Its 2018....countdown to 1st March secondary school allocations!

[Hersetta427]

Well two months down and two to go to 1st March. I have been fairly chilled since applications were submitted however now that 2018 is here it is creeping into my thoughts more frequently.

We are truly lucky to live in a town with very good secondary schools but I know DD would be heartbroken if she didn't get her first choice (a top 10 non selective girls school).

Realistically we should be virtually sure of a place as if we don't qualify on distance within our feeder school group then she should get a sports aptitude place (she score 10 percentage points higher than the required score for the last 3 years). However a part of me is still nervous as I imagine what if all 200 girls taking the aptitude test got amazing scores too. Logically I know this isn't the case as other girls at her school score 20-25 marks lower than DD but there are only 9 places available so the margin of error is small.

Anyone else beginning to get jittery? Please tell me I'm not alone.

5pm seems a long way away, wondering if 9.30am is too early for 🍷🍷?

Thanks mama. Unfortunately we are likely to be a very long way down the list. We didn't meet the bar for exceptional grounds but hopefully it'll be enough for an appeal panel to agree.

tiggy can I pm you later with the detail as it would be very outing to post the details? I just need a view on it rather than help pulling it together.

So sorry Grockle - My DD also has ASD and so I can completely understand why you're worried

Thank you tiggy

I'm waiting until 5pm for my twins today....stressed.

However I just though I'd say that this time 2 years ago my son was offered his 6th choice. We accepted and went on the waiting list for all of the other 5 preferred schools.

Anyway he ended up at the 6th choice school and it has been fantastic. He is in year 8, thriving and happy. So there can be happy endings xxxx

In the interests of "science" I had another go on the headteacher this morning, this time mentioning it was Allocation Day and how anxious I was.

I'm normally pretty good at spotting subtle stuff but wow, that lady has one mean poker face!!!! Hats off to her! Not a clue. (she was lovely of course!)

No email and Lancashire website is down so people going crazy on Facebook The snow has put everything out of action it seems

Wine, I'd join you but I need to ring schools and LEA so perhaps getting blind drunk wouldn't create the best impression... Already think I might end up sobbing on the phone because of lack of sleep.

My son got in the school he wanted but I am worried.
He got Adhd and his primary school saying he is really struggling in school and to consider puttinh him on medication.
So I have a lot to think about and not sure what next.
Also I suppose speaking to his dad first and calling school senco. But regards to ehcp not sure yet.

I managed to check online at about ten to one this morning (having jumped through all those forgotten password hoops). DS has got his first choice but I am now panicked that I didn't accept the offer or anything and now the website is down. :s

Good luck to all those facing appeals or even just still waiting for an answer.

Wasp I'm sorry that I got it wrong about the 0/NA. That seems odd. We'll drink and grumble later.

Shattered well done on trying to crack the headmistress!

Forgot to update last night amid all the excitement! We got our first preference school for DS3, which is such a huge relief as although it's the school his brother attends, they don't give any priority to siblings so we were starting afresh, as it were. This morning it seems as though most of his friends have got either their first or second choices so hopefully they are all happy. DS knows of 2 of his classmates already who are going to the same school as him, so he's pleased that he won't be going on his own - his biggest fear was getting a school that nobody else was going to!
Congratulations to all that are pleased with their offers, and commiserations to those who are unhappy - fingers crossed for waiting list movement and appeals! xx

Lizy - are you in Lancashire? You don’t have to ‘accept’ in Lancs. they assume you’re happy unless you appeal or ask to go on a waiting list.

Ah that's life Groc. Everyone I've spoken to is also baffled. Will talk to LEA and find out where dd is on all the lists. Definitely later (and I don't usually drink).

Don't want to sound like the bearer of bad news but for those looking to appeal, try and have a back up school in mind.

4 years ago I was in this situation. It took over my whole life and I nearly ended up having a nervous breakdown.

Am still on medication due to how it affected me.
We had what I thought was a watertight appeal. Tons of medical evidence. Real evidence that it was the "only" school for ds and a lot of help on here from the wonderful prh, he was amazing. And we still lost.

I truly wish those in this boat the very best of luck. Just don't let it do to you what it did to me.

My ds is in year 10 now and happy and thriving in a school I wouldn't have touched with a barge pole ( then! )

Anybody who would like to pm for advice over asd appeals I would be more than happy to chat as a parent who has been through it :)

Thanks tiggytape and Crikey blimey I am in Lancashire (did the name give it away?) I shall stop flapping about accepting places and just hope DS doesn't come home saying he's changed his mind because everyone else is going somewhere different

I've just heard that Bucks CC portal is LIVE and has the allocations.

No sign of those statistics though..

Good luck to all still waiting and commiserations to those who haven’t got their preferred choice. We’re in Bucks, so lucky in some ways as should all be a formality having already got 11+ results... as long as I’ve filled in the forms properly

Shattered04 I cant see anything live on Bucks CC website

I am completely and utterly over the moon; DD got our 1st choice school on random allocation. I had to read it 3 times to check it really did say it. That was after the computer failing to log on, then loading loads of updates then the LEA portal being down.

Commiserations to anyone who isn't as lucky as us this morning. I was well prepared to spend all day on the phone to the council today so I'm just at a loose end now.

Avon - this link I believe. It's only if you live in Bucks. I still have to wait being in Herts even though #1 is a Bucks school!

Hurray Weasels - fantastic news!