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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:
PorcelainCatStack · 22/03/2021 20:27

It was lovely. She was so happy! I’m a mum too so I know how stressful school places can be and I hope I get to ring more this year too. We don’t have a lot of movement usually so it’s so nice to be able to ring someone and hear their voice light up. Love it.

ImpatientAnn · 23/03/2021 08:22

DC had a dream last night that they were low on the waiting list and so asked me where they were this morning. Wish I could tell them. I am not a patient person (see username!).
DH who works from home has been told to open any post that arrives to parent/carer of straight away and text me!

ImpatientAnn · 24/03/2021 19:07

Just posted off the paper work to accept our allocated school (5th choice).

DC not happy filling it in. Waited this long (it’s due Monday) because I hoped we would have waiting list number by the time it came to post it off.

Part of me thinking this is like when you take an umbrella and it doesn’t rain. Or you put suncream on and it does rain. Sending off paperwork slightly early might mean Sod’s law means we hear tomorrow...

ImpatientAnn · 24/03/2021 19:30

We have moved from 65 to 61 on the neighbour LA list though - our third choice I knew we wouldn’t get into even though I work there.

indie123 · 25/03/2021 06:39

we are still waiting for an update. got positions on the 1st march and from 15th march-31st march they said they will be updating lists taking into account rejections of places. Cant get a new update until after 1st April , but with the easter weekend I guess this will be pushed back. just want this stress to be over!

ImpatientAnn · 25/03/2021 06:57

What number were you on 1st?

indie123 · 25/03/2021 14:40

1st choice no.120s, 2nd choice no. 280 odd, 3rd choice no.20s in her band (school very hard to get into though), 4th choice no. 180, 5th choice no.1 (so we are likely to get this if we dont move down), 6th choice I'm unsure as in another borough.

I have also put in late applications for 2 other schools not on list.

ImpatientAnn · 25/03/2021 16:33

Oooh that is quite far down. Hope for good news from one of them.

I’ve just called my LA again.

They still can’t release waiting list numbers. Suggested I call again on Monday. It’s so frustrating!

indie123 · 25/03/2021 16:45

Yes hopefully

Fingers Crossed it's good news for you, i can imagine the frustration!

Jcee · 25/03/2021 20:08

We were offered a place at our 1st choice school today, had been 6th on waiting list. I'd been checking my emails endlessly since the 15th when places were accepted and unbelievably the offer came by post!

ImpatientAnn · 25/03/2021 20:22

Great news! Smile

yetmorewaiting · 25/03/2021 21:33

@Jcee excellent news!

The adjacent borough has their re-offer day tomorrow so hoping there's a space at the grammar school their that someone might take up instead of the grammar in our borough that is ds' first choice as he's 1 on priority area waiting list. Keeping my fingers crossed!

firedog · 25/03/2021 21:42

@indie123

1st choice no.120s, 2nd choice no. 280 odd, 3rd choice no.20s in her band (school very hard to get into though), 4th choice no. 180, 5th choice no.1 (so we are likely to get this if we dont move down), 6th choice I'm unsure as in another borough.

I have also put in late applications for 2 other schools not on list.

Were you expecting to be so low down or is that a freaky year? Sounds like you should get no5 at least! Are the other two closer? Hope it works out
indie123 · 26/03/2021 07:01

@firedog i didn't really know what to expect to be honest. 1st choice is our closest school, 2nd choice is lottery, 3rd choice is generally hard to get into and was a long shot, 4th choice long shot but also near to us, 5th choice bit further but school has good reviews, 6th choice furthest school but good reviews and has had wide catchment previously. The schools ive put late applications for..one we seem to be in catchment as a bunch of dd classmates got in and has good reviews (i was on the fence about putting it on original list as its further away but hearing alot of good reviews) and other school is a longshot but hey.

