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.

That makes sense if you've been round once before. I agree with the validated feeling but luckily by the time we saw someone for her first appointment, everyone was onboard with it.

We had to move dd from a primary school that had missed all her ASD flags into one that has been mostly great with her even pre-diagnosis. She's going to struggle even at the school she wants let alone the one she doesn't.
I feel a bit sick when I think about next week!

We'd have been shocked if DS hadn't been diagnosed - he was four when he was and he'd already been excluded twice for "challenging behaviour" (what a euphemism!) He didn't even need an ADOS, they had enough to go on as he really is typical ASD with PDA. His earlier preschool just said I didn't know how to parent boys and I should go on a course(!) as his behaviour was down to parenting. Luckily our school was a lot more on the ball! He's in Y2 now and doing relatively well thanks to great support from the school.

DD, on the other hand, is a model pupil, around the top of her class academically, makes eye contact, never been in trouble, tries super hard at everything she does. When I see her with her friends at school I almost don't recognise her compared to how she is at home. She is that good at masking, so I was so worried that the assessors wouldn't be able to tell especially as most diagnostic tools are set up to favour boys.

We got lucky though - the assessors were lovely, were fascinated to see how well she masked, but ultimately the behaviours were very clearly there, especially the social reciprocity. I got to watch through a one way window and the assessor with me talked about what they would expect to see in an NT child and in an ASD child and DD was so clearly ASD, even more so than I'd suspected.

I am also extremely worried. I hadn't really thought much about her starting somewhere without her friends before (school 1/2/3 would be fine) but the diagnosis and obvious extent of her issues has brought it to the fore, and I think it's somewhat critical now.

Thank you tiggytape that's very reassuring that you feel it would be good grounds for appeal. It's looking fairly hopeful, but there are always surprises - this particular school surprised everyone last year so I'm not confident!

Whatever the result, I just want 1st March out the way so we can be relieved or start planning an appeal!

Fingers firmly crossed for everyone. I’m waiting on behalf of a friend this year.

It’s nervewracking for them as in previous years they most likely would have got a place at 1st School on distance. However, this year the school has overhauled its admissions policy and added in 4 feeder schools that come before distance.

Some of these feeder schools are quite a distance away too but linked through church. So in effect this means that if a lot of children from the further feeder schools take up their places, the distance criteria will most likely get much smaller and may result in some very upset local children that previously would have got in.

I’m really hoping my friends DD gets a place but nervous for her.

Hello to all and the fellow Herts mums :)
I'm in East Herts. Getting sick feeling anytime I think of next week....
Good to know Sittinginthesun we need to accept place even if its not one we want.....

Hello gardengirl. I am in (very) east Herts too. Welcome and god luck.

Hi everyone.

1 week to go till we find out eeeeeeek

It only dawned on me yesterday that it is also World Book Day so I'll have to come up with a costume as well. I'll have plenty of time for those finishing touches while I refresh the website at midnight!

I hate hate hate World Book Day. It always seems to be at a bad time (one year was literally the day after I had an emergency c-section!)

This year I have four DC to prepare. I'm afraid my mind will be on other things.. maybe they can sort it out themselves!!

There are lots of us in Hertfordshire! Wonder why that is? A particularly stressful county maybe.

God yea book day is the last thing I can be arsed with..

Complete non effort this yr

yep us too. I have told DD she has to wear her complete hermione outfit she wore last year - i am not putting in time and money for a 1 time outfit.

I thought this would be the last year, but I was looking on the website of DD's first choice secondary school last night and they dress up for World Book Day! So next Thursday may not be our last!

I don't mind the costumes really, just when the school only gives us a few days notice. DD also does drama and that has dress up days too, so I'm used to slinging something together with a fairly tenuous connection to the theme on a regular basis. Let's just say she's never won the prize for best dressed but has always participated.

Im in london. No idea if ill do world book day for my kiddies this year

They can all be Muggles

Our lovely primary school is celebrating it without dress up. Hurray!!

Just got a "reminder" email from Herts CC. Apparently they will be dispatched "during the afternoon". They say the online system will only be updated once all the emails have been sent out.

Ugh. Why can't it be Friday next week already?

yep, just had mine too Shattered - as if I needed a reminder !

I'm in the North East and everyone apart from me seems completely laid back about the whole thing. One Mum said to me this morning she was going to call the council and ask to change her preference order! Why am I the only one around here stressing out?! In World Book Day news my children have to dress up as a word. Because they are unimaginative they have both decided to dress as the word 'child' and just wear their normal clothes.

Ineed - my kids had to do that 2 years ago. DS wore his dinosaur costume and went as the word extinct and DD went as the word geeky and wore a red pleated skirt, red knee length socks, white shirt, bow tie, hair in bunches and fake glasses. She won her class prise !

Well four days left.. .how's everyone's liver and nails?

My liver is fine - giving up booze for lent is a blessing in disguise

DH is so blasé about the whole process so can't understand my anxiety. I'll be back on Thursday to either celebrate with virtual champagne or to vent my frustration.

I've been too ill to drink or chew so I'll be making up for lost time next week