Moving onto the waiting list of a lower ranked school

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lambbone
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:22 pm
Location: Surrey

Moving onto the waiting list of a lower ranked school

Post by lambbone »

I'm anxiously keeping an eye on the waiting lists (I know it's early days), and as far as I can tell, quite a few people are putting themselves onto the waiting lists of schools they originally ranked lower than the school they've got.

I know you're allowed to do that - but what's that all about then? Are people just changing their minds, or were they confused by the CTF?

Frustrating to see DS go down the waiting list rather than up!
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Post by hermanmunster »

I think some people change their minds between filling in the CAF and the allocations - travel / home circumstances / friends etc can all affect the choices. I suspect that the CAF for some is a bit like the UCAS in that there is no specific order .. so it just is a case for them of wait and see.
Shaftsbury1
Posts: 214
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 4:32 pm

Post by Shaftsbury1 »

hello lambone,

I must be so frustrating for you to be in this situaton.

I think surreymum (our mod) could answer your question better than i could,but from what i have heard and read on old posts,it does happen and is not 'illegal' as such.

People's circumstances can change (or just mind's) between october and march and an offer of being put on a waiting list can be tempting.
The wording of the letters (from the lower ranked schools) are something like--"if for any reason you want to be put on the reserve list".

edit; Sorry HM we cross posted!
when the process will end
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:06 pm

Post by when the process will end »

My DS passed the exam for all three boys GS in Sutton. We however got St Olaves, our first choice school.

We received letters from Wilson and Sutton Grammar suggesting that we would have got the offer if we would have put them as our first preference. The letter also asked us to contact the school if we wanted to put our DS on the waiting list.

It is clear that the GS in Sutton manage their own waiting lists after initial allocation on the national offer day and are willing to put all those on the waiting list with lower preference but higher ranks.

The scenario is good for those who score high in the exam but it is quite detrimental to those who just missed allocation by a few ranks.
lambbone
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:22 pm
Location: Surrey

Post by lambbone »

Yes, I know I'll have to be patient. I suppose if this is happening across all schools there'll be an awful lot of "shaking out" eventually.

I hadn't thought about the friends issue - I can see it would make a difference to what your "true" preference would be once all the offers are known.

Looks like the wording of some GS letters to high rank/low pref candidates is getting people thinking about the possibility when they might not otherwise have done so. I wonder if they each know the others are doing this?

I'll just have to keep waiting. And hoping......
Sherwood
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 4:24 pm
Location: RBK

Post by Sherwood »

I'm in the same position as you Lambbone. This is so stressful. I didn't know they could go down as well as up a waiting list (guess I should have read the small print!). *sigh*

Nothing to do but wait. Out of interest, how do you know that people are being added to the waiting lists? Did you hear from the schools, or word of mouth in the playground?

Sometimes I think the less I know about this whole thing the better! :(
surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Post by surreymum »

This has happened for many years in Sutton (although Wally boys don't do it) and I think happens in parts of Kent too. The schools manage their own waiting lists and there is nothing to stop them doing it, but it does cause upset every year. My guess is that it probably evens out as people jump all ways- possible that an individual could miss out as a result of it-also possible an individual could get a place too due to chopping and changing.
runningmum
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:27 pm

Post by runningmum »

Interestingly, Sutton grammar tell you your scores if you would have gained a place, but put them lower down the rank order (presumably to try and lure you), but refuse to tell the boys who have been allocated places their scores, so that they start year 7 with a 'level playing field'. Strange logic!
surreymum
Posts: 553
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

Post by surreymum »

I do actually like the fact that they don't know their scores when they start.
Louise2
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:11 pm

Post by Louise2 »

I have never heard of this happening until this year. I wonder now this is the first year of Tiffin Girls managing their own admissions and waiting lists whether this will happen with them. I hope not as a friend of mine's daughter is very high on the waiting list and if anyone deserves a place it is her. She is coping with her mum's very serious illness and how she managed to score what she did is a great credit to her. BTW I was offered my first choice, not a grammar this year, but I also received a letter from my second choice school asking if I wanted to go on their waiting list so it seems to be happening not just with grammars.
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