CAF form done-now the wait (support thread)

[SweetsAndChocolates]

So have submitted secondary school choices.
I've mulled over the choices, for what seems like forever 😂

I don't want to think about it, but it's there at the back of my mind, sometimes I have a bit of wobble- what if I've made the wrong choice? 😭

March seems like a very long way away, so, anyone else in the same boat?

Feeling very nervous as 2 out of 3 schools we've chosen are oversubscribed 😑

Thought it would be nice to have a support thread, until the moment or truth!

@TeenMinusTests

stating that the DC have a guaranteed place at the school as long as a valid and on time application, with that school as first preference, is submitted to the Local Authority.

That is a bit disingenuous .
It is partly true, but partly misleading.
If you preferred faraway-hopeless-chance school (FHC) and put it first, and the grammar second, then when you didn't get FHC you would still be guaranteed the grammar even though you had put it second.
Of course if for some reason you did get FHC then you wouldn't get the grammar, but only because you got something you wanted even more.

Their admissions policy does go into this; there is an explanation of the equal preference system and they explain the importance of ranking the schools in order of your true preference.

Previously the grammar schools round here sent out scores, like many grammar areas still do. I have my reservations - the cynic in me says these schools haven't changed the way they report the 11+ results for altruistic reasons.

Glad to hear they do explain the equal preference system and the importance of ranking the schools in your true preference order. Congratulations @Bunnyjo and well done to your DC!

What is the full admission criteria for your preferred school?
Is the criteria based solely on the 11+ scores, with the top X being offered a place or is it a grammar school that has a minimum pass level of the 11+ ?
If it is the latter then the letter from the school is both misleading and wrong, there is absolutely no guarantee of a place at the school.
Even if it is the top X scores, when I suppose what they are saying is correct, then I think it goes against the spirit of the whole admission procedures of not being advised of the outcome of the request till the 1st March. If I was in that area I would definitely be arguing that the LA should stop the schools from making such statement as not being in the spirit of the admission guidance.

Just a few hours to the deadline. Had a major wobble here as DD has been in floods of tears saying we haven't listened to her because we haven't gone with her choice.

@Bunnyjo we had a similar letter, the grammar don't release scores but send out letter stating child has achieved required score. However (and admittedly this caused me some confusion), the letter stated that the school should be first preference if we'd like the space. It was confusing as we are out of catchment, therefore I am pretty sure that plays a role in all this, and therefore putting the school first does not mean we would definitely 100% get a space (as I've understood the whole process).
They send our two letters, one to parents stating the child is on a waiting list and the other which states required score achieved.

We didn't go for grammar as first choice in the end anyway (lots of reasons), but sometimes I have had a wobble about the decision. Now that the deadline is pretty much over, it'll be easier to block it out I think 😂

@BettySundaes hope your dc is ok, it's such a huge decision, I was definitely overwhelmed with all this!

@ElvenDreamer I recognised your username from the 11+ thread (I think I may have changed name since 😂). The long wait begins!

Also thank you to the poster who has explained the dates and why we have to wait a while.
Hope everyone gets the schools they would like.

@admission criteria is based solely on 11+ scores. Interestingly the schools I am referring to span two counties and all schools have their admissions criteria on the LA websites, including they report scores. I can only presume that the LAs have not read the criteria before adding to their website, or, because there are so few grammar schools here they are less concerned about this.

@SweetsAndChocolates unless you live near us, it sounds like there are more than the two grammar schools counties that I know of opting to report results this way.

@Bunnyjo It is in the admissions code that schools should release the results of selective tests before 31st October, so the schools are doing the correct thing by releasing the scores or whether or not the child has reached the pass mark. I think what @admission meant (apologies if I'm wrong) is that they feel it's a bit off for the school to say in their letter that you're in the top X places and so are effectively guaranteed a place (as that shouldn't be revealed until 1st March), rather than just listing the score and what the cut off score has been for the past few years.

@ChildOfFriday I am aware what @admission is saying and I do not disagree. I am saying that the schools in question are doing this right under the nose of the LAs and are making no secret of it. This isn’t a recent change, they have reported the results in the same way for at least 4 years.

@Bunnyjo Oh I see, sorry.

@Bunnyjo I was surprised with the letter and how the results were reported, I'm in the north west.

@SweetsAndChocolates I am also in the NW! From the snips you have posted about the wording of the letter you received, I have a feeling your DC might have taken the 11+ at a different school to us...

@Bunnyjo probably right. There aren't a lot of grammar schools local to us (we are out of catchment for the one we've put down; and even though the letter seemed reassuring I've read otherwise recently. However, we had decided on an alternative school for first choice anyway, so not stressed about that ).

For our choices, it seems a bit of a gamble as we are sitting on the tip of Lancashire neighbouring Yorkshire, so our choices are in two different counties

@SweetsAndChocolates yes, I'm thinking the school you are referring to is B or C? We are further north.

Glad you've found an alternative school and best of luck. For us, and based on our experience with older DC, we feel the grammar school is the right option. However, I don't think that is a given in every circumstance and there is so much more to choosing a school than whether it is selective or not.

Yes you're correct

I've had moments of wondering whether it was the right thing, and a lot of family think it's absurd to not go with grammar only 🤷‍♀️

We've now added more to the mix, but DS will be taking an independent school exam too. Unbelievably he actually wants to, so we wont be stopping him. The school does have a 'comfortable' feel to it, and part of me is wondering whether that is more suited to DS. However, it would be a bit of a squeeze financially, and I don't know how long it would work for (as Dd gets older not sure we could spread that far across). They do have bursary system, so we shall see.

