Nervous about Secondary School allocations out this week!

[PinotLover]

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!

[PorcelainCatStack]

No the primary school teachers should not be telling the Y6 students even if they know. That’s for parents to discuss with children as it’s not always 1st choice and some children might be upset.

[PatriciaHolm]

@ChildOfFriday

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.

Indeed - your primary teachers are not supposed to tell you! In fact the teachers themselves may not know, schools often keep it to a small admin team until the day.

[PorcelainCatStack]

Also, depending on the primary, it’s likely teachers might not know as it’ll be dealt with by office support staff not teachers.

[PorcelainCatStack]

Cross posts with you there PatricuaHolm

[BunsyGirl]

Anxiously waiting for Monday. DS1 has a high enough score to get him into our first and second choice grammar schools on all previous years but not high enough for me to believe that it’s a done deal. Plus his current independent school are putting pressure on us to accept his offer for their senior school by 4pm on Monday.

[FairfaxHigh]

Can I join? Have been looking for a thread like this as finding myself increasingly unable to concentrate on anything else

Don't think we'll get our 1st choice (nearest secondary to us but recently switched to a feeder primary system which doesn't include ours). DS1 actually wants our 2nd choice- good school too but a bit further away and think he's been swayed by the fact that it was the only one that did an in-person open evening so it's the only one he's actually been in! Was very impressed though and will be more than happy if he gets it. Looking at previous admission data we should be ok, but know there are no guarantees. Third choice isn't terrible, but would definitely be more comfortable with one of the others.

From memory of primary admissions for DS2 four years ago the portal updates in our LA shortly after midnight after refreshing a stupid amount few times. Don't know if it's the same for secondary though. Monday will be a looong day if not!

Good luck everyone

[pipsqueakbollock]

@MissMezzo
Secondaries and primaries know already. No point asking your head though, legally they are not allowed to tell you.

They get it about ten days to a week before depending on LA

The point of that is last minute fact checking - missing students, glaring mistakes.

[Bati]

That's it, I give up trying to sleep, I have been waking throughout the night thinking about which high school dd will get.
Roll on 12.30 tonight when I can find out.

[louisejxxx]

You have my sympathies @Bati

I am lucky in that the county we have applied for the grammar school (different to the county we live in) posted the scores required to get in on Friday afternoon, so now I definitely know he should have a place because he’s scored higher. Still a wait to see it written down and I’ll also be staying up till 12.30 to do so

[Bati]

louisejxxx that's fantastic, you must be relieved.
My dd scored very well in her 11+ and if it was done by score she would be in our 1st choice grammar but sadly they don't. They have a list of who passed and then go on distance from school.
Most years they get in where I live but every few year they don't and we have no way of knowing what sort of distance they will reach as it varies quite a lot from one year to the next.

[louisejxxx]

Ah I’ll keep everything crossed for you then 🤞

It is a relief yes, however the whole cross-county thing does make me worry as it relies on them communicating with each other and in previous years there have been failings in this department that have resulted in offers not being given on offer day (but then later corrected)...I’d rather it was a straightforward “yes he’s in” than having to go through further rigamarole to correct an error iyswim.

[Bati]

That must be very stressful for those
families involved.
We are also cross county but never heard of anyone not getting their offer when they should have.

[bex12345]

I've given up on sleep. Literally can think of nothing else right now... think I'm so stressed because our 1st choice is very popular and in demand. Very stressful!

[MissMezzo]

What is everyone doing during these last 24 hours of agonising waiting? I feel I need to keep myself busy but can't focus on anything.
Perfect time for a spring clean

[BunsyGirl]

Hardly slept a wink last night!

[ProfessorPootle]

I’ve hardly slept since 1st Feb when we found out ds was on waiting list for first choice (only) independent. He did a music assessment for first choice local school that in this area you wouldn’t get a place at unless you pass the performing arts criteria with a high score. He took that in October and achieved a high score and they said they’d expect him to be offered a place but not guaranteed. The other schools on our list are unlikely as everywhere is oversubscribed here. Nearest local school is requiring improvement and has been for 10years or so, it’s last on the list, will probably be allocated that or there’s another with no transport links that’s also terrible that parents keep being allocated in this area despite not listing it. Am hoping waitlist for independent starts moving once LA schools out, their deadline for acceptance is 1st March but I imagine lots of people have agreed to let them know 2nd as allocation comes out so late on 1st. Round here emails don’t appear until after 6pm, I know I didn’t get infants until about 8.30pm.

[starbrightstarlight8888]

Just found out we get results at 8.30am tomorrow here so no need to stay up until midnight tonight.

[BunsyGirl]

Ours should be out after midnight tonight. DS has been offered an academic scholarship at his current school but it’s a tiny amount and we can’t really afford to keep him there.

[bex12345]

No idea what time ours will be out so I'll check at midnight and if its not online then I'll check it first thing... I'm sure previously I've always woken up with the offers in my emails but they were primary so not sure if that would be different process.

[AlwaysLatte]

So nervous! We put 3 grammars and a non grammar on the list, but we still don't have a stand out favourite. It was so hard not being able to visit the schools.

[Vinorosso74]

I know DD won't get her 1st or 2nd choice tomorrow. She would have just missed 3rd choice on offer day last year! So it could be 4th or 6th choice. We're hoping for a lot of waiting list movement.

[Worriedaboutitall]

@MissMezzo

What is everyone doing during these last 24 hours of agonising waiting? I feel I need to keep myself busy but can't focus on anything.
Perfect time for a spring clean

Weirdly feel quite calm now! Will deal with whatever happens tomorrow, tomorrow.

[Stokey]

Does anyone have experience of when waiting lists start to move? I'm guessing not that much before 16 March which is the LEA acceptance date. Although presumably the independent kids offers have to accept earlier so may release some offers.

[BunsyGirl]

@Stokey I have the same question! I’m not expecting my DS to get his first choice grammar tomorrow (he would have done last year, but only just). His independent school offers have to be accepted by tomorrow and Friday but it’s not clear to me when the grammars start issuing their waiting place offers.

[pipsqueakbollock]

The second round is finalised by the LA in April. Late April.

After that, schools manage their own waiting lists.

In simple terms - parents reject the offer (usually for Indie at this point). Schools cannot offer these places. They have to inform the LA.

The LA do a second run at the process picking up those who forgot to apply, people who moved house and those who reject the school over their dead body (don't do this - it's not a good idea)

They apply places again under the same rules. Like Siblings and distance.
They give this to the schools.
There's another 10 day period where 2nd round is accepted / declined.

Only after this do schools manage the lists.
Once appeals get heard in summer, then places begin to get declined again. Then schools can offer if they have spaces strictly according to the the wait list which is structured the same sibling distance etc rules.

Once Sept rolls round, if a student doesn't turn up, schools inform the LA and investigations take place. Only the LA can tell the school to release the space. So sometimes late Sept things move again. Not so much by then.