National Offer Day - 1st March. Anybody else anxious?

[ToxicGirl]

I feel like a woman on the edge. Am unbelievably anxious about 1st March. Made my peace a long time ago with the fact DD won't get a place at our nearest secondary (within easy walking distance) because it's so oversubscribed. All her friends and most other children from her school will go there. We live a tiny bit further away and just won't get in, particularly as I understand it's a big birth year.

Would be happy with either our 2nd or 3rd choice schools. They're further away and not as popular but we'd have got a place at them in previous years as we're in catchment and just within the distance they usually offer.

However our LA has warned of unprecedented pressure on school places this year and said that the schools are likely to be significantly oversubscribed. I'm worried that we now won't get a place at the schools that would previously have been 'bankers'. Our other preferences are too far away. We won't get a place at them. Just put them down because there was nowhere else.

There are a couple of hugely undersubscribed and really poorly performing schools in neighbouring towns within the borough. From everything I've read and from looking at Y6 leavers destination info from previous years, I'm absolutely convinced we'll be allocated one of them. They're the schools people get allocated when they only put one choice down and don't get it.

I'm so anxious about it. Can't think about anything else and am driving DH mad. Am managing to hide it from DD but know she'll fall apart on Tuesday. She's prepared to go to school without her friends but not to a completely unknown school in another area.

It's going to be a long few days...

@SwayingInTime

Eh? They are definitely full. And every year a few Trafford children who have 'passed' don't get a place.

Every year DC in my area 6 miles away and not in Trafford get places in all of the except ABS. (Urmston but too far for people to put down). They run the school bus service for them all.

@greyinganddecaying

I think they should bin grammar schools and focus on all children getting a decent education on a level playing field, but that will never happen!

I also saw on the website that it says all (eg) Sale children who pass the 11+ will get a place at Sale Grammar, then I guess other places are filled by children from elsewhere in Trafford. I noticed when I last looked at admission criteria that most grammar schools offer places to nearest first (I believe the exception with ABGS which offered the on the basis of 11+ results (best first).

They should definitely bin the grammar schools, I agree.

@SwayingInTime I totally agree. Ridiculous system. Socially divisive. Massive tutoring industry favouring those who can afford 1-2 years of exam tutoring. Massively inflates SATs scores for Trafford school, funded by parents.
But that's a whole different thread

Hey joining in here I am a complete wreck!!! Dreading Tuesday so scared on what my son might get!! Why do they make this wait unbearable 😩

@Sweetbabydust1989 hand hold. I've been there as have all my mates. We got 1st choice as on our doorstep but even mates who didn't have ended up perfectly ok with what they got.

Will timing of release of allocations be different everywhere do we think?

@SwayingInTime

Will timing of release of allocations be different everywhere do we think?

From reading this thread in previous years, I think that it does differ by area. In some you can log onto the portal at midnight and see your allocation, some are later in the day and some (including London I think) don't release them until 5pm.

The timing is different. Hampshire where I am send the emails just after midnight, over the border in Surrey they get them at 5pm with the rest of London. Rest seems to vary as to over night or first thing in the morning.

We’ve got two schools where I am and will be happy to go to either, I’d prefer her to get our closest and first choice (non-catchment bizarrely because of the shape of the town and placement of the schools.) But second choice is amazing and she’d also be happy there. (It would be a shock if we didn’t get our first choice, lowish birth rate year here and everyone where I am has got their first choice of secondary traditionally but there’s always a first time!)

@boyblue thanks lovely very stressful month so much going on just hope he gets his place and one of those schools kinda want the first one as it has a sen part attached too it so would be beneficial for my youngest.

@SwayingInTime ours here in the south east are roughly 4pm I have seen other places being able to log on at midnight.

Manchester went live on line at midnight with my DC primary. I didn't look with secondary as knew we'd get first choice as almost on doorstep. Emails go out early morning. Manchester

I'm bucks so 12 noon is the time given here. Although they have always cone earlier but we will.see

I don't think I've seen a time for Trafford allocations to be announced. With primary it was midnight I think, so possibly the same again

Midnight works for me as I am at work but website likely to crash for a bit.

I’m going to ask an impossible question…!

Any idea on average waiting list movement. Is there a big washout in March and then if you didn’t get in give up or is it steady all the way through to September…? At an average oversubscribed comp…?

@SecretSquirrel111

I’m going to ask an impossible question…!

Any idea on average waiting list movement. Is there a big washout in March and then if you didn’t get in give up or is it steady all the way through to September…? At an average oversubscribed comp…?

That's an impossible question like you say. There is no way of telling who will move, change their mind, decide to EHE, or not. There may be movement. There may not.

@ufucoffee I just need a crystal ball… fingers crossed for everyone.

@SecretSquirrel111 impossible as some cities are transient & some small towns not etc. Some have lots of private schools near and loads don't.

@SecretSquirrel111 it also depends on how decent preference 2 is for people.
If people get a decent second choice school, once they child has done transition, bought uniform etc they might not bother moving.
So it might be that the first eg 10 people on wait list post Sept turn down subsequent offers and no11 gets a space.
But if pref2s are awful / much further etc then everyone on wait list might take up any offer made.

@boyblue Every year DC in my area 6 miles away and not in Trafford get places in all of the except ABS. (Urmston but too far for people to put down). They run the school bus service for them all

Thats probably because the catchment area for the schools (except AGSB) is more than 6 miles - AGGS is 8 miles from the school, for Loreto and St Ambrose the catchments are massive. AGSB has a very small catchment. So those schools are not under-subscribed as you say, they just take pupils from a wider catchment.

Also checking in here. I'm feeling really nervous but can't share in real life as I don't think most would get it.

I have some fairly horrific local comprehensives I'm keen to avoid, and possibly won't get any of my choices. My child has special needs and would get eaten alive their.

I haven't been discussing offer day with my DD because I don't want to make her stressed. Unfortunately all the kids at school were talking about it today and she is now really nervous. Argh!

Offer day tomorrow and I am a wreck! I don't think my area gets the email until 5pm so it is going to be a very long day.

Good luck everyone.

I’m nervous although first choice was closest school so hoping she gets in . We don’t find out till afternoon .

We don't get ours until 4pm tomorrow so scared it's my first born so very nervous he seems happy with which ever he gets as he kinda wants to start a fresh x