SW London grammar & private senior school - Waitlist support

[Greenshoots12]

Hi,

Following on from the main thread, I thought it might be helpful to set up a support thread for those on waitlists.

Our DD is on the WL for her first choice school and we are finding it hard to navigate the uncertainty of IF or WHEN the WL might move. We don’t have an indication of where she is on WL (despite asking the school) and because are hoping to move from state primary to independent, her current school is unable to help with finding out.

Please do share your stories, or indeed post if you hear of WLs for any of the schools starting to move.

We got offered SHS this morning, which were extremely excited to receive. Looking forward to school pick up today to let DD know

Congrats! Love a happy ending. Wishing your DD all the best at her new school.

Absolutely delighted for you all, congratulations!!! Enjoy the celebrations and well done!

Congrats! We are on two separate waitlists but still no news on either

It's bad news for us. Just received an email from school and asking if we'd be happy to remain on waitlist as they can't offer a place at the moment. DS will be very disappointed :(

Don’t lose hope. Waiting lists do continue to move. Families move away or plans change. If you’re still set on the school, email them saying how keen you are and that yes you want to remain on the list. Many families will go with other schools at this point, so the list will shrink. When places come up (and they often do come up) your chances may be pretty good. Just means you may have to forgo a deposit/term’s fees somewhere else. And if in the end it doesn’t work out with this school, it will work out wonderfully well with the school you do choose ❤️

@Jackal313 Thank you so much for your kind words. This is exactly what I needed now x
I start blaming myself not prepare my DS for the interviews and not applying few more schools for him. I didn't expect this could be so competitive and stressful 😣

Sending a virtual hug @DearDeer123 - I know how you feel. We haven’t moved off WL either but I have heard other WL like NLCS are moving.

@Greenshoots12 Thank you so much 🥺🥺Really appreciated all of you for being so supportive. Let's stay positive! Things will work out well for our DC in the end! Pour yourself a glass of wine now! You deserve it. Hug x

I’m feeling the same too @DearDeer123 🙏🏼 Good luck! We are still on the WL and keeping our fingers crossed. It has taken longer than expected for any movement; I really hoped for some news yesterday but was told that the school likely won’t start making offers to the WL until Friday 🤞🏼

FHSS WL is on the move

Just to say we were/are on the waiting list for Emanuel 10 + and also didn't get a place yet. We only applied to Emanuel and we have another shot next year at 11+ (I'm absolutely to about 7 schools then). But also feels a bit disheartening to be so near yet so far. So sending solidarity to everyone else in this situation whether at 10+ or 11+.

I think there will be movement today and Friday.
Tye deadline has passed and schools which aren’t full won’t hang about as they know that once people pay deposits for elsewhere and start getting used to the idea of where they’ve accepted, even if offered WL place they often say no. So fren schools have to make several calls and move down the list before someone says yes, esp when many have applied to 6 schools and can only accept 1. So don’t despair. We are in the peak few days now.

Has anyone heard back about their spot on the waitlist? Fingers crossed that there has been good news since yesterday’s deadline… I am trying to understand what could happen from next week, if we don’t hear back on Friday. Are the chances very slim that places would become available from next week onwards as I believe pretty much everyone has had to firm up their school choice by now? Has anyone heard of or experienced themselves still some movement on independent schools’ reserve list once they have filled places after the acceptance deadline? 🙏🏼

We got an email today saying all places are filled and there is now unlikely to be any movement on the waitlist

There may well be further movement. Some parents who have paid the deposit for a private school and later hear DC have been offered places from a preferred state school’s WL may write off the private school deposit and take the state place. What’s a couple of £k compared to years of fees. Plus unexpected moves etc.

Emanuel went to their waitlist for 10+ this week and we have just got a place at Trinity from waitlist as well for 10+ (phew! had a mare in one of the papers but was able to provide evidence from school to back up that it was a bad day rather than lack of ability) so there is starting to be some movement. Make sure you're in touch with the admissions team and check if any references would help.

So sorry to hear. Which school is that? Do you have other waitlists to hear back from?

Emanuel told us there's a waiting list over the summer but the implication would be less chance now they filled their places.

G&L waitlist has been moving quite a bit according to friends

School told me that the placements are filled now, and there will be no further movement on the WL. However, it's possible that spots may become available again as the due date for the autumn term approaches....

Does anyone know usually when is the due date for the autumn term? End of July?

Do they mean notice? People who have accepted places now have until the end of this term to pull out (and forfeit deposits) without becoming liable for the first term of Y7’s fees.

If people are on WL for preferred state schools - which movement may happen in a few weeks on this - then it’s possible WL’s will move.

All private schools have a tiny bit of movement when the fees invoice is sent out in late July and the reality of paying hits the parents. Some schools opt to not go to WL because the autumn term fees will be paid anyway by the prospective parent.

I believe the last day to give notice before Autumn term’s fees are due is the day before the first day of Summer term (ie end of April). That might bring about some movement.

If you don’t mind me asking, which school is this for?

As others have said there is movement during the summer and beyond, even after autumn fees are due / paid. And there is a clear domino effect - when my DD was in Y7 at WHS, one of the girls moved to SPGS on the first week, that created a space for a girl that came from JAG (who would have created a space there, etc).

in the more immediate future, grammars like Tiffin will start going into their reserve list today .... we know quite a few people that are "in with a chance" but have accepted and paid deposit for private schools ...their plan is to take Tiffin if get an offer, so that would create space in privates... as to whether they go into WL it depends on how much and how accurately they over-offered. Anecdotally, quite a few seem to have gone to WL already.

(Incidentally, from previous years, people found quite useful to share specific intelligence on which schools are moving, especially given domino effect for schools in a similar area, etc For instance, movements in a boys school in SW London are more likely to impact boys schools in SW London).