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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Is it too soon to start a 1st March (secondary school allocation day) support thread?

569 replies

teddygirlonce · 03/02/2017 14:37

DD has six good options on her CAF - we will be happy if she gets any of those six but there are no other local schools we would be happy for her to be allocated/offered Shock - and private schooling is not an option.

So just a bit nervous and already counting down the days until we find out which school she's been allocated (if at all).

OP posts:
BarbarianMum · 01/03/2017 16:26

We got our first (longshot) choice. I'm delighted, ds1 is quite subdued as the reality of not moving up with his friends sinks in (he was completely fine about us putting this school first 5 months ago). This parenting thing is hard -now I get to spend months worrying about whether we've done the right thing. Confused

Middleoftheroad · 01/03/2017 16:29

About BCC...it's piss poor.

My friend found out before 8am
I got one twin's info through at 2pm (grammar)
and DT2 an agonising hr later (shit school with no mates)
My friend got hers 40 mins after the final cut off at 330pm - even though her surname before friend who got hers at 7am

Yet solihull families knew they had places in Bham at 6pm yesterday

you can't even get any info by logging onto site.

Torture.

Middleoftheroad · 01/03/2017 16:30

so sixth choice for DT2......

ColdAsIceCubes · 01/03/2017 16:35

I've only just had an email from BCC, we got first preference. How bad is sixth choice middle?

SpringsInMySteps · 01/03/2017 16:45

Barbarian ditto. DD got first choice and reality now hit that she faces a secondary with no friends to go with (well, apart from a couple from Scouts). She was cool with it in Oct- and her choice. SO keeping things very celebratory and hurrah-y. Going out for pizza, talking about how fab the school is, how she can still see her old friends. She is coming back to positivity (nearly a few tears on the way home).

The thing is she will thrive at first choice and within a couple of weeks will have new friends. Can totally understand her worries though - just wish I could ease her journey to Sept a little. Think everyone in her class is going to the other school. Hey ho. Yep, parenting hard. Pizza anyone?

Edna1969 · 01/03/2017 16:50

@BarbarianMum and @SpringsInMySteps DD is also going to be going to secondary with no friends from primary. But it was very likely that this was always going to be the situation as we live out of catchment for her primary and are in a different group of schools for secondary. I'm hoping all will be fine. She doesn't actually know yet as she is an after school sports club whilst I am "working". l am delighted but sad that 2 of her friends have been allocated a school they didn't pick. Still hoping it will work out well for them and everyone on the thread who is disappointed / upset.

Hope the wait is almost over for everyone still waiting, its nearly 5...

MrGrumpy01 · 01/03/2017 16:51

I'm not quite sure the reality of being one of only (potentially) three going to the school has quite sunk in. Especially as she is not really friends with either of them.

I'm sure she will be fine but there might be some wobbles along the way.

BarbarianMum · 01/03/2017 16:54

We only get to put down 3 "choices" here. For us there were actually 2 realistic choices (one of which is our catchment school ) after which you get a "choice" of loads of oversubscribed schools that don't ever take anyone out of catchment or the failing school of your choice. Do some of you out there actually have a realistic chance of getting into 6 schools?

Pooka · 01/03/2017 17:03

We are in suburbs. Have 6 choices. Realistically, ds would have a total of 4 secondaries he would get into. Luckily they're all good or outstanding but obviously we have preferences and listed three. Different story at primary though - bit of a black hole in my street and the dcs go to the only one that dd got into when we applied for her, which happens to be the furthest of the ones we listed.

MrGrumpy01 · 01/03/2017 17:03

We have 3 choices. I had a realistic chance of getting into 4 plus a 5th if we were Catholic. One of those 4 is out of LA though. Slightly further down the road and they would have 5 plus the Catholic school. But we don't as yet seem to have the pressure on places like other areas.

Thisdoesnotgeteasier · 01/03/2017 17:05

Logged into London eadmissions. Got our first choice school - as expected. Good luck to everyone and especially those appealing or trying to use waitlistd.

