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

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

Secondary education

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!

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KateBlush · 26/02/2021 11:13

@SnowyBranches I wonder if it will be a lower scoring year this year? Might work in your favour... I'm sure some kids prepped even harder during lockdown (some we know did nothing else) but across the board, attainment might be lower?

SnowyBranches · 26/02/2021 11:30

It might be, Kate, it is so hard to tell! Our grammar school has a massive intake area as well, and I did wonder whether people might be less likely to want their kid on public transport for 3 hours a day now, so there might be more opportunities for local kids, but who knows!

Sarjest · 26/02/2021 12:25

Snowybranches, make sure you get on the waiting list if he doesn't get a place on Monday. It's not over on 1st March!

Stokey · 26/02/2021 12:38

@Sarjest do you have to specifically request a waiting list place, or do you get put on it automatically of the grammar is your first choice and you don't get it on offers day?

SnowyBranches · 26/02/2021 12:49

I was wondering that as well

PatriciaHolm · 26/02/2021 12:56

@SnowyBranches

I was wondering that as well

It depends where you live - some LAs automatically put you on the waiting lists for schools higher up your CAF that you don't get in to, some don't! If the letter you get with the allocation doesn't say, call them and ask to be put on the list.

For example, I believe Kent don't do it automatically at all, whilst Surrey will add you to the waiting lists for Community schools but you need to request it individually for academy, foundation, free and voluntary aided schools.

bex12345 · 26/02/2021 12:56

I thought that if you didn't get a place on your first choice (and any choices ahead of what you were actually offered) then you are automatically put of a waiting list for them. I may have read that wrong though.

Vinorosso74 · 26/02/2021 13:10

Correct for London that you automatically go on the waiting lists for your higher preference schools.

Sarjest · 26/02/2021 13:34

In my personal experience I had to actively ask to go on the waiting list. It’s probably best to check with your own authority.

Stokey · 26/02/2021 13:44

Thanks all. We're in London Vinorusso so hopefully will just go on the WL.

eddiemairswife · 26/02/2021 14:00

I was sitting on an in-year appeal panel on March 1st a few years ago when the head of admissions came in to be the presenting officer just to be away from the phone.

PatriciaHolm · 26/02/2021 14:46

@eddiemairswife

I was sitting on an in-year appeal panel on March 1st a few years ago when the head of admissions came in to be the presenting officer just to be away from the phone.

Ha! I always assumed that was why results went out in the evening, to give parents time to sleep on results and reduce the amount of knee jerk phone calls....

Vinorosso74 · 26/02/2021 15:34

I always imagine them pressing send, logging off and running out the door.

cautiouscovidity · 26/02/2021 15:54

@SnowyBranches

I’m also stressed about it - DS did 11 plus and has a score on the cusp, but I believe he wouldn’t have got in with that score last year so I don’t think he will get in. Which is a shame because he really wants to go, his brother is there and it is a 3 minute walk from our house, while the school he has probably got into is 30 minute walk and starts much earlier in the morning. On the other hand, I feel maybe with a cusp score the grammar school might not be the place for him, I worry that he would be constantly judging himself against others, and the work might be too fast paced, so then I worry that he has got in! And then I think well he wasn’t tutored, and so many others were, so actually he might do OK if he did go - so then I start to stress that he hasn’t got in, and how unfair that is! Hopefully once we know one way or another we can put it to one side and concentrate on bigging up whichever school he is going to.

Ha - this is me. We didn't have a tutor for DD and although she said she wanted to try for the grammar, she wasn't particularly keen to do any of the preparation work in fact she did almost nothing. She's bright, but not exceptional and also scored on the cusp.

PorcelainCatStack · 27/02/2021 20:45

@Vinorosso74

I always imagine them pressing send, logging off and running out the door.

This year our LA’s will arrive midnight on the portal so the admissions team can have a queue of parents on the phone when they get to work Monday morning. Definitely no running out ha ha

I’m glad I’m not part of the central council team but I’m betting I’ll get some calls at school Monday too.

MissMezzo · 27/02/2021 21:24

When do councils inform the primary schools about which schools have been allocated to y6 dc? Does this happen on Monday too?

bex12345 · 27/02/2021 21:26

I wondered that too...

SJaneS49 · 27/02/2021 21:30

Honestly, the initial offers are just round one. There is so much movement on waiting lists over the next couple of months. Its really important to know if your area automatically adds you, in Kent for example you have to request a waitlist place.

If your child achieved an on the edge score for a grammar and you haven’t tutored (professionally or yourself) - pursue it! Many of the kids with higher scores will have had 2 years worth of tutoring!

PorcelainCatStack · 27/02/2021 21:33

@MissMezzo I’m secondary. We get our final list anywhere from a week or a couple of days before offer day. Presume it varies between LA’s.

PorcelainCatStack · 27/02/2021 21:34

I’m not sure when the Primaries are told?

SJaneS49 · 27/02/2021 21:41

16th of April Google says

PorcelainCatStack · 27/02/2021 21:44

16th April is offer day for primary places in YR.
I think the PP was asking when do primaries get told where their Y6 students will be going to Secondary school? They are informed before offer day on 1 March. I’m just not sure how far before.

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MissMezzo · 27/02/2021 21:59

@PorcelainCatStack

16th April is offer day for primary places in YR.
I think the PP was asking when do primaries get told where their Y6 students will be going to Secondary school? They are informed before offer day on 1 March. I’m just not sure how far before.

Thank you.
So the primary schools already know where their y6 pupils will go, interesting.

In a normal year, when it's not lockdown, do the children find out which secondary they'll go to from their teachers at school?

starbrightstarlight8888 · 27/02/2021 22:23

I just want to know what time to expect to find out. I know it varies by region. The website here doesn't specify a time.

ChildOfFriday · 27/02/2021 22:32

In a normal year, when it's not lockdown, do the children find out which secondary they'll go to from their teachers at school?

No- the system this year with parents finding out online/by post is the usual one.

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