Secondary school place allocation - 1 March

LucyLaundry · 29/02/2024 20:15

Also middle school and high school allocations tomorrow.

This is my last ever wait! 3rd child....last school!

Beacartoonheart · 29/02/2024 20:28

I feel sick 😫

SuperSue77 · 29/02/2024 20:36

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 20:12

How is everyone feeling about the fact that we find out tomorrow which secondary school our Year 6 children will be going to?

I am wondering whether to stay up till midnight to wait for the email 🙈

Not sure if it is different in your area, but where we are (London/Surrey) you don't hear until about 5pm - it is exremely frustrating!!
I was in this position last year - it's been a long year. I had one child I knew which school she would get (big sister as sibling link in girls only school) but my son was no sure thing, and we got 4th preference. Found out just after 5pm when it went live on the system. Was gutted, and when through a hellish journey of appealing etc. However, now he is there, it is going as well as we could hope for, and I do wonder if it has actually turned out to be the best option for him.
My son is AuDHD and any mainstream secondary was going to be a challenge for him, but the school we were given is such a caring, understanding school, I have almost got over my upset from this time a yar ago.
Anyway, hope you all get what you want!

unlikelychump · 29/02/2024 20:41

Ours is through already - midlands. Not nerve-wracking as sister based place so all good for usm she is waiting to hear about her friends though.

ILickedItSoItsMine · 29/02/2024 20:42

>and we got 4th preference.

Why is that? if I may ask... Did you select places that you were not in catchment?

Original poster

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 20:48

unlikelychump · 29/02/2024 20:41

Ours is through already - midlands. Not nerve-wracking as sister based place so all good for usm she is waiting to hear about her friends though.

Wow! I had thought it was 1 March through the whole country, obviously not!

OP posts:

Original poster

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 20:50

SuperSue77 · 29/02/2024 20:36

Not sure if it is different in your area, but where we are (London/Surrey) you don't hear until about 5pm - it is exremely frustrating!!
I was in this position last year - it's been a long year. I had one child I knew which school she would get (big sister as sibling link in girls only school) but my son was no sure thing, and we got 4th preference. Found out just after 5pm when it went live on the system. Was gutted, and when through a hellish journey of appealing etc. However, now he is there, it is going as well as we could hope for, and I do wonder if it has actually turned out to be the best option for him.
My son is AuDHD and any mainstream secondary was going to be a challenge for him, but the school we were given is such a caring, understanding school, I have almost got over my upset from this time a yar ago.
Anyway, hope you all get what you want!

Show quote history

5pm?!?!?! That’s pants, especially just before a weekend. Is it so all the staff at the schools have gone home, in case anyone decides to phone them in a rage?! (Before anyone comments, I do know this is not the correct way to deal with not being given your first choice of school - I was just trying to think why it might be left till so late in the day!)

OP posts:

TrustPenguins · 29/02/2024 20:53

Think ours is 5pm too (Sheffield)

MarchingFrogs · 29/02/2024 20:54

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 20:48

Wow! I had thought it was 1 March through the whole country, obviously not!

Show quote history

National Offer Day is March 1st. However, there is one LA (Solihull) which 'traditionally' manages to ignore this and get its allocations out the day before.

Original poster

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 20:55

TrustPenguins · 29/02/2024 20:53

Think ours is 5pm too (Sheffield)

Eek, not based in either of the areas mentioned but now worrying we will be 5pm if this is a thing…

OP posts:

Scottishdreams1991 · 29/02/2024 20:56

Does anyone know if this applies to Scotland especially Edinburgh? No idea when ours will come through. I have both primary and high school!!

WingSlutz · 29/02/2024 20:56

Yup in London the results are out in the evening. I feel sick! We are in a bit of a dodgy area so local schools are not great. Everything crossed for the Catholic school. Argh. I mean we are practising Catholics but the competition is fierce. God I wish I could afford private.

TokyoSushi · 29/02/2024 20:56

We're a sibling this year, so very likely fine, more of a 'where's everyone rise going?' this time.

I remember the 5pm people from last time, what a nightmare, we can log onto the portal at midnight or you get an email about 7/8am

LucyLaundry · 29/02/2024 20:56

Ours is sent out in 'batches' throughout the day so we all hear at different times!

Original poster

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 20:58

LucyLaundry · 29/02/2024 20:56

Ours is sent out in 'batches' throughout the day so we all hear at different times!

