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Secondary education

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Original poster

Esher 6th form reserve list - entry Sep 2024

33 replies

anoukis · 04/10/2023 18:36

My DD is not happy, to say the least. She is an open applicant for Esher and got an email today from Esher to say her application was not successful and that she is number 381 on the reserve list. Esher is non-selective and open (non-guaranteed) applicants are entered in a ballot. Guaranteed applicants = post code based, siblings at school, and anyone from a school w/o 6th forms.

The website is a bit misleading -- how can they offer a place to a "vast majority of open applicants", since my DD is 381 on the reserve list? Do they predict so much list movement by enrolment date in Aug 2024?

"As in previous years, the vast majority of Open applicants will be offered a place. Once available places have been filled, a number of applicants will be placed on a reserve list and some applications may be unsuccessful. This will all be determined by the outcome of a ballot system."

https://www.esher.ac.uk/admissions/how-to-apply/entry-in-2024/

Her 3 close friends got an offer - two were guaranteed applicants (post code or sibling) and the 3rd one was lucky in the ballot for open applicants.

What are the chances for her to get an offer from the reserve list? She seems so low on the wait list... :(

Esher was one of her top 2 choices, the other one being her school.

Thanks.

OP posts:
Sybill · 04/10/2023 18:50

My DD got a place straight away when she applied 2 years ago but none of her friends did and they were all in the hundreds on the waiting list. All got offered a place eventually if they wanted one.

TwigTheWonderKid · 04/10/2023 18:53

My son got in first time but friends did not and chose to stay at their current school.

Presumably the admissions department can provide your daughter with data on how many students on the waiting list typically go on to be offered a place?

Creepybookworm · 04/10/2023 18:58

Lots of the guaranteed applicants won't take up their places. My son is probably going to be one. We applied as a just in case but he would prefer another college. I wouldn't be too worried about Esher, my child left this summer and I didn't think it was anything special in terms of teaching for her subjects and one was a bit rubbish.

Freshstart78 · 04/10/2023 19:05

Aww I went to esher college many moons ago. Nice memories

pertyoonia · 04/10/2023 19:41

My eldest was put at a few hundred on the waiting list in 2020 and didn't get a place. My DC2 got a place, but decided he didn't want it, so we gave it up in August. A lot of others will have done the same, but what you don't know is whether Esher over-offer to take that into account upfront. It is worth asking them about that, and worth asking whether the reassurance you quoted from their website is up to date.

If they don't routinely post admissions stats from previous years, you could put in an FOI request to find out how many were admitted from waiting lists. I'm surprised nobody has done that already, but there's nothing here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/esher_college.

Original poster
anoukis · 04/10/2023 20:51

Thank you all. This is a learning experience for her. It would have been good to have a choice with Esher, which was top 2 on her list. The commute would've been longer as it's 3.5 miles away.

Luckily the 6th form in her own school is very good and only 0.6 miles away, so all she needs to do now is meet the min grade requirements for it.

She has applied/will be applying to more local school 6th forms as a plan B, but they all have fewer places for external applicants... as they are not colleges, they are all school 6th forms.

OP posts:
Thesoundofmusic23 · 04/10/2023 21:36

At least you got reserve list. My dc and their friends were all open applicants. Two got in, two got reserve list and three including my dc didn’t even get reserve list just a flat no. Very disappointing.

CheersToMe · 04/10/2023 21:55

Because you can apply to as many 6th forms as you like, people can be holding multiple places.

The list does move but not really until after GCSE results when people have to make their minds up.

GolfForBrains · 04/10/2023 22:07

The faq document on the Esher website says, in answer to a question about how likely it is those on reserve list get an offer, "This is impossible to answer as it varies from year to year. We can say that some reserve list students have been offered places most years in the recent past."

Fiddlersgreen · 04/10/2023 22:11

A lot of students hold more than one place and make their decision after results day so there really is a lot of movement but obviously I have no idea of real numbers

calmandcaffeinated · 04/10/2023 22:16

Not sure where you live or what other schools you have considered, but it might be worth applying to sixth forms as many schools are below maximum numbers in their sixth form (due to the number of colleges). I know heathside weybridge is below, as is hoe valley school. Depending on where you live it's worth looking at colleges further afield but commutable to.

Original poster
anoukis · 04/10/2023 22:16

@Thesoundofmusic23 sorry to hear that. What was the reason? I thought all non-guaranteed applicants are considered open applicants and either are offered a place or get on the reserve list?

@GolfForBrains "some" reserve list students doesn't sound as positive as "a vast majority of applicants" :)

@CheersToMe as the evening progressed we learned of 5 kids who got in, and 3 others who did not.

Of those 5 have who got offers - either as guaranteed or open - 3 have no plans to go to Esher, but they will be holding on to offers until next year.

OP posts:
Original poster
anoukis · 04/10/2023 22:29

@calmandcaffeinated we're in Hampton Hill. We applied / will apply to 3-4 school 6th forms. First preference is her current school.

I'm now thinking whether we should look at one more 6th form college given that Esher is uncertain. Haven't heard good things about RUTC... not sure where else to look.

OP posts:
Fiddlersgreen · 04/10/2023 22:43

If her first preference is her current school then why the need to apply elsewhere?
surely she gets a priority place there?

