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Secondary education

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

Original poster

School offers day 2023

449 replies

UsernameOfMine · 09/02/2023 10:01

So.... secondary school offer day is almost upon us. How is everyone dealing with the wait?

My DD is thinking about it far more than I would have hoped, is counting down the days and asking everyday if they will come out early. She's angry at the council that they can't sort the whole process out in a week. Apparently it's "not that hard to sort it out"🤔 I have tried to explain the process and that it's not just her it's every other child in the district (and neighbouring district as we've applied for schools there too), but she's just being impatient to know.

I'm thinking about it...but I thought I'd be worse with her been dc2 and wanting her to go to the same school as dc1. (No sibling priority at that school) but she's got a good chance of it so trying not to stress.

So how about everyone else?

OP posts:
Original poster
UsernameOfMine · 01/03/2023 09:17

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 01/03/2023 09:00

Does it not say on the portal that you don't need to accept? It does on ours.

Show quote history

No it just said the school offered.

I've now got an email.... No acceptance form, it just says to email them if I want to turn down the place...so I'm assuming I don't have to do anything.

OP posts:
CoffeeWithCheese · 01/03/2023 09:19

Notts portal is hit and miss getting stuff to download - but we got second choice for DD1 which she is happy with as most of her class are going there. Liked the vibe of her first choice more but either will work to be fair.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 01/03/2023 09:19

UsernameOfMine · 01/03/2023 09:17

No it just said the school offered.

I've now got an email.... No acceptance form, it just says to email them if I want to turn down the place...so I'm assuming I don't have to do anything.

Show quote history

I think so. It say this on our portal and the email we received, so assume the same for you.

What do I need to do next?

You do not need to do anything to accept this school place.

The school will contact you to confirm starting arrangements at a later date during this school year.

CoffeeWithCheese · 01/03/2023 09:21

Ours tells us we need to accept, but with how slowly the portal is running this morning I'm waiting it out a little bit now I know where is offered. Plus may be slightly complex since it's a cross LEA application.

Tittyfilarious81 · 01/03/2023 09:31

My email just says that it's assumed I accept and the school will be in touch about admission

therouge · 01/03/2023 09:36

I found it on the portal at 00:03 when in bed, then got an e-mail at 00:10 here. First and only choice offered, thank fleck, so dc very happy except that bff will be going to their first choice which was different 😬

Original poster
UsernameOfMine · 01/03/2023 09:37

I've rechecked...the email says there will be an attached acceptance form if it is required. There is no form attached so I'm assuming not required. It's a school in a diff LA so maybe that LA doesn't require it (going to go check their website soon)

Also states that as its my first choice they won't attach the info regarding waiting lists or appeals .

OP posts:
Butterflyheart · 01/03/2023 09:53

DC got her second choice, she's not going to be happy and I'm gutted, looks like it's time to appeal 😔

Woofsaidtheladybird · 01/03/2023 10:01

Morning - jumping in a bit late..

Has anyone heard in Bucks? We've been told emails from midday, but I keep checking the portal to no avail....

Henrieta2 · 01/03/2023 10:10

We logged in and can see she got her first choice
but do we need to accept in dudley West Midlands
there is no accept button
no email yet

MrsBungle · 01/03/2023 10:19

Nottinghamshires portal and system isn’t fit for purpose. Absolute shambles! At least when I finally was able to download the letter we got our first choice.

Tappetytap · 01/03/2023 10:33

Can I ask something. We've called the council to say maybe we'd like a place at choice 2 now. They confirmed choice 2 was under subscribed but said they couldn't just switch over our place we'd have to submit a late application for choice 2 then when the late offers go out when will get a place. Does this sound right? Also, I'm still not 100 percent on what I want to do. Would a late application cancel out the original offer?