I feel like we are probably the only ones going in circles with this whole process, but this is the first time we are doing any sort of school application/process (home schooling up to now )

I didn't think I'd hear anything until March, but interestingly received an email from one of the schools, stating they have upped the PAN by 4 (so 4 more children will get a space).

Other than that, the wait continues 😬

I'm surprised how fast the time has gone, and really hoping for a happy outcome next week.

DS has his heart set on 1st choice , but I've told him he has to be prepared for a different outcome. 1st choice is out of catchment, grammar school was 2nd and 3rd was a more likely option (so hopefully it will be one of the 3).

How is everyone else doing?

Yes it's so close now, just want to know so I can start looking in to buses etc and getting mentally prepared, we live in a very rural location so nothing is simple lol. I am a nervous wreck, mainly because I've convinced myself I filled in the wrong form or something stupid like that and will therefore get nowhere....

I, too, am counting down the days.

It's really silly to worry in our case, because DD should get her first choice, and in fact I believe she would be offered whichever of our five choices she listed first, which makes us extremely fortunate.

However, just like @ElvenDreamer I worry that I might have made some silly mistake with the form, even though DH and DD checked it too...

I'm also worried for a couple of DD's friends, who are either borderline with their grammar scores or distance from schools (no catchments here, apart from one set of grammars) or who chose not to include a banker school on their form...

Best of luck to everyone!

@ElvenDreamer I too need to find out so I can move onto organising travelling and so on, all 3 schools are in different directions so just waiting before looking into buses and so on.

@LetItGoToRuin and @ElvenDreamer I had this worry whilst filling the form and rang the relevant council department 🤦🏽‍♀️ Thankfully I had a very helpful lovely lady, who told me I was the first of many calls to come through😂

We're away this week, which has helped, DS has forgotten whilst enjoying time with cousins 😊

We're also a little different as we are moving from a home schooling background to schooling, so it all feels very strange, really hoping he gets the school he likes.

@SweetsAndChocolates I rang the council too, and am still paranoid! @LetItGoToRuin and Sweets, Glad to know I'm not alone though 🤣

Our results come out 5.00pm but I hear some are released at midnight on the 1st - I'm not sure who get's a better night's sleep that night those that know or those that don't!!!

Good luck everyone, not long now!

Hi everyone, haven’t posted anywhere on MN for a while but I need some buddies for this agonising wait!

This is quite triggering for me as 8 years ago I went through it all with ds ( almost 19 ) and to cut a long story short he never got our first choice and we appealed with a brilliant case with loads of medical evidence as he has ASD and didn’t win. He ended up going to a school out of the area where he was bullied and I only found out after 6 months and when school were useless I pulled him out and put him in a school in our borough ( one of the lowest attaining boroughs in the whole country ) where his friends were and it was the best decision I made. The school had quite a historic bad reputation but got a new head and turned itself around. Ds achieved fantastic GCSE results and then got BBB at A level and is currently on a gap year with his university place secured for September.

However, the stress and anxiety the bullying and appeal caused has left me a nervous wreck, on medication still and am worried I’ve done the wrong thing with dd’s application for this September.

I’ve explained the above as it may make sense why I’m worried. The school that ds didn’t get in is arguably the best in the city we live on the outskirts of ( different borough ) and we have no feeder/catchment here and once music places/siblings etc have been offered a place it’s then decided by random allocation so there is nothing to lose really by applying.
Dd is a very clever child and is currently on the ASD pathway ( literally 2 weeks ago ) as referral been delayed to due Covid and she would thrive in that school as they are known for their great results and extensive facilities. I’ve put it first. Dd wants to go to brothers school. I’ve put that second and no other choices as there are none that aren’t single sex which I don’t want for her ( I went to the one most of her class are wanting and I wouldn’t send her there as it has changed so much ) so it’s fabulous school in neighbouring city (1 bus away) or brothers school in our borough (2 buses away) and she has said if she is offered school 1 she will refuse to go.
She admitted last night that she’s been extremely anxious about the bus situation as she has social anxiety and I don’t drive. Her dad does but he will be in work earlier than she needs to be at school.

Lastly, to top it all off, her best friend has applied for school 2 in our borough to be with dd and it would upset them both terribly if dd gets school 1 as it would be a sin to refuse it. I’m really bloody sorry for this epic long post.
Even if nobody reads it all I feel much better for getting it out!!

Ds said the irony if we appealed and couldn’t get him in and dd gets a place ( highly unlikely ) and doesn’t want it. I don’t sleep anyway as have chronic insomnia and fibromyalgia and think it’s going to be a long night. I remember in 2014 with ds the email came through at 8.37am

If anyone has any advice I would hugely appreciate it and again I apologise for the length of this post...

@Zoflorabore bless you, that does sound stressful. My DC 2 has a diagnosis of ASD and we'll be looking at secondary for him next year and I'm already worried so totally understand how you feel. Re the bus situation would it be a reassurance if you promised to do practice bus journeys in the holidays and maybe even still travel with them the first week of starting? ( assuming it's a service bus and not a school bus.) My DD is really worried about buses too so that's what I've told her we'll do.

@Zoflorabore I really hope things work out better this time round. I can see why you're feeling the way you are right now. Unfortunately, I don't have any wise words, but really hope things pan out a lot smoother for you all.

I've had anxiety about the choices being wrong, started really worrying about bullying etc. I'm also wondering if we will get any of our choices, and if we don't goodness knows what to do next

Best of luck to all, I don't even know what time I'm supposed to receive the email. Knowing me, I'll probably delete it along with the dozen or so emails early in the morning 😂