We were allocated a school which has had a bad rep for the longest of time. Very unhappy and hoping something comes through asap

ImpatientAnn · 26/03/2021 08:20

Glad they are all good options @indie123. Our 5th choice is ok but further away and nowhere near as good as 1st choice, and all dc friends are going there leading to “why me?!” feelings. I know new friends will be made whichever school but it’s the feeling of being left out for the next 6 months that is hard.

indie123 · 26/03/2021 13:49

@ImpatientAnn yeah can imagine, its tough . Fingers crossed for him hopefully he ends up landing a place! My daughters school seems to be a mixed bag. The batch of classmates going to a particular school arent really kids my daughter are friends with (they're in the other year 6 class) so it hasn't fazed her..her class everyone seems to be going different places or private. We will probably end up with 5th choice and so far one of her classmates is going there.

There will be alot of movement over the next few months. Fingers crossed for good news next week !

Original poster
bex12345 · 26/03/2021 14:04

I hope everyone's wait for news isn't too tormenting. I expect we will have a long wait for any news here but I'm feeling a bit impatient with it all today. Trying to find something to busy my mind so I can forget about it (a little!). I have faith it'll all come good in the end but I'm not enjoying the uncertainty right now!

OP posts:
DonGray · 26/03/2021 16:10

I think there will be movement after Easter - it appears that the eAdmissions system for London has gone awry and acceptances/declines have not been registered properly and passed over to the schools

DarlingWithoutYou · 26/03/2021 20:19

I've read this thread and it's been reassuring to see some people have got their schools now, congrats.

I'm in Herfordshire and I was really confused as when I tried to apply for continued interest there were only 7 schools listed. So I emailed them and asked why Wanted School wasn't on the list, and they said they will be on the second round of continued interest (march 29th- August 8th).

I don't know if it's first come first served or not?! Or just nearest to school?

Frustratingly... and regretfully... we allowed DS to choose which school he wanted. He got offered his first choice but no longer wanted it [anger] and begged to go to his second choice school. Facepalm. I should have went with my gut.

firedog · 26/03/2021 23:58

Wait lists are in same priority as admissions, so you can go up or down.. @indie123 that's tough to be so far down list for closest school.
Sounds like an admissions black hole

DarlingWithoutYou · 29/03/2021 23:22

I put my hopeful card in on second continuing interest today. Here's wishing!

ImpatientAnn · 30/03/2021 07:48

The saga continues for me finding out our place on the waiting lists.

E-Mail on Friday “ Waiting list positions are expected to be available by the end of next week.” Meaning 1st April.

E-Mail on Monday “ Waiting list positions will not be available until next week at the earliest – after the first round of allocations has been made from the waiting lists. ” Meaning from 6th April.

Can only hope we will be reallocated at the end of this week - without ever knowing what our place was I guess. I know of at least 5 spots freed up at our first choice due to a new school being confirmed and we missed out by less than 10m on 1st March so I am half confident...

Maverick197 · 30/03/2021 09:21

@ImpatietAnn that sounds so frustrating, but hang on in there! Sounds to me like you've got a good chance of getting a place, but I totally understand that you want to see it confirmed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll receive good news soon!

We are also on a WL for our no1 choice school, but are equally happy with the offer we got from our 2nd choice, which we thought would be a bit of a stretch, so pleasantly surprised when we got the offer. My DD is very happy with the offer, so I don't think we would accept an offer from 1st choice school now. I think there will be others like us on many WL's who are happy with the offer received even if it wasn't their 1st choice and as the weeks and months go by it becomes less likely that WL offers will be accepted as the DCs start to mentally bond with the school they have been offered.

Good luck to all who are waiting!

ImpatientAnn · 30/03/2021 09:26

Thank you. Have you taken yourself off the waiting list? Here you have to request to go on - it isn’t automatic - and if you get a place from the waiting list it’s automatic and you can’t decline in favour of the allocated 1st March school unless you remove yourself from the list.

DustCentral · 30/03/2021 09:32

@Maverick197 yes be careful to check how your LA works as some automatically move you to a higher preference school if a waitlist place becomes available. Not giving you a choice to say no thanks we are now happy with the 2nd preference. Worth checking if your DD is happy with 2nd and maybe remove yourself from 1st waitlist.