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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Nervous about Secondary School allocations out this week!

334 replies

PinotLover · 23/02/2021 09:25

Just another to thing to stress about but it's for my PFB so never been through it before. We find out on the 1st March, am being a silly stress head on here rather than in real life. Any one else? We are in the same postcode as the school we prefer, so it's a big deal if it goes wrong!

OP posts:
Neighneigh · 01/03/2021 11:36

@Cariocbirello we are on waiting list for first choice and I've emailed the council, as well as the school (an academy) direct to try and find out where we are on the list . It's incredibly stressful, I got three hours sleep and am trying to hide how upset I am from my son. We live in a rural area where schools are very rarely over subscribed so this is all a huge shock

Cariocbirello · 01/03/2021 11:41

Thanks Neighneigh - I think I will try the same.

SnowyBranches · 01/03/2021 11:42

@cariocbirello - I’m in Essex too, and on our offer email it said we would be able to see where we are the waiting list online from I think 17 March - around then anyway.
DS didn’t get into the grammar which he is a bit sad about. I know a child who scored a few points higher than him who didn’t get in either, so I don’t think we would be very high up the waiting list.

Cariocbirello · 01/03/2021 11:42

I am also trying to put a positive spin on for my DS

SnowyBranches · 01/03/2021 11:43

This was what we had on the email:
Your child’s name will be placed on the waiting list for any Essex school which was a higher preference than the school offered. Information about waiting list positions will be available from 17 March 2021 using the following link www.essex.gov.uk/waitinglists. You will need your child’s Application Reference Number which can be found at the top of this email. For non-Essex schools please contact the Local Authority where the school is located to understand their waiting list process and any procedures about accepting a place.

Cariocbirello · 01/03/2021 11:48

Thanks SnowyBranches - more waiting! Oh the stress!

Longdistance · 01/03/2021 11:51

I feel like an imposter. I got offered my cheeky wild card school that I thought we’d never get. We had to put three schools down. We didn’t get our first choice, the wild card was my second choice. I’m really shocked as the school has an amazing reputation. It’s in the next county and near my work. I’m in Shock my jaw dropped.

Psychobobble · 01/03/2021 12:10

My dd is #3 on the waiting list of our local school.
Can anyone tell me whether children given places on appeal are decided and given places before offers are made on waiting list places?

Bunnybigears · 01/03/2021 12:14

Got our first choice which was never really in doubt as DS is at a feeder primary and it is a requires improvement school. Just wanted to say those that didn't get their ideal school dont despair. Our older son got into a highly sought after school on a sports scholarship but after experiencing the school first hand for 3 years we didn't even try to get DS2 in there on sibling link. Reputations are sometimes not deserved.

GolfForBrains · 01/03/2021 12:15

No they're not @Psychobobble, so it is important you are on the waiting list if you are planning to appeal. There will be a timetable somewhere on your LA site for appeals and my recollection is that it is May/June for appeal hearings. A successful appeal results in a place regardless outside the normal PAN but that's why the school will be arguing the disadvantage to the school of squeezing an extra pupil in outweighs the benefit to the individual child.

Psychobobble · 01/03/2021 12:19

@GolfForBrains

I will appeal, nothing ventured nothing gained, but the grounds for appeal are probably quite flimsy. But if I am understanding you correctly there is a chance she could get a waiting list place before the appeal hearing? I mean, putting in an appeal won't knock her off the waiting list?

PatriciaHolm · 01/03/2021 12:25

[quote Psychobobble]@GolfForBrains

I will appeal, nothing ventured nothing gained, but the grounds for appeal are probably quite flimsy. But if I am understanding you correctly there is a chance she could get a waiting list place before the appeal hearing? I mean, putting in an appeal won't knock her off the waiting list?[/quote]
Definitely not, no. The waiting list and the appeals process are entirely separate.

Panicmode1 · 01/03/2021 12:30

Congratulations and commiserations to those who have already found out.

We are in Kent so 'after 4pm', although he reached the grammar score needed and has a sibling so it should be a formality - but I'd still like to see it in black and white!!

