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Original poster

SW London Private and Grammar Schools Waiting Lists (Y7 2023 entry)

359 replies

Limebasilico · 14/02/2023 09:00

Following the private and grammar school exam threads, I am starting this one for those with waiting list places. May be helpful to hear if and when waiting lists begin to move.

We had some offers and some WL places. We have released the offers we are not taking and waiting for a place on the Reeds WL.

Hoping for movement after offer holder days (next week), national schools offer day (1st March) and offer acceptance dates (circa 9/10th March).

OP posts:
KPA · 20/02/2023 10:19

Has anyone called the schools this morning re waiting lists?

Redapples81 · 20/02/2023 10:37

Not yet. Will wait for a few days until after offer holder days. I just walk round hoping by some miracle they are going to call and offer a place. Probs the movement might happen after 1st?

ghislaine · 20/02/2023 10:56

I’m just checking my phone every five minutes!!

KPA · 20/02/2023 11:17

I have already exhausted my emails and calls during half term so they already know I want the place and it’s our first choice but was thinking to call to play dumb and ask what the waiting list process was and then throw it back in there again! Lol

LDNmum789 · 20/02/2023 14:40

Has anybody heard from Emanuel WL?
Waiting for 10+ but wondering if the 11+ WL has had any movement...

KPA · 20/02/2023 15:04

Last Tuesday, they said “We are still hearing back from families who have been offered a place on the waiting list to confirm if they would like to continue their son or daughter’s application or not.”

HerbertChops · 20/02/2023 15:32

We went through the WL process two years ago, it's nerve wracking at the time but it worked out for us. We had one straight no and one WL. The school we really wanted was the WL one and it is a school that is often chosen as a reserve so I was hopeful. The waitlist letter said the date for expected movement on the WL was something like 5th March onwards but we got a phonecall the evening the state schools came out on 1st I think, so beginning of week as opposed to end. In our borough they only email state offers at about 5pm so they were pretty quick off the mark. I think they say later as they don't want people phoning them constantly to check!

Also, in regard to the deposit, we've had an offer that we've accepted this year and the terms and conditions specifically stated we have 14 days from their receipt of the completed acceptance booklet / payment of deposit to cancel the place and get a refund, in line with distance selling regulations. So check terms and conditions.

HerbertChops · 20/02/2023 15:35

Also, from 2 years ago I don't remember any waitlists at all moving before the state offers came out, the deadlines to accept places in independent are always a few days after the state allocation. Some people don't let schools know before the deadline that they're not taking places but lots of schools have an idea by then so there's sudden movement. Good luck everyone waiting.

Orangeisthnewblue · 20/02/2023 18:26

We’ve had encouragement to get back in touch at the end March from one school, and another have more or less said no chance and invited us to register for an occasional place in Y8. Completely different responses and could mean nothing - I think we have at least a 2-3 wait now. Have emailed or called our 2 WL schools today and plan not to contact again until after National offer day. I don’t think anything will change until then.

ghislaine · 20/02/2023 21:59

I’m thrilled to report that we have an offer from WL school! I spent the day glued to my phone and just I had given up for the day, it came through. So we were able to tell DS all the results at once and had a celebratory takeaway. I’ll be accepting the offer tomorrow and releasing the other one at the same time.

Good luck to all those still waiting.

QuiteAJourney · 20/02/2023 22:04

@ghislaine congratulations! Which school is it? (It might be hope to others in WL)

ghislaine · 20/02/2023 22:07

It’s the Cedars in south London. The offer we’ll release is for Bishop Challoner in Bromley. I appreciate these are a bit niche,I haven’t seen any chat about these schools on these threads.

Daydreamscometrue · 20/02/2023 22:21

Congratulations @ghislaine ! Good to hear of a wait list moving before allocation day.

Redapples81 · 20/02/2023 22:32

Brilliant!!! Congrats.

Justlikingit · 21/02/2023 05:47

ChiefRoady · 20/02/2023 08:39

@WombatChocolate @SheilaFentiman thanks for your posts.

