Waiting lists if you get your third preference?

[Sennockianmum]

I find myself not confident of getting either Judd or Skinner, and expect to get TWGSB. Thus would be our third choice - could we go on the waiting list for both J & S or one only?

[Tinkers]

Different areas handle waiting lists slightly differently. Some will automatically put you on the waiting lists for higher preference schools, but you should be able to ask to be taken off one or more waiting lists. Other areas may ask if you wish to be put on the waiting lists.
Your LA will have the info on this, in the 'moving to secondary school' info you should already have.

[PurpleDog]

I'm pretty sure you can go on the waiting list for any school you listed on your SCAF.
You need to accept whatever place you get offered and then apply to the schools individually to go on their waiting list. The details will be with your offer letter.
You can apply to more than one school and they should be able to tell you where you are on the waiting list.

[chimera-ma]

I find myself not confident of getting either Judd or Skinner, and expect to get TWGSB. Thus would be our third choice - could we go on the waiting list for both J & S or one only?

You can go on the waiting list for both and choose to remain on each waiting list up to the end of January 2018 if your DS actually starts at TWGSB next September. You can also decide to come off one waiting list and stay on the other, if you go on both initially.

I'm not sure that all schools keep their waiting list open so long, but Skinners' and Judd definitely do: we were in exactly the same position with DS last year. Skinners' was the whole family's favourite and TWGSB was DS's second preference after school visits, but he agreed to put Judd second on our SCAF on the basis of its reputation for science teaching.

DS narrowly missed out on Judd (we're Inner Area - north Sevenoaks) but is happy and enthusiastic at TWGSB. The quality of teaching is very good (judging by his workbooks and the homework assigned), he has a supportive and interested form teacher and seems to be with a likeable bunch of boys in his form group. (Many of them met in the summer for a parent-organised activity, the school having circulated a class list with parent contact details - where consent was given - back in July.)

The boys have all been to Battle in the past week on a History trip timed with their study of the Battle of Hastings. They had a number of homework items in preparation and they had a great mix of learning and battle re-enactment on the day.

As people have said on another thread running at the moment, it's necessary to look past the fabric of the physical site. I was put off initially by the closed-in feeling in the main building - but DS wasn't - and we all liked the culture and energy of the place. It also suits our DS to have a multi-sports approach as he is not keen on rugby. He has instrumental music tuition at the school and was encouraged by his form teacher to enrol for a lunchtime club after he intially failed to sign up for one.

I was concerned that the larger size of the school (and there are seven Year 7 classes this year) would be a negative, but so far it hasn't been a problem.