MrsAvocet · 01/03/2021 12:44

@KitHenry the other option that you have, that I don't think anyone has mentioned (apols if they have and I missed it) is to look at other schools that you didn't apply for originally. If you don't get a place at any of the schools you expressed a preference for, the LEA will allocate you a place at the closest school with spaces left. That doesn't necessarily mean it's the only school with places. There may be others a bit further away that are more acceptable to you. So it might be worth enquiring about other schools with places available? You could also ask about waiting lists for full schools that you didn't put on your original list of preferences- I don't think there is a limit to the number of waiting lists you can be on so I would get on the list for every school that you would prefer to the one you've been allocated.
But as others have said, don't reject the place you've been offered unless you are willing to homeschool or go private. The LEA have no obligation to find you another place if you reject what you've been offered.

Todaytomorrowyesterday · 01/03/2021 12:44

@KitHenry
You may have had other people update as I haven’t read it all.
I was in your place a few years ago - it was awful feeling accepting a place that I knew she would never go to BUT I accepted the place as I knew that without accepting the LA as far as they concerned had done there bit.

I contacted the schools to find out where she was in the waiting list and added to others in the area. The one school we wanted has an intake of 220 and I was 35th.
We put a lot of effort into the appeal while trying to find a suitable backup private school - we couldn’t afford it but found something.
I phoned the school regularly during the appeal process and finding out where she was on the list - we moved up and down!
The day before the appeal we got the call to say she was in the school we wanted! It takes time but keep the hope and accept the place you don’t want (though I needed wine to do that ...)

Todaytomorrowyesterday · 01/03/2021 12:52

@Psychobobble
It won’t knock you off the waiting list.
We found out the day before appeal panel that we had a place - so relief all around!

bex12345 · 01/03/2021 12:55

[quote Todaytomorrowyesterday]@KitHenry
You may have had other people update as I haven’t read it all.
I was in your place a few years ago - it was awful feeling accepting a place that I knew she would never go to BUT I accepted the place as I knew that without accepting the LA as far as they concerned had done there bit.

I contacted the schools to find out where she was in the waiting list and added to others in the area. The one school we wanted has an intake of 220 and I was 35th.
We put a lot of effort into the appeal while trying to find a suitable backup private school - we couldn’t afford it but found something.
I phoned the school regularly during the appeal process and finding out where she was on the list - we moved up and down!
The day before the appeal we got the call to say she was in the school we wanted! It takes time but keep the hope and accept the place you don’t want (though I needed wine to do that ...)[/quote]
Wow. Thanks for sharing this... I now feel that all is not lost (5th on waiting list here)!

Todaytomorrowyesterday · 01/03/2021 13:03

@bex12345
Hopefully you’ll be fine - 5th before people have even started accepting- things like people having state school as a backup to private or people moving out of area! Wine

cautiouscovidity · 01/03/2021 13:14

Good luck to everyone waiting. DD didn't get the grammar she wanted. Not unexpected as her 11+ results were lower than she'd expected but still hard to see it in black and white.
I just feel so sad for this cohort. No school from March - September of year 5, no open days so no opportunity to see the schools first hand, missed a chunk of year 6 already Sad.

Stokey · 01/03/2021 13:25

Sorry for your DD @cautiouscovidity. I do feel sorry for them too - & us, so hard to make good decisions editor without open days - but hopefully they'll get a normalish final term. Also feel like things should be more normal by the start of next term which will be better than this year's poor Y7s, who have really had a tough time.

Psychobobble · 01/03/2021 13:31

Just found out we are 8 metres further from the school than their last allocated distance place.

I know they have to draw the line somewhere, but...8m!!

Chocoholicmumma · 01/03/2021 13:35

Still nothing here. Other mums on school fb group got started getting their results hours ago. My nerves can’t take this!

GolfForBrains · 01/03/2021 13:41

That's good Psychobobble, you should be high up the waiting list.

Hersetta427 · 01/03/2021 13:44

@Psychobobble

Just found out we are 8 metres further from the school than their last allocated distance place.

I know they have to draw the line somewhere, but...8m!!

If you missed out by that small a distance then you will be at the top of the waiting list and I would almost guarantee that you will get a place on the next allocation run.
KnobblyWand · 01/03/2021 13:57

The emails in Kent are starting to be received... Biting my fingernails off trying to distract myself with the weekly morrisons shop.