Cripes! Beginning to wish I hadn’t started this thread! I would so be panicking if other people had heard and I hadn’t
#FOMO 👀😂🥴

OP posts:

CheesecakeandCrackers · 29/02/2024 20:59

I feel sick. We have 3 options and I've not put our catchment school down. Massively worried (but had a good reason why, it's actually further and harder to get to independently than the 3 I've put down). I've been fine until we got this close and now I'm scared we won't get anywhere at all not even catchment. I am told they usially arrive by 8ish round here but I can't see me sleeping

Original poster

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 20:59

TokyoSushi · 29/02/2024 20:56

We're a sibling this year, so very likely fine, more of a 'where's everyone rise going?' this time.

I remember the 5pm people from last time, what a nightmare, we can log onto the portal at midnight or you get an email about 7/8am

Yes this was what I was expecting - portal and an early morning email (tho had thought it might be more middle of the night than breakfast time)

OP posts:

EricaJohns · 29/02/2024 21:01

I'm waiting. It could be a big issue, it could be no big issue.

Fingers crossed everyone gets their first choice...

Andintotheseawego · 29/02/2024 21:04

I remember with primary school it was 2am I received an email. Not going to be able to sleep tonight. Our first choice is only a slim possibility we get it as it's always oversubscribed. It's only a walk away and all her friends are going. 2nd choice is never oversubscribed but is two busses away. We've got everything crossed for first choice!

SuperSue77 · 29/02/2024 21:08

ILickedItSoItsMine · 29/02/2024 20:42

>and we got 4th preference.

Why is that? if I may ask... Did you select places that you were not in catchment?

It’s because I live in a densely populated area. We don’t have “catchment areas” - priority is based on LAC, children of teachers, siblings and then finally distance. 3 years ago when I applied for my daughter, my son would have got into our 1st choice which is also the closest secondary my son could go to (our closest is all girls which is where his sister is) but the year we applied there were more applications closer to the school and we missed out, so ended up in our 4th closest school (we put them in order of distance). All his friends got the closest one as they either had siblings there or EHCPs (which trump all criteria if said school is named on it).
It is such a stupid system - because of where the schools are located there are children who live on the doorstep of my son’s school who go to our nearest school because they live closer to it as the crow flies than we do. Doesn’t matter that we are now forced into a car every morning to get him to school.

JamMakingWannaBe · 29/02/2024 21:16

Scottishdreams1991 · 29/02/2024 20:56

Does anyone know if this applies to Scotland especially Edinburgh? No idea when ours will come through. I have both primary and high school!!

In Scotland/Edinburgh, pupils go to their local catchment school (non-dom or Catholic) unless you go private. You can make an out-of-catchment request for a non-catchment school but due to all the new housebuilding, schools are full and to my understanding, requests are now rarely granted. You can appeal.
Catchment maps are on the Council website as are all the dates for applications.

Clearinguptheclutter · 29/02/2024 21:23

We’re in greater Manchester . Yeah pretty nervous. When it was primary allocations def got the emails 9/10pm on the Thursday night. But it seems to be a new system. Emails are sent in “batches” but I presume logging on to the system first thing, or possibly after midnight, is worth trying

Rachel1509 · 29/02/2024 21:27

Hi all,
Just wanted to let you all know - last year my daughter got her 3rd choice place and none of her friends were going there. It’s an outstanding school but we were very upset.
She did evantually get offered her first choice place (where all her friends were going) in about May but she decided she wanted to stick with her original offer.

One year on, it was the best decision she made, she’s absolutely thriving, made loads of new friends and hasn’t looked back.

I just wanted to reassure you all, it all works itself out but I remember what a horrible time it was waiting for that email.

Original poster

LilySLE · 29/02/2024 21:27

JamMakingWannaBe · 29/02/2024 21:16

In Scotland/Edinburgh, pupils go to their local catchment school (non-dom or Catholic) unless you go private. You can make an out-of-catchment request for a non-catchment school but due to all the new housebuilding, schools are full and to my understanding, requests are now rarely granted. You can appeal.
Catchment maps are on the Council website as are all the dates for applications.

Show quote history

Interesting to hear how different it is in different parts of the country.

Of course some counties in England have the grammar system too which is an added layer of complexity

OP posts:

terriblyangryattimes · 29/02/2024 21:30

A bit anxious here too. We had three choices and put our catchment school (closest as the crow flies by about 4 miles too) 3rd as we really don't want it at all but we're strongly advised to include it in the 3. The one we would like the most is furthest away, smaller than the others by a third or more and this cohort was apparently a baby boom year... So not holding out much hope.

Not waiting up to check the portal as won't sleep at all if it's bad news.