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).

Hi Thisdoesnotgeteasier yes you are absolutely right however unfortunately that used to be the case at the school until 2011 when the new head changed that criteria. It actually makes me feel quite emotional about it really as she is in a C0fE primary and this is the only girls CofE school near by. It just feels wrong but not sure whether I would have any leg to stand on. I appreciate your message!

I think I know the school you mean caliseo - we used to live in that area. Just looked at the criteria and it's pretty clear - it's CofE or nothing, which is a shame. I am no expert on appeals so you are better asking others but maybe there is an appeal you can make on broad religious lines but I am not talking from any basis of knowledge.

Cali Sep - i went to Parliament Hill, And my older sister to the school I think you wanted, we lived in Camden but in between both schools, nearer to your first choice but that's not in Camden? Anyway Parli has a good reputation, it always got very good results although it's slightly more laid back than the other school, no uniforms ect. I think my daughter would do very well there, it has a good atmosphere ect. As far as I'm aware it's still A very popular school, a few of my friends have been desperate to get a place there for their daughters.

Thank you so much Camden Townie the more I think about it I think Parliament will suit my 2nd daughter who is very creative with her very own style so being able to express that im sure she will enjoy! Im so happy to hear your possitivity it absolutely means alot!!!

We didn't get our first choice but maybe the second choice school is the best one. I need to do some further research.

Caliseo - Parly hill is our first choice! Feel free to turn place down so we can move up waiting list ! I'd be most grateful!

Glad I could help caliseo - if you do go for Parli I hope your daughter is very happy there

So pleased so many people have their first choice, or a second or third that they are happy with.

Sorry for the disappointments and crises that others face - but don't give up. Waiting lists move even to the point where people have to buy a second uniform the day term starts!

That Guardian article is a load of sensationalist stuff. The majority of people are still getting first choice, the vast majority are getting a top 3 choice (sorry for those who are not happy with third choice )

"Statistics from the Pan London Admissions Board show that across the capital only 68% of 11-year-olds got their first choice of school – leaving 32% disappointed. However, 89% of pupils were offered a place at one of their top three preferences."

The context for this is huge. In London you get 6 choices. Public transport (including free buses for schoolchildren) and the density of population mean that Londoners have many, many schools that they could easily travel to. There is a wide range of style of school - some families will apply to a list of selectives / super-selectives and only put two regular schools down. People will put down faith schools when they don't meet the criteria, Justin case a miracle (that would surely convert them ) occurs. Many people can afford to put down several long-shots and only put their most likely schools in 4th and 5th place. And still be happy with those schools. I know someone who applied for 2 super-selectives, 2 wild card faith schools and got their 5th choice, which is a hugely over-subscribed outstanding comp. They are HAPPY. Happier had they got their higher preferences, but they knew the odds. I also have known, in previous years, some school gate people who went to the press about 'not getting any of our choices' and they had only listed schools they had no realistic chance of getting a place in.

The number of outstanding schools is increasing.

The Guardian should pay more attention to detail, and focus in on real issues: people in 'black holes', boroughs where there are not enough school places, boroughs where there are underperforming schools.

Both of my twins got their first choice - I had visions of them being separated!

With DD we didn't get first choice last year - but she was happy with the second choice (a better school but logistically difficult).

3 days later we were offered our first choice school. DD thought about it for a week, declined the first choice and went with the second. She's been really happy there since.

We're moving house though closer to our first choice and I'm wishing I'd persuaded her to take it now!

Anyway for anyone who didn't get first choice, there's hope. DDs first choice is massively over subscribed and she was the only one of 30 pupils not to initially be offered a place. Despite that she did get it a few days later without needing an appeal and we were faced with a choice of two schools to accept!

Oh and my DD accepted her place at a school where she knew one person. The school was very accommodating and put them in the same tutor group. However they don't spend time together now really - she's made a group of new friends and is very happy!

A friend was upset because her dd was offered third choice. Today she phoned about appealing and was told she is now being offered her first choice so it can move very fast!

I talk to my dd tonight and she is alright about going on her own. She knows she would have been separated from some of her friends purely due to the way catchment areas work near us so we had already gone through how she couldn't pick a school based on her friends. I have since found out another girl I know of is going so I might arrange for them to meet up in the coming months.

I would have been very happy with our 2nd choice. It only got bumped down because from a practical point of view the 1st choice was better for the family as a whole. 2nd choice isn't always an unwanted one.

Bucks has theirs already. All the kids seem to have got their first choices.

We got our first choice and so did everyone in DDS class. I live in Chichester where there are really good schools to choose from.

I'm gutted we got 4th choice here in North London. All the efforts and hard work seem like a waste of time. Frustrated that I have a very unhappy son on my hands. We are on the waiting list for preferred schools. Praying we get offered in the second round. Does anyone have experience of waiting list and second round offers? Im so confused they say they can't tell me my place on waiting list until April.

where are you in North London daisyfly? Camden are really good at letting you know where you stand even now, Haringey refuse to tell you before 17th March and not sure about Islington yet but if you're waiting for a variety of boroughs they can have different approaches so worth checking.

I feel for you - we are in same boat although we got our 3rd choice nobody else in entire primary school is going there. It doesn't seem like a bad school on paper it's worrying that no-one else wants their child to go there.

mis only 3 are going to our 1st choice school. The one already has a sibling there.

I don't think anyone got into our 2nd choice school or even if anyone else put it down yet it is a very good school. (Just practically not as easy for us)

Most people seem to be going to what was our 3rd choice school. They all seemed to love it yet I didn't and it was only there as our sure firer banker.

In guess in a roundabout way I am trying to say that people look for different things in a school. The school that lots of people in the area as a whole seem to love and is very much oversubscribed I walked out feeling a bit non-plussed. I know I made the decision at the time for the right reasons so I still firmly believe it is the right school for dd.

When my eldest didn't get into his first choice school, from gossip at the school gate I could tell when people were being offered places from the waiting list. In the end he was offered a place a week before the appeals were heard - but I'd known before he should be as I knew several children had received offers who lived really close but were going to turn them down as they were going to private schools.

I envy your peace of mind MrGrumpy, I fret about our decisions on this one all the time but you're right - we made our decisions after a lot of thought , research and many visits. I do feel confident we did our best.

@misovexed Im in Islington, my first choice school was in Barnet.
Just like you nobody in our school got sons 4th offer so he feels alone.

I just feel that why say there is a waiting list when nobody can tell you where you are on the list. Its frustrating!
How can they tell me im on a waiting list and when I ask you where I am on the list you say they are unaware of positioning till Easter. I just think the process sucks.
for My first choice school the cut off point was 3.37 miles and My home is 3.39 miles. I just really hope my son get a place.
I am so happy I found this group, so many encouraging stories.

DaisyFly: once the deadline for accepting or declining places, going on waiting lists it not, has passed, then the waiting lists will take shape and it will all happen correctly.

I think 'the system' does pretty well, really, and this angst is largely caused by the introductiom of choice in the first place. Everyone praises the Scottish system which basically amounts to 'your closest school is where you will go'.

I've also had hollow laughs from Scottish friends if I say people envy their education system.