Waiting list for selective secondary schools

[MagicMM]

Dear all,
I would like to know how furthest you can be in the waiting list and still to have a chance to get a place. I am particularly interested in waiting lists for ability criteria / places filled by exam. Thank you.

surely it depends very much on the school? if a school is A grade but within a reasonable commute of an A++ grade school, most of their initial offers will be to people who also get offers to the better school who only applied as an insurance. they will expect loads of declines and will dig deep into their waiting list. the other school will probably not use their waiting list nearly so much.

all speculation.

It would depend on so many factors.

I doubt anyone could give you a particularly helpful answer

Which school? They're all different.

Sutton schools selective or partially selective
Greenshaw
glenthorne
3 grammars for boys
riddlesdown in purley

Assuming (from the inclusion of Greenshaw on the list) that one of the grammar schools is Sutton(?), you can find his initial waiting list position here:
www.suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk/MainFolder/Information/Admissions/2020E-docs/Anonymised-waiting-list-2020-entry.pdf

www.suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk/Waiting-List-2020-Entry

We do not anticipate that there will be any movement on the waiting list before mid-May. We will contact you directly as soon as it becomes possible to offer a place.

Oops, also you did mention Sutton schools, not just list, of course...

Great link @MarchingFrogs
My DS got his first choice but this is valuable info for those hoping for SGS.
If anybody wants to know their son's SET score I have a spreadsheet by postcode and birth month which the school published and then thought better of it. I won't publish it but am happy to find scores for those who are interested.

Greenshaw and the Sutton grammars' from WL places will be inter-related. Someone offered a selective place at the former may give up their place if subsequently offered a WL one from one of the latter.

I think Glenthorne (because it ring-fences a certain number of places for children in a Worcester Park catchment 'blackspot) probably has many fewer places coming up.

Every year will be different though. BREXIT and economic uncertainty (not helped by COVID-19) may mean that fewer parents opt for private schools.

Fairly sure that if you asked the individual schools they would give you stats from the past few years to mull over.

And remember that with the comprehensives there's always likelihood of people moving into the area whose DC may become higher than your own on the WL.

I believe about 2 years ago greenshaw went to 70 ish by the Feb half term of y7!

Not sure where you are but I cannot imagine there are any places that are easily commutable for both glenthorne and riddlesdown.

If you put all those schools on your CAF you could very well end up with no place for your DC, OP.

Isn't Riddlesdown the one very well-regarded/sought after comp in Croydon?

Riddlesdown is an excellent comp, my children both attend. I’d imagine there’s not a great deal of movement as up until next year when it changes they take a lot of places from feeder schools and then a small percentage from tests. Might be some places given up if parents have applied to the indie’s too. Good luck

I believe about 2 years ago greenshaw went to 70 ish by the Feb half term of y7! I think some people believe that the 'selective' stream at the school has the same type of experience that they would have at Graveney, for example. They don't - they're taught in mixed classes with the rest of the cohort from what I've gathered (DS had several primary school friends who went there).

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

No agree - there are mixed classes - they stream for some I think but definitely not all.

I guess it just 'ups' the overall proportion of slightly higher achievers in the school!

That said I still think it's a good school.

Agree about it being a good school @Toomanycats99, although isn't Glenthorne the highest achieving non-grammar in the borough (with the exception of St Phil's).

Think it might be - I hear mixed things about glenthorne - good things but also overly strict on discipline.

@Toomanycats99
I believe about 2 years ago greenshaw went to 70 ish by the Feb half term of y7!

Thank you! This is the information that I was after. So, even after they start in Sept movements are still possible, interesting. Ok, great.

Re Greenshaw -
Yes, the headteacher said that in Greenshaw they mix all the kids and do not separate the ability kids somehow. So, some people treat the school like a comprehensive and it is a comprehensive not selective school. There are mixed feelings about the school so it is down to your own individual feelings and preferences :)

Re riddlesdown -
Yes, it is in Croydon/purley and they have 49 ability places which we applied and DS is in the WL.
@Darbs76, thank you!

Thank you! This is the information that I was after. So, even after they start in Sept movements are still possible, interesting. Ok, great. You may find a DC woudn't be too keen to move schools six months into settling in though...

What school has your DC been offered then @OP?

You may find a DC woudn't be too keen to move schools six months into settling in though

indeed. whilst it's possible for a place to come up in September or October, usually it's not in the child's nest interests to change destination school by that point. the reason a school might get to position 70ish on the waiting list will in part be families of candidates 5-69 deciding that the instability of a last minute change would be worse for the child than whatever alternative school they have compromised on.

if you are really desperate for this place then consider home education as a temporary stop-gap until an acceptable place emerges - starting a school that isn't great whilst still hoping for an escape that may never come would be awful - when your DC does start a senior school it needs to be with positivity and commitment.

Also, you may find your DC, depending on temperament, would thrive in a comprehensive as one of the brightest, in a way that he potentially might not in a super-selective school.

agree with all and yes, it depends :)

People change their minds, and me too.;)

for instance this morning I woke up thinking that it is so unfair to others if I appeal and got a place via appeal so maybe I will not go ahead with an appeal because of that!

So maybe even thinking now that selective/partially selective is best for my bright kid I may decide ,as you said, that being top in comprehensive school would suit him better. All depends on what friends they will make when start in Sept. :)

I wouldn't worry about finding like-minded friends. Children/young adults, like their grown-up counterparts, tend to gravitate towards friends from similar backgrounds.

DD at a 'leafy comprehensive' which nevertheless spans the socio-economic gamut. She is not in the top set but nevertheless has a very 'naice' friendship group.