Council won't give position on waiting list until 20th March!

[MaidaVala2000]

We're in Haringey, north London. Called council today as we narrowly missed out on one of our choices for DS, presumably by a few metres as a kid in the next street got in. I wanted to check our position on the waiting list so I can get a feel for how likely it is we will get an offer (and how big a meltdown to have as this is the only half decent school we have a chance of getting into!) and was told that they won't have info re waiting lists until the week after the acceptance deadline. Is this correct? Sure I've seen others with that info now.

We have untill 15th to accept places, wait lists before that date won't be realistic

Same here. I guess it's because the deadline hasn't passed. Once it passes, they then create the list using the entry criteria.

I am the admissions clerk of an academy in a London borough. I won’t know my waiting list names until the LA send it to me following the acceptance/decline deadline date, which in my borough is 15 March. As 15 March is a Friday, I’m not expecting to receive the list until the following week. I’m not Haringay by the way.

Do they use the new list to immediately make more offers? Say in our case, there are 240 places but say 50 people don't accept (wishful thinking!) then will they allocate those places immediately to people in accordance with the waiting list criteria?

Thanks unhurried. The school in question is not an academy and the council said they will deal with the list, not the school. I would have thought they could at least tell me where the cut off was although I guess I have already worked this out.

It varies according to the LA's policy MaidaVala, my N London borough told me first thing this morning (when I called to ask!) where we were on the waiting list for our 1st preference school and what the furthest distance offered on Friday was. But you hear on MN of plenty that won't reveal it till after 15th.

Although based on the rank file I sent the LA (mine is a faith school) it is the LA who will send out subsequent offers should any places be released from declines - until August, after that I take over and offer from the waiting list. I’ve no idea why this changes over - the same list is used....

I feel for parents, such a horribly stressful time, particularly if it’s your first child going through secondary transfer.

Those of you appealing? Take note of the appeal panel posters who tell you to provide evidence of why the school you’re appealing for is the best school for your child in comparison to the school which has been offered. However, academic success is not a good reason, unless the appealed for school has a specialism which your child is gifted in perhaps? Need proof though.

I always tell parents the cut-off distance of the last placed offered and the distance from their home to the school.

Zinnia
I’m not sure your LA has given you accurate information there.
The waiting list order can change, for example, if a child moves into the area and lives closer to the school (assuming distance is a criteria for admittance and not a lottery type scenario) they could potentially go to the top of the waiting list.

MaidaVala2000
Your situation sounds more hopeful than most, given a close by address was offered a place
Best of luck

Thanks Unhurried, I know the position can go down as well as up, but that's true after 15th March as much as it is now! It's depressing as hell good to know roughly where we stand though.

Thanks Unhurried. Scrabbling around for a glimmer of hope here! It's a truly horrid time.

In terms of the waiting list changing, presumably the LA won't accept a change of address now until after the acceptance deadline on 15th MArch? Also, what proof is need to show you've moved?