St Mary Magdalene Academy waiting list

[Blueskyyy]

This school was my first choice, and I'm gutted to have narrowly missed out on a place for my child. Also shocked that a large secondary (210/year) has a 0.31 mile catchment for open places!

Does anyone know what the movement is like on the waiting list for open places or governors places? I'm in the 20s and the 50s respectively, and unsure if a place will come up soon or if it is worth appealing.

I'm hoping, given its London, there will be a fair bit of movement.

Hi there, does anyone know up to what rank in the aptitude test people were offered places last year (for 2024 intake)? Just got the letter and trying to interpret what ranking might mean for us. Thank you!

Anecdotally, it goes up to around 80. It was sometimes higher in previous years but the last couple of years it has come down. The majority of the kids in the top 50 ranks will choose grammar schools (Latymer, QE) or top indies.

Thank you so much! It'll be a difficult wait...

@NorthLondonschools I feel for you. It goes without saying, but it’s worth repeating: come allocation day in March, those with an offer from Mary Mags that they plan not to use, should release the place immediately. There is no point (and it is unethical) to hold on to it “just in case”. By that time deposits have been paid to private schools.

It might be useful if people posted here if and when they make a decision on taking up a place or not or accepting an offer for elsewhere which would bump the wait list places. There might not be enough SMMA hopefuls on Mumsnet for it to be useful but perhaps worth a try.

We have an offer but for now we are waiting results from another school before making any decision. I will post once we know whether we'll be taking the place or not.

Oh that would be great! Good luck to you

Do SMMA let us know if the kids move up the ranking before the 31st October?

No, I do not think so. They would have no way of knowing if some parents won't put the school down at all, or not as first preference, as the deadline for submitting applications is the 31st of October. If you don't get an offer on March the 3rd, the waitlist will start moving soon after, when parents who have chosen private schools will be rejecting the Mary Mags offer.

Thanks. That makes sense

This doesn’t quite answer your question but my DC was ranked in the 40s and got in on national offer day. I don’t know how much further it went but it’s worth emailing the admissions officer at the school and asking, she might tell you. Good luck!

Thanks Tonic. Really helpful. I'll drop them a line.

We are going to put SMMA top of our list and take our governors' test place. I do know 2 other families who have places too but are going to do grammar/private instead so will not be taking them.

The school told me that in previous years they've made governors' offers up to around the 60th place in the individual rankings. Presumably it'll be lower this year with the reduction to 18 places. Anecdotally I'd heard of people getting in up to about 80. Does anyone know of kids getting in in the 60s or 70s last year or the year before, and would that be pretty much hopeless now?

Hello, does anybody know at which points independent school places have to be accepted (i.e. at what times the waiting lists are likely to see some movement)? thank you!

Often it is the day before state school offer day. It's unlikely to have much of an effect. VAT means a lot less parents are choosing private schools as well.

Thank you!

Most independent schools will have acceptance deadlines a day or two after the state school allocation day. There is usually a lot of movement around that date, but it was around 4th March this year. Other than that, movement tends to happen the week before summer term starts and the week before autumn term starts, as those are the deadlines for giving one term's notice of withdrawal for people who change their minds.