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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Waiting Lists

148 replies

bex12345 · 08/03/2021 13:21

When would waiting lists typically start moving?.

We are hoping for a waiting list place (5th currently) and to know when to expect movement would be much better than me wondering and not really knowing!

OP posts:
XelaM · 11/03/2021 16:37

Got a call today from a state school that we got a place off the waiting list and we were 42nd on the list on 1st March. I was surprised how fast the waiting list moved. We won't be taking the offer though.

ImpatientAnn · 11/03/2021 16:40

Wow that’s incredible!

Are you holding out for another school?

Original poster
bex12345 · 11/03/2021 17:22

@XelaM wow! That's some movement!

OP posts:
XelaM · 11/03/2021 18:00

@ImpatientAnn We have accepted a place at an indie. The state school we wanted was APS, but not heard about any movement there yet and I think we won't find out until after 15 March. But I am fairly certain we won't get it and have already paid the deposit for an indie.

XelaM · 11/03/2021 18:00

@bex12345 Good luck!

Stokey · 11/03/2021 19:39

We've accepted our local state school place but are on the waiting list for a grammar. We won't find out until 15 March where we are either, hoping some of the people offered places will choose to go private. It's hard not knowing but I've no idea how much the grammar lists move. Good advice from @steppemum though. I don't think I could keep holding out until September. Good luck everyone waiting!

Mstiva · 11/03/2021 20:44

That’s great gives everyone else hope I thought you have to wait until reallocation day to be offered a place from waiting lists?

Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 11/03/2021 21:11

@XelaM Having gone through this process, is is really unusual to get an offer from the waitlist of a state secondary 10 days after allocation day when you were 42nd on the waitlist. As others have said, the waitlists typically move after the acceptance date. I think it is definitely worth holding your nerve until May (appreciating how difficult this can be) and then I saw people either getting the schools they wanted or bigging up the schools they had been allocated. And some brave parents/children held out and received their first choice secondary last week of August and switched to it.

indie123 · 11/03/2021 21:38

That's lucky. On offer day we were number 1 on WL for a school but heard nothing yet. Fingers crossed some movement next week after 15th

icegarden · 11/03/2021 23:30

@XelaM

Got a call today from a state school that we got a place off the waiting list and we were 42nd on the list on 1st March. I was surprised how fast the waiting list moved. We won't be taking the offer though.
What area is this?? In our area they are now telling people where they are on wait lists but people have not yet accepted or declined
ChildOfFriday · 12/03/2021 07:30

@Mstiva

That’s great gives everyone else hope I thought you have to wait until reallocation day to be offered a place from waiting lists?
Not every area has a reallocation day- some just offer the next place whenever it becomes available.
notabirthday · 12/03/2021 08:22

I have to send the acceptance form off today to meet the 15th deadline (already accepted online on the LA site) our 5th preference comp and it's so painful. Our 1st preference say they won't release the waiting list until "end of March", our 2nd & 3rd preferences are void due to the 11+ system and our 4th was a total long shot on distance but a very academic school so not even thinking about that one. We're also on an indie waiting list.

Good luck to everyone waiting!

Why does no one warn you of the trauma of this process, it's been high up in my mind for months and I thought by 1st it would have been over but nope. I feel really angry and upset about it all and so wish I'd have put my foot down about moving to a better area for the sake of the DCs education.

Original poster
bex12345 · 12/03/2021 09:02

@notabirthday I know how you feel. We also had to send acceptance to the school we were offered, it feels almost as if by sending it we are giving up on getting waitlist place on our preferred school. We are holding on to hope for a place first choice before September though, DC has said they are happy to hold out.

Hope you get your place at your first choice very soon.

OP posts:
ImpatientAnn · 12/03/2021 09:02

Aww @notabirthday don’t beat yourself up. We thought about moving too but would have got into our 1st choice the last three years so we thought it was a safe bet to stay put. Not this year...

We are 5th choice too but our dates are the other way around - we have to accept by 29th and can find place on the list after 15th. I do admit that knowing I’m high on the list will help me feel better about the paperwork which dc also has to sign and isn’t happy about going there so I am hoping knowing her place on the list will sweeten it a little bit.

thesunday · 12/03/2021 13:31

it's been high up in my mind for months and I thought by 1st it would have been over but nope.

This captures it. Should've mentally prepared for this. It's a great lesson in putting on the big pants and just making the call and generally just putting this uncertainty in the corner to get on with other stuff.

hang in there everyone and good luck!

Stokey · 16/03/2021 07:06

How is everyone doing? I contacted the school we're waiting for yesterday, and they said the LA will release the numbers for the waiting list on the 18th. I'm expecting to be around the 40 mark but really hoping some people between us and the first place either won't have put it as a first choice or will go private.

ImpatientAnn · 16/03/2021 09:00

Very impatient and nervous today. Have e-mailed to ask our place on the waiting lists (it closed yesterday) and waiting for a reply.

Hope people get good news this week. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

ImpatientAnn · 16/03/2021 14:56

Still waiting for a reply from admissions. They were really quick to reply on 1st March. Sure they’re really busy but I’m climbing the walls. They close in two hours and I reckon it might be a couple of days now. Arghhhhh!

XelaM · 16/03/2021 15:09

@icegarden It's the brand new school in Acton (London) and they initially sent an email on 1 March to say where we are on the waiting list and then called me up to tell me they had a place. Clearly not a very popular school Grin I applied to them separately in addition to my CAF form, as it's a new school

icegarden · 16/03/2021 15:16

That makes sense! In our city the new schools built over last 4 years (x6) have all been popular but the first year has been the easiest to get in

Staggles · 16/03/2021 20:54

[quote XelaM]@icegarden It's the brand new school in Acton (London) and they initially sent an email on 1 March to say where we are on the waiting list and then called me up to tell me they had a place. Clearly not a very popular school Grin I applied to them separately in addition to my CAF form, as it's a new school[/quote]
Don't assume it's not popular. If you can apply in addition to your other six preferences many people will have put in an application as insurance in case they didn't get their first choice, then dropped out when they did. Same happened at the new school my DS went to, but it was still full in September. And being in the first year group of a new school is a fantastic experience. They'll be too heavy with senior staff so your year 7 DC will be taught by the Head of English, Head of Maths, Head of Science etc, and probably by the Head him/herself from day one, so they'll make brilliant progress. That never happens in established schools. Year 7 normally get the most junior staff because they aren't considered as important as the older exam years.

Staggles · 16/03/2021 20:55

*top heavy, not too heavy Grin

icegarden · 16/03/2021 23:28

Near us that wasn't the case as its academy chains that have opened the new schools. So the heads of subjects are based elsewhere the first year and over see from their base school. Three differently academy MATs but all the bee schools are like baby siblings to established schools. Plenty of new staff cutting their teeth

Original poster
bex12345 · 17/03/2021 07:23

Our position was unchanged on the list after the 15th deadline. I suspect this will be a nervier wait than I thought!

OP posts:
icegarden · 17/03/2021 09:36

I'm very suprised.. at least a few would be going private in our area so 5th would be almost a certain place

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