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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Secondary offers day is almost upon us!

103 replies

PhilomenaButterfly · 17/02/2019 11:30

Who else is excited?

OP posts:
ElenadeClermont · 22/02/2019 15:33

@Zinnia DS's Y6 class is full and any time a child moves away, a new one comes. They had new kids in the class this month. We are in the North East of England.

twilightcafe · 22/02/2019 15:54

Our town has has a population boost due to immigration and families priced out of London and Oxford.

Places in my DC's school go quickly because of these two factors. When one child leaves, their place is taken quite rapidly.

Secondary wise, I know that one school is undersubscribed to the tune of 1-2 tutor groups. So there is capacity to take the new Year 7s - just not in a highly-regarded school.

Original poster
PhilomenaButterfly · 22/02/2019 20:57

DD's class is full now, but was split into 2 classes of 12 in reception. They have 27 now.

OP posts:
DrMadelineMaxwell · 22/02/2019 21:01

Ha! Our local authority cocked up and a load if emails for secondary school offers went out last week in error.

Then the panicked and stopped them.

Then they realised all the parents now needed to be told so it's all out in the open now.

CrackingEggs · 22/02/2019 21:23

@Zinnia

Yes Y6 is full. Y5 is over PAN, I think the other junior classes are too. NW London.

Zinnia · 22/02/2019 22:11

@DrMadelineMaxwell Shock and I thought I'd had a bad week at the office!

@PhilomenaButterfly is that a PAN of 27 then?

@CrackingEggs I think there are just some schools that always have a waiting list, but there are quite a few with spaces that you really wouldn't expect.

TidaQuel · 22/02/2019 22:23

My DS has had 1 space in his class for quite a while now, since last spring I think.

If we were to move into preferred school catchment and his younger brother got in next year, would ds1 then move up the waiting list? If we appeal, because of where we are now, we’ll be about 345th!

Are the school places emailed out or do we have to log onto website?

HotpotLawyer · 22/02/2019 23:38

TidaQuel: yes, if the school has a dunking criteria. And s long as it doesn’t say the sibling has to be older. (But I don’t think I have ever seen that stated).

HotpotLawyer · 22/02/2019 23:39

Et, sibling criteria, not ‘dunking’.

They e mail and you can log on.

Original poster
PhilomenaButterfly · 23/02/2019 11:48

Yes Zinnia.

OP posts:
CrackingEggs · 23/02/2019 12:00

Maybe it’s our side of the Borough and moving into Islington? My friend has been trying to find a local space for a y5 and can’t get one. Although to be fair she’s probably avoided certain schools.

I know schools do t like to be under PAN as they lose money. When the DC school had a rare Y6 space and no waiting list they advertised ( local parents group FB and own website) and it got filled!

4strings · 23/02/2019 12:39

Another very nervy parent here. Our first preference is almost always oversubscribed by 100+ and based on last year’s data, were on the cusp of the catchment. The nearest secondary is good on paper but there’s something I don’t like about it - can’t put my finger on it - and dd is fairly adamant she’s not going.

To make matters worse, we live in an affluent area and a lot of kids go to the fee-paying selectives. We cannot afford that. The lovely, charming parents who can have been peddling the “local school is terrible” crap to their dc for years now and they are spouting this message to my dc.

I have anxiety as it is but this is sending me into complete despair.

YellowRug · 23/02/2019 16:03

I can’t believe it’s less than a week to go. I’m pretty sure we’re not going to get our first choice, even though it’s our closest school. Got to hope we are high up on the waiting list but I have already started preparing our appeal. It is a high birth year here.

twilightcafe · 23/02/2019 17:27

Ditto with the appeal - it's helping to take my mind off D-day 😱

ChristopherTracy · 23/02/2019 18:34

4strings I know it isn't easy but it is ONLY a school - this is our second round of all this and it is much less stressful second time around.

When my anxiety spikes then I transfer it to my children - sometimes I can't stop it but you will look back at it and think - well that was wasted stress. I know it feels like we have no control but we do - we are still the biggest factor in how well our children do no matter what school our children are at.

Pandasarecute · 28/02/2019 19:16

ChristopherTracy those are wise words and just what I needed to hear tonight as I'm a nervous wreck and trying so hard to hold it together. I just want to know now so that we can deal with whatever the news is! Hoping the website goes live early morning!! It says working hours but last year was earlier

namechangedyetagain · 28/02/2019 20:55

Feeling nervous tonight despite telling ds that there is no point worrying things we can't control Grin
Not much longer to wait

Mumsknow · 28/02/2019 21:27

Do think if we log in to our email at a mednight we will know

MrsKCastle · 28/02/2019 21:41

Posted on the thread in Secondary Education, but this seems to be getting more traffic! Definitely feeling very nervous tonight. DD has her heart set on a school that we're not in catchment for. I'm really worried that she won't get in and her friends will. She is also likely to be facing a confirmed diagnosis of celiac disease in the next week or so. Sad Really bad timing for it all to come at once, and I'm not sure how she will cope... If she can just get her first choice school, things will seem easier.

BlueDotty · 28/02/2019 21:43

I think for DD a few years ago it was about 7am but it might be different I suppose.

Pandasarecute · 28/02/2019 22:06

Fingers crossed for us all

Booyahkasha · 28/02/2019 22:12

Hi does anyone know when Warrington release their offers? We applied for Bluecoat and Belvedere, feel sick

4strings · 28/02/2019 23:34

I’m planning on logging into the online portal at midnight and see what’s there. Not planning on waiting up all night though!

FrangipaniBlue · 01/03/2019 06:29

My offer has been on the portal since midnight (I logged on just before 1am!!)

LEA told me yesterday emails would be sent out after 7 and it's right I don't have an email yet so worth checking your portals?

DS has been offered his first choice, I'm so happy and can't wait to tell him, is it cruel to wake him up now????

FallenSky · 01/03/2019 06:32

Well done on 1st choice Frangipani!

I'm in London so don't think ours are published until this evening which just feels like torture at this point. Will have to keep busy today!