Plumbear2 · 01/03/2023 10:37

Tappetytap · 01/03/2023 10:33

Can I ask something. We've called the council to say maybe we'd like a place at choice 2 now. They confirmed choice 2 was under subscribed but said they couldn't just switch over our place we'd have to submit a late application for choice 2 then when the late offers go out when will get a place. Does this sound right? Also, I'm still not 100 percent on what I want to do. Would a late application cancel out the original offer?

You really need to contact the council again with these questions.

PanelChair · 01/03/2023 10:37

Hmm. LEAs will sometimes require you to make a late application for a new preference, but that sounds rather bureaucratic when it’s a school you’ve already applied for as your second preference. For the sake of speed, it might be better to go along with this rather than argue: make the application and then (assuming the school is so undersubscribed that it has vacant spaces) you should get an immediate offer.

MoggyMittens23 · 01/03/2023 10:41

Can I ask, someone upthread said about their child waiting for 11plus offers. What does that mean? They would have found out their result ages ago, so does this mean they are waiting for offers from grammar schools?

Tappetytap · 01/03/2023 10:42

@PanelChair I thought it sounded really bureaucratic. The person who originally answered said oh you have to appeal. I said why would I appeal for an undersubscribed school with spaces. She was like oh I don't know I'll pass you onto someone who knows. So I'm not confident this second person I spoke to is correct either. My head hurts.

PanelChair · 01/03/2023 10:43

But, as Plumbear2 says, it’s worth having a conversation with the LEA about when the late offers will go out. If there’s a vacancy now you want to secure it now. If they treat this as a late application (even though you applied by the first deadline) the situation could change (such as a waiting list forming, where other people have also changed their preferences).

So, going along with the LEA’s proposal may be the right thing to do, provided there is some clarity about timescales etc.

Tappetytap · 01/03/2023 10:46

@Plumbear2 @PanelChair I'll give them a call back. Thanks

ElvenDreamer · 01/03/2023 10:47

@MoggyMittens23 I think a few will be waiting on 11+ and it differs from area to area. Where I am for example the state grammars are super selective so your mark is no guarantee of a place although you may have a rough idea of if you are in with a chance based on previous years. The 'pass' mark is pointless to us as you have to be so stupidly far above it. (Thankfully DS made it.) In other areas a pass mark basically does guarantee a place.

PanelChair · 01/03/2023 10:47

Oof. That reminds me. For anyone ringing the LEA - if you are looking for advice or guidance, make sure you are speaking to someone in the school admissions team. I have heard some awful stories of people being given well-intentioned but terrible advice by people on the LEA switchboard or drafted in from other teams to answer the phones.

Stokey · 01/03/2023 10:51

Thanks for the tip on eadmissions and its weird wifi @Waawo

I'm confident we'll get first choice, though Dd2 would prefer second choice, so should be a positive result either way. Good luck to everyone still waiting.

GobblingGyozas · 01/03/2023 11:00

MoggyMittens23 · 01/03/2023 10:41

Can I ask, someone upthread said about their child waiting for 11plus offers. What does that mean? They would have found out their result ages ago, so does this mean they are waiting for offers from grammar schools?

In my area, there are only a few grammar schools. The boys find out if they have 'passed' for each school soon after the exams, but are not given a score and so can't know whether they'll get their first choice, or any of them, until offer day. The girls get their standardised scores, so if it's very high, you can know the place is secure from October - although for most it will just give a good indication of whether they are likely to or borderline. It made offer day very different for DD compared to DS!

throwa · 01/03/2023 11:00

Woofsaidtheladybird · 01/03/2023 10:01

Morning - jumping in a bit late..

Has anyone heard in Bucks? We've been told emails from midday, but I keep checking the portal to no avail....

Bucks offers now live on the portal.

Woofsaidtheladybird · 01/03/2023 11:01

Thanks Throwa - just seen - we have 2nd choice... eek, that won't go down well....

Raindancer411 · 01/03/2023 11:07

I am getting nervous now... still got 5hrs until we find out possibly