2024 waiting list/appeal support thread

[Hopeful88]

I thought I'd start a support thread for everyone in the same position - either waiting on appeal outcomes or hoping for a secondary school place from a waiting list.
I've read all the advice I can and I'm doing the best I can but I'm still struggling with the unknown.
We're currently in the 20s on the waiting list for our first choice school and an unknown number for the second choice.
Fingers crossed for everyone in the same position. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

First appeal not successful. On one hand disappointing as I thought we'd made a good case, on the other hand good as it avoids the possible dilemma I posted about yesterday. We will also get a letter outlining the reasons of why it was not successful and can hopefully build on this the 2nd way round.
The school with the appeal on the 14th June is really the one we want, so this is what we will focus on. I suspect that one of our downfalls was the fact that we based our appeal partly on the location of the school and the better availability of additional support for our son's SEN needs around the school location. However, we were asked whether we had made specific arrangements yet, and we had not - this now gives us a few weeks to make such arrangements and show that we have made them.
Onwards and upwards!

@dodi1978 Sorry to hear that but it sounds like you’re taking positives from it and can work on the second appeal.

What sort of arrangements would the panel have expected you to make already?

Our first appeal isn’t until June and hope is fading really. The more I read, the less confidence I have in our grounds for appeal. Our DS doesn’t have any diagnosed SEN or medical reasons as grounds.

Sorry to hear that. I hope the second appeal goes well for you.

We've just had our appeal for our first choice school. The panel felt much more formal this time and we felt a little interrogated.
The panel said that there was no record of the school offering a GCSE that we wanted, I didn't know what to say as we had been told about it on the open day. The school representative didn't know if it was offered either. The panel Clark adjourned until the school representative could confirm that it was offered.

I did feel like we got ample opportunity to speak but I didn't come away feeling positive at all. 😢

@Hopeful88 I hope you don’t have to wait to long 🤞

Any news @Hopeful88 on your appeal? Nothing our end yet from Mondays appeal.

Nothing yet, they told us we should hear back by Thursday. They held appeals on Friday as well so I guess I can't expect anything too soon.

We should both find out tomorrow then.

I'm desperately trying not to check my emails too much but I must have checked about 25 times already. Nothing yet. 🙃

Hope and pray it’s good news for you

Thank you and for you. 🤞

We just had our result. Another unsuccessful appeal. I feel like everything is falling apart. I can't bring myself to tell my child. 😢😢

@Hopeful88 my deepest condolences I am so sorry it’s a huge blow and you’ll be in shock initially take time to process and explore all options.

@Hopeful88 Sorry to hear this. Do you have another appeal ongoing or was this the last one?

This was the last one. I feel so hopeless like I've let my child down. 😢

It’s extremely difficult to win appeals and doesn’t reflect the effort that you put into the process.

Where are you on the waiting list now?

Thank you, we are number 5 on the waiting list for first choice.

@Hopeful88 you done all you can number 5 isn’t that bad at all people move a lot some one maybe offered a space in another school they had higher I have everything crossed for you 🤞I know how you feel it’s the worst feeling

Waiting lists are really sticky at the moment. There’s lots of parents holding onto private and state spaces and I think it will all shake out in August when they decide on one or the other. It’s not uncommon for kids to not turn up in September and the school aren’t aware. 5 is pretty good!!

@Rhayader is the private school waiting the same for both primary and secondary ?

Sorry to hear that, @Hopeful88

I think so. I’ve got kids waiting. For spaces in R, 4 and a y6 who is on the waiting list for a y7 place.

@Hopeful88 so sorry to hear that. Sending solidarity. Today I received the email of the unsuccessful appeal too. We spent so much time to prepare with medical reports and with lots of reasons, but the outcome is not what we expected. DS is disappointed but I try to explain things may not happen as we wish. We are living in an oversubscribed catchment and people keep moving in for getting nearer to the school we want and our waiting list position keeps being pushed down. We were quite hopeful to be top 5 in March but now I think we are not even top 10 anymore. We don’t see we will get a place in September.

Sorry to hear that. It's such a sinking feeling. I just want to know what September will bring.

Hi everyone, we seem to be going to the school we got rather to any we would have preferred - even though its only May, I was told by our LA Education dept the waiting list "expires" at the beginning of July and I will have to re-apply in August for in-year transfer. We are 12th and 2nd on the lists for the two schools we picked as top preference and have been since March, nothing has changed.

I am really disappointed as we are starting to get all the letters regarding interviews, induction day, uniform purchase etc - all to happen before July. I'm doing my best to encourage my DC to feel good and be excited but its hard for me. He is very upset as he will know no one at the new school and its in the area we don't really know and never go to. I keep telling him its a good school and he will make new friends there etc.

I honestly feel proper despair and feel like I'm forced to either keep my kid in the substandard school he will not benefit from (and which will create no end of trouble for me as its a real bugger to get to - so no idea how long will it take for DC to feel confident to travel alone) and reduce his chances of getting good education, or, if we are lucky to get a place, move him later on and create a huge amount of stress and disruption for him in the already difficult first year.

I had a very frustrating conversation with the Education/ Admissions yesterday - I was told the schools near us (3 schools, one literally on our door step) have decided my kid "does not feet the criteria" - no idea what this means, he is in the upper band and doesn't have any issues, health problems etc - just a normal 11 year old. The school we got is almost 3 miles away, nowhere near where we live, I have no idea why we got a place there, as we are out of its catchment - but I was told the school is also oversubscribed! This is such a weird system....

Anyway, I guess I'm just venting. Never imagined all of this will be so frustrating and yes, I feel like I failed my child (((