This is an awful process.

1pink4blue · 01/03/2017 17:05

just got on eadmissions ds got first choice.
very happy boy

Princessdebthe1st · 01/03/2017 17:08

Just logged into London portal. Got our first choice for DD. I am delighted, she will probably be a little bit less so as her best friend is unlikely to get in.

listsandbudgets · 01/03/2017 17:09

Second choice but not disappointed as we were right on the cusp for first choice. We've still been offered an outstanding school in walking distance- also just found she's been offered a place at an independent which I know she's keen on and we could afford so need to sit down and talk to her about what she wants but she's not home until nearly 6.30 tonight as she has choir.

WombatChocolate · 01/03/2017 17:12

I've just got onto the London portal (no problems getting on) and we got our first choice. We thought we would, but a couple of years ago, we wouldn't have got in.
Now a decision for us as we are holding an independent offer too. Tricky choice time....although I know we are very fortunate to be in this position.

Good luck everyone, with finding out today, movement on waiting lists and appeals. The road might be long, but hopefully there will be happy outcomes today and even more in the days to come.

Changebagsandgladrags · 01/03/2017 17:12

DS is going to be the only one from his Primary school, he knew this when he decided though.

On the question of whether there are actually 6 choices. We potentially could have had a bash at the local grammar, we're out of catchment, so would have been a long-shot.

We may have had a chance at the CofE school through membership of another church, again bit of a long-shot.

Then there are four town schools which we probably would have got an offer on, but there's no transport to three of those from our rural area.

That left us with our first choice which has a bus service and our second, a rural school also with a bus.

So yes, we could have put six down. None are failing schools, but on a practical level we only really had a choice of three.

Hoarybat · 01/03/2017 17:15

Phew, London's in. First choice for us, a minor miracle.

Susiesue61 · 01/03/2017 17:18

Just being nosey as the last of my three moved up last year, but for those not moving with friends, Ds2 went up to a grammar in September with no close friends from primary, and he's made lots of new friends, and he also knew quite a few from cricket and football. DD is in year 10 and she only moved with one friend from primary, and they no longer speak!! So I'm sure they will be fine

BoboEK · 01/03/2017 17:22

I second what Susiesue61 says, my DS went up last year knowing no one but has made loads of really nice new friends so do not worry at all.

bloodyteenagers · 01/03/2017 17:26

Received email about 10 minutes ago. First choice. London portal.

JustEatYourDinner · 01/03/2017 17:30

Thank goodness! We logged in and we have first choice! So relieved!

Strangely, we haven't yet received our email? But got our acceptance confirmed email straight away! So glad ididntwaitforthe email!

Ds has gone on the website and is checking it all out. :) we have logged onto the uniform supplier and checked prices so we can stretch out the uniform costs too.

Middleoftheroad · 01/03/2017 17:36

ColdAsIce

6th choice was the reluctant banker. It's in SM but I know better than to base on Ofsted.
But it's poot performance/behaviour and feel tgat I care for.

However, we moved last week as we knew one DT would make grammar amdcwanted to be closer and am hoping once waiting lists released we will get in to a school 0.7m away Grin

Lucy7400 · 01/03/2017 17:37

Logged on to e-admissions, got first choice. Good luck to all.

muminthecity · 01/03/2017 17:42

We got our first choice. I'm still in shock! Massively oversubscribed school, was warned by DD's primary that their students rarely ever get in there. Has resigned ourselves to our second choice which would've been fine, but I'm so happy now! Congrats to others who got what they wanted, and best of luck with appeals/waiting lists to those who didn't.

W00t · 01/03/2017 18:00

middle-of-the-road BCC are rubbish!
Poor dt2. (Are you on another forum? Think I saw a similar story there). Hope you hear about the other school quickly.
It is v Interesting that the grammar scores haven't moved barely from last year. Don't think that will be the case by the time my youngest goes through- too many children in their year!