Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

Secondary school waiting lists Solihull and Birmingham

94 replies

Karpuz26 · 27/03/2023 10:17

Hello everyone,

After an anxious wait for offer day on 01st March 2023 my daughter wasn’t offered any of our 6 preference schools. Instead …We have been offered a local failing secondary school. A school which we made sure to visit for ourselves, the visit reaffirmed it was not an option to be put on our list.

Our preference schools were all realistic options.

So now we are left hanging on to hope through the waiting list process!

As of today, my daughter is 15th position on 1st choice, 59th on 2nd and 83rd on 3rd choice - the other three schools are in the high 100’s.

Does anyone have an experience of waiting list movements in birmingham/Solihull? I know the appeal deadline is 29th March, I’m hoping this will have some bearing although that may not favour our position. Are there so called ‘second rounds of allocations’? I read about these in other regions.

I can’t see how waiting lists move - the LA only ask parents to contact before 15th if they are refusing the offer. So that’s has now past leaving us in the above positions.

Has anyone been in my situation of waiting list positions that could share their experiences?

It’s an awful situation - I feel a have a dark cloud hanging over me and my daughter is so disappointed.

Any advice, experiences, opinion are most welcome!

Thank you for reading
Karpuz26

OP posts:
Gothambutnotahamster · 07/04/2023 14:38

Marchsnowstorms · 07/04/2023 11:53

I don't understand how there would be 'school less' children then taking places above wait list. Surely they must just have moved closer than wait list children?

No, not necessarily closer but have moved into catchment and don't have a school, whereas those on the waitlist in catchment are at a school already, so get leapfrogged.

Marchsnowstorms · 07/04/2023 20:19

@Gothambutnotahamster but a space needs to come up. As the school less children arrive, why wouldn't they get a place in whatever school has spaces at that point

Carmella9 · 07/04/2023 23:30

I don’t understand why they didn’t create new classes instead of sending children to schools 9 miles away. I don’t think anyone in Hockley Heath will voluntarily go to HofE!

GozerTheGozerian · 08/04/2023 00:05

There is some insane snobbery on this thread. Heart of England is a good school. Rated good and I have heard lots of positive feedback from parents sending their children there. The open day was great and much more positive than another local school
we visited.

No it doesn’t have the facilities of a private school but that is why you aren’t paying £15k a year.

I know plenty of people who have chosen HofE over private or grammar school. Me included! Your DC will be absolutely fine.

Motherhubbardscupboard · 08/04/2023 08:33

Exactly, the story about the school calling home because the child was in the toilets sounds like it could happen anywhere. Also surely it's a good thing they called home when the child couldnt be located, and why was the child in the toilets in lesson time without telling anyone anyway?! Honestly the behaviour people are talking about will just be normal secondary school behaviour, it's different from primary, they're not cossetted any more and it will be the same at almost every mixed intake comprehensive in the country. The school wouldn't be rated Good if the behaviour was so awful and unmanaged. However I do agree it's bad that PPs child is expected to travel to HofE all the way across the borough.

UnsureSchool32 · 08/04/2023 09:33

Have NC for this. Unsure on school. We can go private. But we live in Arden catchment and have an offer of a place.

what are people’s experiences of Arden? It seems so run down, but the quality of education is good.

Carmella9 · 08/04/2023 10:09

It’s not insane snobbery. The thing we care about a lot is education. We make sacrifices so our kids get the best values and education. I don’t care how much people have or what car you drive or where you live but for personal reasons education is really a strong value for us. I am going on the comparative academic progress between the schools.

usererror99 · 08/04/2023 15:02

@Carmella9

So is HofE your catchment school or not? I didn't think Hockley Heath was even catchment for that school?

Carmella9 · 08/04/2023 15:53

No! I had never heard of it. It’s 9 miles away. Tudor Grange is but this year no one in hh unless they have a sibling got it. It’s been in catchment over 40 years before this.

usererror99 · 08/04/2023 17:33

@Carmella9 I thought so! I always though HH was a TG remote catchment area

The allocations seem completely bizarre! (And worrying!)

Gothambutnotahamster · 08/04/2023 18:10

I thought everyone appealed this year @Carmella9 and they all got in as the rejection had been an error - was that not the case? I mean that they contacted Solihull Council & the decision was reversed, not a full on appeal.