Thesoundofmusic23 · 04/10/2023 22:53

This is a very high birth year - so I think originally secondary school applications were up 10% for this year group across London at 11 and we knew several who were allocated nothing originally at that time. I suspect it may be the same now for 6th form and will be again for Uni.

this is the email we got.

“As you will be aware, the results of our Open Applicant places are determined by the outcome of a computer-generated ballot. Unfortunately, due to an unprecedented number of applications, your application has not been successful. We are not able to offer you a place at Esher Sixth Form College or on the reserve list, and you will need to apply for a place at another sixth form.”

Thatsshallot1967 · 04/10/2023 23:05

My daughter applied for 2022 entry as an open applicant and was on reserve list, in the 300s. We never heard again from them despite the "vast majority are offered". I did email to ask her chances given her position and the reply was along the lines of "given your DD's position on the waiting list I'm afraid she's highly unlikely to secure a place, sorry the news is not better".

Every other student we knew who applied as an open applicant, without exception, secured a place first time in the ballot...pot luck...

I would look elsewhere/be prepared. Dd wasn't massively disappointed in the end tbh as she is on a fantastic course elsewhere and there was the awful commuting issue with Esher - no bus links from Hampton court to the college.

We are local to you, op. Hope your DC finds some good other options.

Trampoline · 04/10/2023 23:31

Fiddlersgreen · 04/10/2023 22:43

If her first preference is her current school then why the need to apply elsewhere?
surely she gets a priority place there?

Our school 6th form gives no priority to current students and the grades needed to stay there are higher than for Esher. Therefore lots apply to Esher just in case they don't make the grades for their own school - and lots then don't take up the Esher places.

pertyoonia · 04/10/2023 23:37

Trampoline · 04/10/2023 23:31

Our school 6th form gives no priority to current students and the grades needed to stay there are higher than for Esher. Therefore lots apply to Esher just in case they don't make the grades for their own school - and lots then don't take up the Esher places.

Show quote history

If it"s a state school they have to give priority to their own students. So long as they meet the academic criteria they are entitled to transfer from year 11 to year 12. They shouldn't even need to formally apply for a place (although most schools do have some form of internal application process to help them forecast demand).

Trampoline · 04/10/2023 23:41

@pertyoonia Oh that's interesting thanks. I'm pretty sure there's an application process but I'll look into it (it is a state school).

pertyoonia · 04/10/2023 23:50

Trampoline · 04/10/2023 23:41

@pertyoonia Oh that's interesting thanks. I'm pretty sure there's an application process but I'll look into it (it is a state school).

If it's Waldegrave, they do tell their year 11s they need to apply by a certain deadline or miss out on a place, but they shouldn't - if a current student forgets to fill in the application form but nevertheless gets the grades they need, they can't legally be off-rolled. If that happened, they would easily win an appeal.

@anoukis ,Teddington School or Turing House sixth forms are good viable options from Hampton Hill. Also look at the new Feltham College (sixth form for the Reach Academy).

Original poster
anoukis · 05/10/2023 00:19

Thanks all. Yes, her school gives priority to current students - all get accepted if they get minimum required grades. However certain subjects require a 7 (e.g. Maths) to be able to take it at A-levels.

Esher's minimum grade requirements are lower than for many local schools so it was a good plan B...

Here's the list we are considering applying to, apart from Esher: Turing, Teddington, Orleans Park, Waldegrave, and possibly Grey Court. Not sure if it's an overkill or not.

Students at our school were told it would be a good idea to apply for 3-4 6th forms, just in case.

OP posts:
Original poster
anoukis · 05/10/2023 00:30

@Trampoline is your DD at a grammar school or an indie?

@pertyoonia Waldegrave does offer priority to their own students as long as min grade criteria are met.

OP posts:
pertyoonia · 05/10/2023 07:01

anoukis · 05/10/2023 00:19

Thanks all. Yes, her school gives priority to current students - all get accepted if they get minimum required grades. However certain subjects require a 7 (e.g. Maths) to be able to take it at A-levels.

Esher's minimum grade requirements are lower than for many local schools so it was a good plan B...

Here's the list we are considering applying to, apart from Esher: Turing, Teddington, Orleans Park, Waldegrave, and possibly Grey Court. Not sure if it's an overkill or not.

Students at our school were told it would be a good idea to apply for 3-4 6th forms, just in case.

Orleans Park usually offers very few external places - sometimes only siblings get in - but if she's applying for less popular subjects there is always a chance.

Grey Court take more externals, but again more popular subjects will fill up from closer to the school than less popular subjects.

Last time I looked, Teddington had plenty of places but not sure about now.

Turing sixth form is newer and from what I've heard has had plenty of places to date but may be oversubscribed soon as it's relatively small and is getting more and more popular.

Tiffin is an option if she has very high grade predictions. The boys' school takes girls in the sixth form.

Years ago people used to travel from Twickenham to Strodes in Esher but I expect it fills up closer to home these days.

pertyoonia · 05/10/2023 07:39

*Strodes in Egham, not Esher

Nancy2 · 05/10/2023 08:21

My daughter was also unlucky this year in failing to get either a place or a place on the reserve list - we did not even know this was an option- we thought anyone who did not get an initial place automatically went on the reserve list ! She is very disappointed as most people she knows did get an offer as an open applicant and she was very keen to go there.