Does this mean my ds has been awarded a place at our first choice school?

[nametaken]

Last night I e-mailed the head of the over-subscribed school where ds has applied to go from September because I had a query and was worried I hadn't filled in the form correctly.

This morning I received an e-mail back from the office superviser at the school saying

"....... and I have checked the admissions list and XXX is on it so please do not worry ......"

Would you take this to mean he has got in, or he has been placed on the list with all the other children.

I know the letters don't go out until March, but when do the schools actually make the decision?

Think it means he is in the system and not to worry about filling in the form. I doubt they would let the cat out of the bag early in that way.

Schools don't make the decisions though, do they? I though the LEAs did

I would take it to mean that your son is on the list with everyone else.

I think it means he is on the system too and no more. The head would not tell you ahead of anyone else.

I would say it meant that he is on the list.

BTW when are we likely to hear the results?

Yes I think you are all correct. I thought it odd that they would tell me before everyone else LOL.

Hana, well I don't know who makes the decision this is a catholic school - does anyone know who actually makes the decision when it's a catholic school.

The Pope, I think.

Nah, I don't know.

We heard about DS1's infant school place last Saturday, but think secondary schools are different. Or something.

Good luck!

mmm on the list could mean either..

not heard about ds infant school yet and am fretting as I only applied to his school

OK at least I know he's on the list with everyone else. It's better than hearing "he's not on the admissions list".

This waiting is horrible. It's like waiting for the blue line on the pregnancy test to appear (or not appear, if thats what you want) except waiting for a pregnancy test result takes 2 minutes of stomach churning anxiety and this takes 4 months of stomach churning anxiety.

I'll be glad when it's all over.

I don't expect to hear about ds's place until April at the earliest.

Trouble is, schools do know already, so why they can't tell anyone is a mystery. Certainly the LEA had given the head of our secondary school the list of those who had definitely got places last Nov or Dec, but of course the LEA doesn't send letters out until March 1st.

Really daft system - when my eldest applied for secondary school in autumn 1993, the school handled it all themsleves. Forms had to be in mid October, and we had the letter offering a place in the first week of December. So much better for everyone.