11+ panic - HELP! Ds wasn’t called for any interviews :(

[mummy2aPrince09]

Hi All, me again!

It has been a horrendous week! We’ve had too many “no’s” from most of the schools ds sat for!

We sat an extensive list of schools due to bursary application.

Ds sat Highgate (no interview)
Hampton (no interview)
Habs (no interview)
Merchant Taylors (still waiting but lost hope)
At Albans (no 2nd interview call back)
Latymer upper (still waiting)
Epsom
Reeds

Ds has had 4 rejections already. He was sure he got in for St Albans but just received a no from them too! They said apparently in the past years his score would’ve been fine but this year there a higher number of more academic applicants! When we got a no from Hamptons, Highgate and habs we were upset but knew deep down it was a push... but St Albans has come as a shock!
So basically After no from St Albans I’m quite sure merchants and Latymer is impossible... so what now?

We didn’t want to go to Epsom or reeds to be honest as it’s in the south and my sister lives in Hertfordshire and being a single disable mother I need her support.

But now I don’t know what will be... where will ds go? What should I do? All the exams have been taken! Please help. My tenancy is ending here in Acton and I don’t want ds to go to independent as he’s been in prep and being a young Carer things are already a bit stressful on him.

Please can someone advise me.. what can I do? Can I appeal? What’s the next process is nowhere is offered?

[avocadolovein]

@UnitDare I initially thought the same, but I do think it is genuine as the OP has posted on many of the threads about the schools listed so it would be a hugely elaborate lie!
Crazy as I think it all sounds to me, I admire the OP's persistence and conviction. It's not going to be easy finding a property close to the new school that is affordable and will accept benefits, but I reckon the OP will do it.

[thehorseandhisboy]

UnitDare report the post then, rather than troll hunting.

[GracefulHippo]

I have read a few of the OPs posts on both threads and after doing that I completely understand her desperation to go private.

OP cannot take her DS to all things many of us consider normal. Like for example go swimming on the weekend, go to a museum, take music lessons, do day trips. And her DS has to be her carer. For OP, the independent schools are not only the academics (which can be achieved perfectly well in a state school, many are better than the private schools), but about all the extra curricular things she is unable to provide, sports, music and day trips.

I think it is amazing that she has been fighting so hard for her son to get this and I wish her and her boy all the best of luck.

[thehorseandhisboy]

Me too GracefulHippo. Sure, she made some errors of judgement along the way, but don't we all? The UK school system is a frigging nightmare to negotiate, and some wrong advice or missed deadline can be catastrophic.

[GinUnicorn]

I agree. I really wish the best for her and her son. It sounds like she’s had a hard time if it and good for her for trying to get the best for her child.

[coffeebeanchocolate]

After I read the other thread, I have mixed feeling towards OP. I completely feel sympathy with them and wishes good luck to her son.

But it seems that she doesn't understand that bursary fees are paid by other families and expose her unofficial(?) offer to other mums and the internet to make people upset. There are lots of sacrifices for other families to pay for their children. In many cases, both parents work full time, manage morning and evening school transportation, send children to holiday camp etc... It cannot be compared with OP's situation, but it is not easy.

I hope she will stop spreading too much information. It may also risk her son's place.

[Mumto2two]

@coffeebeanchocolate I have to admit I also have mixed feelings too. As a family who have really struggled trying to afford school fees, we would really have welcomed the support of ‘unofficial’ backhand advice and financial assistance. Surely no scholarship can be agreed with a nod & a wink between heads? Every school we have applied to over the past decade, has been a rigorous process of exams and interview, with results being released to parents on a specified date thereafter. At no time was any head-teacher conveying thoughts on our probable success or otherwise. All seems a little unusual to me.

[Moooooooo]

Having had 4 children go through this process (all from preps) I can tell you categorically, that no school will risk it’s reputation by leaking offers early - whether these be bursary, scholarships, standard offers - whatever. There would be total uproar and it would undermine the integrity and fairness of the whole process.

Yes some heads can put a word in for particular pupils, but they can NOT be privy to “nod and a wink” type set ups. In this prep school, there is likely to be several or more applying to Reeds. Head teachers have to be fair and professional to all pupils. If there had been a parent at the prep mine were at, going around announcing her DS had an early scholarship / bursary / standard offer from anywhere - well, I know how that would have gone down! People would have been up in the heads office like a shot and / or on to Reeds to ask what’s going on.

The only time heads can get a “heads up” might be the day before applicants actually receive the offer / rejection letters - ie heads are emailed results as the letters are sent out. Even then, they won’t tell you!