It made me think a lot. I have been so desperate to get DS into our favourite school that being on the WL felt like a catastrophe. I felt very panicked about it (probably not helped by offer day being a really stressful work day).

But you’ve made me put this into perspective. Do I want him to end up at a school where he might struggle if he’s on the weaker end academically when he could go to a state school where he might be one of the clever kids…

Now trying to fall in love with what I assume will be available to us!

Just for another perspective ( from a lurker). I have 2 DD in one of these very academic schools. One got in with a scholarship and my 2nd got in off WL, much later.
I remember the being told initially that they are sorry, that they were not going to be able to offer a place from WL, as not enough people had turned down offers. Every year they are able to make a few people happy on WL, but that wasn’t the case then.
Anyway, a place later became available and we went for it, it was DD2s dream school.
She is thriving and not in bottom set for anything. I can honestly say there isn’t much difference between my 2 DDs. Albeit one is a couple of years ahead of the other. In fact they both got into a very selective grammar school with similar scores ( DD2 a bit higher than DD1), and sat around the same position for their cohort. But we decided not to go for the grammar. And released the offers straight away ( this is another reason why offers are sometimes made in September, people don’t let the state school know they are not taking up offers and the kids just don’t turn up on first day in September).
What I’m trying to say is coming into a school on WL doesn’t mean you are ‘bottom of the pike’. There are various reasons why this will be the case eg the entrance exams tests just 2 subjects usually, and some will add reasoning tests. Also lots of people prep for years, specifically for these tests. So really not indicative, necessarily, of where your child seats in the whole cohort, considering all the subjects they are exposed to.

Sorry this post has turned out to be longer than I expected, I remember both DDs and I being devastated initially when she didn’t get the offer, but it all ended well for us. Just want to encourage you all.

Justlikingit · 21/02/2023 05:50

Well done Ghislane to your DS, congratulations

ChiefRoady · 21/02/2023 11:13

@ghislaine congrats! That must be a massive relief. We’ll done to you and DS!

I’ve managed to leave my phone alone but it’s not on silent as it normally would be!

@Justlikingit thanks for sharing your experience. So much comes down to the performance of DCs over a couple of hours and there is an element of luck it would seem.

The WL letter does say they’ve made the academic standard but I did wonder if that was just a kindness to the kids without an offer- it’s hard not to second guess everything!

I am definitely proud of DS for giving this a good go and getting to the final rounds of some very selective schools. He’s not had nearly as much prep as many DCs, he wouldn’t tolerate the levels of study you hear some of the kids do and he’s on the younger end of the cohort.

uk2020 · 21/02/2023 11:51

ghislaine · 20/02/2023 21:59

I’m thrilled to report that we have an offer from WL school! I spent the day glued to my phone and just I had given up for the day, it came through. So we were able to tell DS all the results at once and had a celebratory takeaway. I’ll be accepting the offer tomorrow and releasing the other one at the same time.

Good luck to all those still waiting.

Congratulations!

Sass22 · 21/02/2023 12:12

Well done @ghislaine that must be a big relief for you and DC.
@Justlikingit thanks for sharing you give some hope.
Good luck for all those waiting!!

Ukmum2012 · 21/02/2023 14:23

Anybody else heard of movement on waiting lists yet?

Original poster
Limebasilico · 21/02/2023 17:31

Congratulations @ghislaine!

OP posts:
uk2020 · 21/02/2023 17:53

Ukmum2012 · 21/02/2023 14:23

Anybody else heard of movement on waiting lists yet?

This morning I got an email from a school that there has been no WL movement so far.

Redapples81 · 22/02/2023 11:53

I don’t know whether to hold out any hope anymore. I guess I was hoping it would happen fast. It’s hard to keep blindly waiting.

KPA · 22/02/2023 11:57

Hang in there as taster days are happening this week, acceptance dance and state school date is next week so there will be movement.

ChiefRoady · 22/02/2023 12:05

@Redapples81 what’s your alternative to your WL school? Does DC have another offer?