Hunter2501 · 08/04/2023 20:44

Not 100% sure but I think that was last year

Carmella9 · 08/04/2023 21:19

That was last year. Not much visibility on any of it. But this year, it’s tough luck

Hunter2501 · 08/04/2023 22:01

I know it doesn’t help you but the admissions are changing for next year to include TG hockley as a higher priority.
On a side note - in your opinions which school is better - TG or Arden?

Carmella9 · 08/04/2023 22:34

I knew that about next year and last year! I have a friend who moved from TG to Arden and says it’s better. I’d be happy with either and have always felt that way.

demotedreally · 08/04/2023 22:36

Good luck to those hoping.

I'm watching this thread with interest as my DD got into Arden. She might see some of yours there!!

SwanHK · 08/04/2023 22:44

I can feel your pain.

Since last year, the new build in Blythe Valley line in front of hockley heath and taken a lot of TG spaces. Blythe Valley is a huge development and the council should plan in advance about the schooling and catchment arrangement.

Next year, TG school admission criteria will change and include HHTG primary as feeder school. I think all parents in HH (with year 6 pupil in this year) should be well informed about their risk by the primary school. At this moment, I think what you can do is

  1. wait for the good news from grammar school
  2. make stronger voice together with other HH pupils, appeal to Solihull council and TG trust, just like last year, TG absorbed all HH pupils (over the usual yr7 admission number)
Gothambutnotahamster · 08/04/2023 22:48

You're right, I meant the current year 7s, so that would be last years admissions.

To the poster who asked, personally having seen friends kids go to both TG & Arden, I'd say Arden is a much better school.

GuyFawkesDay · 08/04/2023 22:59

To previous posters: don't think moving towards Warwick will help. Warwickshire schools are without exception oversubscribed. Once the new one kicks in from 2024 there will be more scope but right now the schools are all full.

As for Grammar schools, Blythe Valley is out of priority catchment for the Birmingham schools and South Warwickshire schools. Unless they're going to get a stellar score for South Warwickshire to get into KES etc they will be at bottom of priority list behind those closer to the schools.

Carmella9 · 09/04/2023 08:30

I think that Blythe valley are all sent to H of E too. But to be fair they were not promised TG whereas for HH it is the catchment school. There was no visibility at all about H of E being the catchment. It’s always been TG and most kids got Arden too if it was their first choice. It’s the main reason so many families live there. From next year it will be resolved and the Mp has said that

UnsureSchool32 · 09/04/2023 09:33

Can I ask why Arden is better than TG? As saying holding an Arden and a Pvte School offer. Have been told lots of rich kids at Arden (I know Pvte school will be the same but it’s about disposable income). Have been told drugs a big problem at Arden. I’ve also been told under the MAT that a lot of the good teachers been sent off to other schools rather than stay at Arden.

Also how bright kids tend to go to the Grammar school but Academic standard seemed high. I didn’t get a sense of high pastoral care but on the open day the building seemed in such disrepair. I know I can’t compare to Pvte school. But I hear such good things about Arden.

Gothambutnotahamster · 09/04/2023 09:39

From speaking to friends who have children at both, at Arden, there seems to be a real focus on academics but also on being a rounded child. They're strict and have high standards but seem to really care about the pupils. At TG, all the focus seems to be on results and not much else. My friends who have kids at TG (& moved into catchment specifically so they could go there) are all disappointed by how their kids have found it.

Arden is very run down though, so if you're looking for fancy facilities, then best to go private as you'll not get that at Arden.

Can't comment on drugs, but imagine it's no different to other schools & none of my friends kids have gotten into drugs at either school (although at TG they openly vape in the toilets as my friends DD was horrified by this when she started in Year 7).

Summerslimtime · 09/04/2023 09:56

Teachers ringing them to say their child was missing - she was in the toilets at the school

This is excellent safeguarding! If the child has gone straight to the loo and hasn't got her mark, then she is missing! It's impossible to check everywhere all the time.

Good luck, op!

Carmella9 · 09/04/2023 12:23

Private schools have the same issues but are better at managing the PR, responsiveness and dialogue with parents is my experience. But also face issues of drugs, disruptive kids. Maybe quicker to get it sorted.

Hunter2501 · 09/04/2023 16:11

My worry with Arden is the large year group and that my child will fly under the radar.
The building and general facilities do need a lot of work - I was disappointed to see the toilets covered in graffiti.
Not sure about drugs but if there’s a high disposable income I guess it’s possible.
seems like a great school, nice ofsted report, not sure why they didn’t get outstanding though.