SW London girls independent/grammars 2020 PART 2

[ColaPip]

I'm not sure Autumn is around during the day, so starting a new thread to maintain our lifeline

Hi everyone,
has there been much/any movement in the PHS and WHS waitlists?
Email from G&L that they are not going to the waitlist at all this year.

@Malak2020 - I don't know either of those schools, sorry. I see you've started a separate thread, so hopefully you'll have some luck there.

Thought someone on this thread might be more in the know .
Have turned down several independent school offers and held on to 1 but still hoping for Putney High or Wimbledon High.Also have a state school offer but not the top ones applied for and not a good commute which would worry me.

There is normally quite a lot of movement on the WHS. Most of the co-ed schools had acceptance deadlines today so things may start to move more.

@Catrina07 - I haven't heard of any movement on either PHS or WHS WLs, but do know of people turning them down. Good luck!

Thanks ColaPip.
Have reread these posts and looks like @Sully113 has already been given a place off the PHS waitlist a few days ago. I don’t know whether this is good that things are beginning to move -or bad that we haven’t heard since they indicated on the phone that my DD was very close to a place. Looks like others are also well up the list.
WHS said she would normally have got a place and is well up the list but some are higher. Thanks for taking time to reply.
Will hang in there and hope for the best.🤞

Oh yes, I'd forgotten @Sully113's update!
Wishing you the best of luck. Are you happy with the indie option you have if no luck with WLs?

Yes the school we have is a good enough school but not really what we were hoping for . This for various reasons. But when people are waiting for any Waitlist place it seems churlish to feel so disappointed and I’m sure my DD would be fine there. We are treading a fine line between saying this is great and still leaving the glimmer of hope for PHS or WHS alive.

@Catrina7 it’s worth ringing both schools and finding out the situation- Putney I believe are pretty good about discussing the WL. Are you able to say which school your DD has a place at or would you rather not? I know a lot of people who have turned down PHS so you may be lucky. I don’t know anyone who has turned down Wimbledon. Good luck and hope to ‘see’ you at PHS in September!

Definitely ring them now Catrina, before they pack for the weekend. Just ask them where you are in the waiting list and for an honest heads up so you know what’s up. Tell them? If you were offered a place, you will be there within half an hour with a deposit cheque I’m sure the schools just want it all done and dusted by now too.

Hi all mums, I cannot name the school we are holding for family reasons. Got the impression from PHS that there is some chance if a waitlist place but they seem to be starting to give out WL places ( eg. Sully 113) and haven’t heard anything.
Haven’t heard of anyone turning down WHS so maybe not so much of a chance.
Can’t wait much longer so we may well go with the school we have. Thanks Everyone. Hope all the schools turn out to be right for the DC allocated them.

I know of some who turned down WHS and there will be junior girls who may go elsewhere so don't give up hope yet! The registrar is very nice and helpful.

@Catrina7
I know at least 4 girls who have turned down WHS offers. So the WL will start to move (if it has not happened yet).

Although they do all over offer so does depend on how their offer ratios have all worked out.

Heard WHS has closed its WL Email sent out .

@granof4 I also heard this yesterday from a friend.

Just a reminder to all who have recently been through the process and now wondering about job security & payment of fees:

1. Read the T&C's but you should be able to give notice by end this term and lose deposit but not liable for Autumn terms fees.

2. once you get to first day of summer term of current published date you are liable for autumn term fees

3. private schools are using distance leaning to teach once school closure is in place - they have to teach to charge fees or they will go bust. There is no massive insurance pot underwriting this crisis.

4. THere will be movement in September - either due to House moves/ relocations falling through/parents losing their jobs. Or the quickest way for schools to make up
   Lost income is to increase class size.

Thanks. Who else is seriously considering state now?

Thanks @Frostyskies1223
My understanding is that schools need to be notified before the first day of Summer term which is after the Easter holidays,
is that correct? So give written notice before the 19th of April...
Wording says fees become due if school is not notified prior to the first day of the term preceding the term in which daughter starts school

@mummyme2016 , every school is slightly different but if their published first day of summer term is 20 April then a signed for/hand delivered letter or acknowledged email on 19 April giving notice should avoid Autumn term fees.

Thank you @Frostyskies1223

I think that @Malak2020 means Wallington County High School for Girls ( state grammar in the London Boroughof Sutton) and Old Palace School (indie) in Croydon?

(Sorry, Malak2020, I had to smile at the thought of Uxbridge being such a desired destination, although a friend's DH did an engineering degree at Brunel and subsequently had a very successful and fulfilling career, as I'm sure thousand of others have as well).

I think you need to be very careful about checking terms and conditions. There is no consistent policy. The school where we accepted a place made it very clear in their paperwork that once we’d paid the deposit we would be liable for the first term’s fees - if we pulled out at any stage from when we paid the deposit. This happened to a friend of mine (at a different school) who pulled out shortly after paying deposit and when giving more than a term’s notice - they still had to pay a full term of fees (and they sought legal advice on it.) So read your terms and conditions carefully.

Just checking to see how everyone is doing? Tricky times and a new, very different challenge for us all... take care all

Like @ColaPip, I’m just checking that everyone is fine. We’re back in Hong Kong (having all of February in France, it looks like we left at the right time) and next week will be our 8th week of homeschooling. It’s a bit of a pain (especially if you have younger kids) but it does get better over time.

There is no doubt that the kids do not learn as much as in school. This has been very disruptive for us and I’ve decided not to go all tiger mum about it, and let them enjoy the hiatus and strange times we live in. It looks like the disruption will continue for the better part of a year or more, so this is a marathon.

I’m not relishing the thought of moving back to London in July, but needs must.