 2014 levels. A few of DD & DS3's friends got over 270, but not many.

(we are inner catchment)

Well, the tea party was, as expected, a sort of 'fishing' exercise for the school.

It's put me off a bit tbh. Smacks of desperation.

Worked a treat on ds though. He got given a cake and a bag of skittles, so now he's theirs for life...

DS2 is sold on the school as well, on the strength of their cashless dinner money system (works using fingerprints or something) and the fact that their canteen serves chicken fajitas.

There will be tears on Monday if he gets his first choice - sad on DS1's part, happy on mine.

Minifingers - DS has also basically chosen his first choice on the strength of the school canteen. He spent 20 mins talking to the head cook.

Just received another email reminding me that emails will be sent after 6pm on Monday. They're just torturing us now.

And the Head ran through the Year 6 parents at speed in the playground yesterday, avoiding all eye contact which is most unlike her. She must hate this time of year.

Hi. Can I join pls? Anyone with a spare hand to hold? I can't believe I'm sat here sobbing my eyes out. So damn stressful. I guess I'm letting the stress out before having to deal with whatever Mondays outcome will be. Long sigh. I'm off out for cigarettes. I don't even smoke but feel I need pull myself together somehow. Ds got 220 for swherts and wants queens. I'm freaked out by last years jump. Irrational , I know, but I already feel like I've failed him. Dh works abroad so lonely time for me. Apols for being do self absorbed and hope everyone else coping with stressful wait.

We are waiting too but pretty sure we will get our choice even though it's out of catchment, luckily we live in a area where schools are not over subscribed and we have chosen a school that's not top of the league tables ( due to dd having AS we have gone for small and friendly rather than academic ). Will still be relieved to see it in writing though then we can start preparing her.

This week is draaaaaging! I keep checking the LEA website just by some miracle they will have posted the results I'm a loon I'm supposed to be running a half marathon on Sunday but I think I'll be too stressed to run!

"DS has also basically chosen his first choice on the strength of the school canteen. He spent 20 mins talking to the head cook."

He sounds like an excellent child!

Haven't smoked for 20 years. Feel like buying some fags.

cheekybanana I'll have a fag with you and I don't smoke either! All of our worry won't influence the outcome one bit sadly - I keep checking the distances from our chosen school and we are 0.2 miles closer than the last child over the past 3 yrs so should be ok. I've convinced myself though there will be tons of siblings. Also our chosen school has been ofsted outstanding for a while now & has a very good reputation but has always looked downtrodden - they have however secured a 20 million grant to rebuild from this summer which has made me think every family in the area will have applied this year. Then again some may be put off by the thought of the build disrupting lessons - see I'm grasping as straws and churning it all round in my brain. I'll never be so happy for it to be Monday

This week is going so slowly! Oh I am stressing too much over this I know, but I just know we aren't going to get our first, second or third choice. Number 4 is so close to us, but it has terrible grades, Ofsted is verging on special measures, and the head walked out one week into September! The top two are local, very over subscribed, good grades and Ofsted. On the basis of the last couple of years distances we would not secure a place at either. Number 3 we are no where near and only plonked on the list because we had to do 4, and I refuse to put number 4 as number 3! Son has heart set on choice 1 or 2, and i keep telling him we are going to appeal in order to prepare him for Monday. I am hoping for a miracle. I am so worried about appealing :(
On a lighter note, it certainly is nice to have found this thread so that I can see I am not alone, and to have a good rant!

Miffy would he stand a chance off the waiting lists? Are there any children in the your area/road that go to those 2 schools? It is very very stressful I just know dd will be distraught on Monday if she doesn't get first choice - she didn't sit the eleven plus as she so wants this school

Hi Flossie, we definitely plan to stay on continuing interest lists for the top two (if my miracle doesn't happen lol). We think we do have a good case for appeal if it comes to it, and have contacted gp and consultant regarding a supporting letter or two. Probably far too soon for that, however knowing I am doing something is making me feel better. I hope your daughter gets her choice, if not then I hope it all works out. I am sure we will all be on here on Monday and Tuesday with our updates. We have been told emails are being sent from 6pm Monday, but I have heard that some people don't get the email until really late (midnight) so im in for a late night Monday!

My school accidentally let it slip yesterday. So I practically know.