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

[teddygirlonce]

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 - 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).

That's what we was told as Well muminthecity. Massively oversubscribed, extremely hard to get in. Hardly any from the primary. Even the head said the same. They have less than 100 places and receive
Several hundred applications.

Got second choice, which I'm chuffed with but DD is not, as (like other posters) she's the only one of our friendship group going there. Difficult to explain to her that we couldn't afford to live near her friends to guarantee entry!

HER friendship group, sorry.

Quick question - DS get his first choice but would now prefer his second. I realize this is a non-problem in some ways - he is so lucky to have got his choice! And I'm not sure if it's just a fairly normal reaction, and he'll be delighted about it tomorrow but I promised to find out if he can accept this offer and go on the waiting list for his second choice. And if he does, is he then obliged to take it, or could he still take up the first choice place? First world problems, I know ...

We're in London, btw.

Jotti, Yes you should accept the place and then contact your 2nd choice and ask to go on the waiting list.

Thanks BoboEK! So it doesn't affect the first choice offer at all?

W00t yes that's me.
I have been preparing my one twin and hope that we can get into comp off waiting.
The grammar we wanted has jumped by about 6 points yet the others have not.
It is always a gamble and I have to secretly congratulate other twin so not to rub the other's nose in it. Bit sad my DTs will be at different schools though - but I'm not the first

www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/01/national-offer-day-tens-of-thousands-of-pupils-fail-to-get-into-first-choice-secondary-school

some of you made it into The Guardian....

Very hard position to be in, when two are doing everything at the same time!
We were v relieved there was no movement on the pass scores. It has been a rough few months being so uncertain. DD is so relaxed this evening. I was dreading the thought of going to appeal, when the success rate is tiny in our LA.

W00t It must be a relief I know it is for my one!
we will try appeal for the other though as that grammar school seems to have gone up a fair bit and with only 30 out of 1000 appeals in Brum successful we remain doubtfu -l but you gotta try!

My son got his first choice - hugely oversubscribed due to it being partially selective. We're delighted - to those who didn't get their top choices (yet).

Hi all,

late back to the thread. Logged in at 5pm - DD got her third choice (the good, localish fall-back option). In a way I'm pleased as it will get her away from some of her more toxic friendship group, but she'll still go up to secondary school with some of her primary school cohort.

The boys in her year seem to have mainly got their first choices, the girls more typically second/third choices.

Not sure what we'll do about the waiting lists - don't the schools one's got on one's WL usually get in touch to advise where one's DC is on the list?

To those whose DC may be facing a secondary school without any familiar faces, this is what happened to DS but he was absolutely fine. Remember they get to meet their future classmates sometime before the end of the summer term (when they spend a day at their new secondary school). I think if they are the type of child who was happy to put a school down as a choice - knowing they might end up there alone of their friendship circle - they will cope fine.

Just found out one of DD's friends only had one school down on the CAF and hasn't got in! (They live too far and it's hugely oversubscribed). No other preferences meant she has been allocated the nearest school with places free which is a school in SM and and not one she'd have ever considered.

The sad part is that, if she'd put down a second preference of the actual nearest school to her (which is rated good and oversubscribed), she'd have got in (going on friends who got in but live further away).

I feel sad for the girl but mad that the parents thought they could force the LEA to give them the school they wanted by only putting one choice down.

A sad tale of warning to anyone reading this for next years applications

@teddygirlonce so glad you got one of your preferences and that it's one you can be happyish with

We got second choice - a City of London academy. I am pleased, my son is definitely pleased as it is a good school and is local - phew! Only 3 more children to go

Bobsponge if it's the one with the I in, get on waiting lists for others and look at the appeal process.

I second (or third...) the posters who have said not to worry about their dc not knowing anyone. Ds1 started at a 4 class entry school out of catchment from a tiny local school and knew no one. Within what felt like 5 minutes he had made loads of friends and he is so happy there. We spent this half term ferrying him to 4 parties and 2 sleepovers with his "new" friends.

I got quoted. I didn't think my point was that interesting.

Thanks @tiggytape that's what I told her (thanks to all your and others fab advice on here). Hoping she listened for her daughter's sake.

MrGrumpy01 "quoted" - what have I missed? Not the DM up to its old tricks again?

Nah, guardian this time. This isn't a thread created by a dm journo so they won't run it.