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Secondary education

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

Original poster

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

286 replies

ToxicGirl · 23/02/2022 15:22

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...

OP posts:
Echobelly · 28/02/2022 18:47

@Lindy2 - I'm the same DS should get in to same school as older sib, but there's always this worry that something, somewhere has gone wrong!

tigerbear · 28/02/2022 18:50

@TeachersPetMonkey same here, we don’t get the result until the evening tomorrow.
So envious of those who can find out from midnight tonight!

ExitToTheLeft · 28/02/2022 19:08

I've just started a new thread as I couldn't find one.
I have twins and I'm crapping my pants that they either won't get into their first choice or will get into different schools,which is what happened with their primary and I ended up having to appeal.

I'm also in london where they seem to want to punish us by making us until the evening, which won't stop me from looking at midnight Grin

But wish you all good luck and fingers crossed all your dc get the school they want.

Whatwouldscullydo · 28/02/2022 19:16

Nerves kicking in now.
Wish I'd bought some wine for tonight.

Three might be some Xmas bailey's left ill see

LightBulbous · 28/02/2022 19:27

[quote Echobelly]@Lindy2 - I'm the same DS should get in to same school as older sib, but there's always this worry that something, somewhere has gone wrong![/quote]
Does the school have siblings as high priority? I. My school we rarely get to siblings criteria as it’s low down. We fill up on catchment pupils before we get to siblings.

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 28/02/2022 19:31

Thanks everyone for your useful advice

Lindy2 · 28/02/2022 20:05

Yes, siblings are above catchment area at our school. They are one of the top criteria.

It must be very tricky if siblings don't get priority and have more chance of ending up in different schools. I hope you manage to get your preferred school.

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 28/02/2022 20:06

Fingers crossed for everyone. I think dd might be nervous, she's been crazy emotional this evening & almost the first thing she said when she got in the car tonight was don't read the email without me......suspect they've been talking about it at school & the snobby element are saying that one of our choices is terrible despite not seeing it.

LightBulbous · 28/02/2022 21:14

@Lindy2

Yes, siblings are above catchment area at our school. They are one of the top criteria.

It must be very tricky if siblings don't get priority and have more chance of ending up in different schools. I hope you manage to get your preferred school.

That’s lucky. Most secondaries in my area put sibling low priority as it’s thought Y7 upwards can make their own way and don’t need parents to take them.

I’m not waiting thankfully. I’m an admissions officer though so hoping the best for everyone. Good luck.

Echobelly · 28/02/2022 21:29

@LightBulbous - yes, siblings are high up in priority, I think statement of special needs is only thing above it.

LightBulbous · 28/02/2022 22:03

[quote Echobelly]@LightBulbous - yes, siblings are high up in priority, I think statement of special needs is only thing above it.[/quote]
They most likely have looked after children higher too but that’s very high for siblings compared to my area. Good luck

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 28/02/2022 22:03

Good luck everyone - come on to have a read through in preparation for this time next year. Sounds so stressful!

BluesCluesToo · 28/02/2022 22:09

Good luck everyone 🤞

MumGoneMild · 28/02/2022 22:15

No idea what time we get the offer here but I’m a bundle of nerves
There’s two schools to pick from both are and equal distance and both are crap but one we took to court when it massively endangered my elder disabled son so I’m absolutely hoping it’s not that one 😅

Eggsley · 28/02/2022 22:32

Good luck everyone. I've been ok all day but am a bundle of nerves now.

We are in an area with no grammar schools and very few private. The good secondaries are massively oversubscribed and the not so good are also oversubscribed.

We're out of catchment for our first choice but they do give a percentage of places on random allocations AND they are taking a bulge year this year so there will be about 60 places available for out of catchment pupils. I have got everything crossed.

Second choice is the local comp, dreadful reputation but quite small and I think DS would be ok there. It's in the next village so he'd be going to school with most of his friends I think.

Third choice is the next nearest school, oversubscribed and no chance of getting in but had to put a third choice.

We didn't get our first choice at primary age for DS1, despite it being the only school in the village we live in. I appealed and lost and the whole experience was awful. I did have some amazing advice from some very knowledgable posters on here though, so if anyone plans to appeal I would definitely suggest asking for help on here.

We can log in from midnight to see allocations, and they send emails out mid-morning I think. Only I can't find the page to login as the local authority has changed and split into two and all the previous websites direct you to the new ones Confused

CakesOfVersailles · 28/02/2022 22:46

Fingers crossed for everyone waiting on allocations.

Interviewdisaster · 28/02/2022 23:01

We’re in London so will be hanging on all day 😬
I’m actually feeling quite relaxed. I have a feeling we’ll get our 3rd choice tomorrow, and go on the waiting list for 1 and 2. The upside of London is there’s lots of movement so we might get lucky. 3rd choice is nearby comp with excellent facilities but a stinking reputation. We actually quite liked it when we looked around, but if we settled for it it would feel like a leap of faith (DS has ASD and I worry about bullying). Fingers crossed for everyone!

user1461609321 · 01/03/2022 00:02

Bump

Eggsley · 01/03/2022 00:03

We got our second choice which is the one with the dreadful reputation. Pretty disappointed to be honest but at least it's the local school.

Good luck to everyone else!

Dontlickthetrolley · 01/03/2022 00:07

I can go to bed happy now! Good Luck everyone else.

greyinganddecaying · 01/03/2022 00:09

We have our second choice. I think I'm ok with that. DS may be disappointed but we'll have a chat about the options tomorrow.

Original poster
ToxicGirl · 01/03/2022 00:16

Relieved here. Didn't get our first choice but got one of our preferences. DD will be a bit disappointed but I'm happy enough. We all liked the school. Don't think any of her good school friends will be going there but she'll know a couple of girls from her hobbies that are definitely going.

OP posts:
boyblue · 01/03/2022 00:19

[quote Africa2go]**@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.[/quote]
I only quote the Trafford LA web site

boyblue · 01/03/2022 00:28

@ToxicGirl @greyinganddecaying
Be really upbeat. Remind them it's a fab chance to make new mates and try new things. Great news,

CakesOfVersailles · 01/03/2022 00:57

Glad you got one of your preferences @ToxicGirl !