11 Plus Exams Forum

I know that offers are starting to be sent out over the next couple of weeks. Can I please ask, if you get an offer for your first place school and hold multiple offers, could you please let the schools you are not accepting know quickly so that they can offer those places to those on their waiting list.

In the same vein, if you have heard from your first choice school and definitely plan to accept, please let the other schools know that have not made you their offers yet. If you withdraw your application prior to offers being sent out they can move on down their list and let other children who are desperate for a place have an offer rather than being placed on the waitlist.

Of course, this is only if you definitely know your preferences- but I know many families go through agonies waiting, so if you can help to put them out of their misery please do!

Sensible advice

Even with early release of offers the waiting or reserve list won't be touched for a while potentially. Don't forget that the schools have over offered and so it will be only when they have the results in total of how many have accepted that they may, or may not, start on the reserve list.

But yes, should we receive another offer then the decision - which would not be an easy one - will be made fairly quickly.

As all acceptances have to be in by 4/3 that makes it quite tricky I think? They cannot wait too long to go to the waitlist can they? Or have I misunderstood the process? After 4/3 those going the private route have to have accepted an offer don't they?

NLMum27 wrote:As all acceptances have to be in by 4/3 that makes it quite tricky I think? They cannot wait too long to go to the waitlist can they? Or have I misunderstood the process? After 4/3 those going the private route have to have accepted an offer don't they?

The offer we have says Thurs 5 March and the hopeful offer would also be the same day for acceptance at the latest. I would expect that the schools then see how many they have had accepted out of the say 2x offers / places, and if they are not oversubscribed for places at that point then they would start on the waiting/reserve list.

So accepting or rejecting an offer quickly or on the last day possible won't make any difference to people on the waiting list that haven't had offers, and the school may not have to go to the waiting list anyway.

It makes a huge difference when people hang on to state school places despite knowing they will not use them.

Every year there are empty places in September because some people are selfish ...

LAs give about 2 weeks for response to the offers. People will take it serious if the offers are withdrawn if acceptance is not received in time.

J50 wrote:
The offer we have says Thurs 5 March and the hopeful offer would also be the same day for acceptance at the latest. I would expect that the schools then see how many they have had accepted out of the say 2x offers / places, and if they are not oversubscribed for places at that point then they would start on the waiting/reserve list.

So accepting or rejecting an offer quickly or on the last day possible won't make any difference to people on the waiting list that haven't had offers, and the school may not have to go to the waiting list anyway.

Having now spoken to admissions at a couple of schools, that isn't quite right. All responses to private schools have to be in by 4/3 or near that date so you have to make your choice by then. For this reason they go to the waitlist asap, and certainly don't wait till the closing date when you have to pay a deposit on one school or another. The school I spoke to said they constantly update the picture they have and as soon as rejections start coming in they reoffer if it looks like they will go under their capacity. So holding on to offers you don't want does affect other candidates chance of getting the school they want. They are trying to avoid situations where people go on changing schools after acceptance date. So it all needs to be done and dusted by then.
In state schools it works slightly differently because of continuing interest runs, but people do miss out as some parents hold a state and private place.

NLMum27 wrote:
Having now spoken to admissions at a couple of schools, that isn't quite right. All responses to private schools have to be in by 4/3 or near that date so you have to make your choice by then. For this reason they go to the waitlist asap, and certainly don't wait till the closing date when you have to pay a deposit on one school or another. The school I spoke to said they constantly update the picture they have and as soon as rejections start coming in they reoffer if it looks like they will go under their capacity. So holding on to offers you don't want does affect other candidates chance of getting the school they want. They are trying to avoid situations where people go on changing schools after acceptance date. So it all needs to be done and dusted by then.
In state schools it works slightly differently because of continuing interest runs, but people do miss out as some parents hold a state and private place.

That all makes sense. Though our response date does say by Thurs 5th, and the other one says noon on Thurs 5th in the 'what happens next' leaflet they gave out.