Dr Challoner's High School

[newgirl]

Does anybody know if out of county children ever get offered places on the actual Allocation Day?

I read the Sticky re this subject which seems to imply it was only last year that they didn't offer any places on Allocation Day but am I mis-reading this? If so, does anybody have information how long it took for the first place for the out of catchment girls to be offered?

[Marylou]

It depends on how many places are available. Once all qualified in-county applicants have been offered, then the allocation process starts to consider OOC applicants according to the published oversubscription criteria.

[newgirl]

I just wondered, anecdotally, if anybody remembered anybody ooc actually getting a place on Allocation Day - just trying to prepare my child for what we might "expect" and how long we could have to wait. Or, if our nerves can't stand it, taking ourselves off the continuing interest list etc

[Sally-Anne]

Hi newgirl

You are reading the tables correctly, in that no OoC applicants were offered places on Allocations Day 2008.

By July, 4 OoC applicants had been offered places. Unfortunately I have no further information about the number of places for OoC applicants beyond that, but the final allocation distance by 29th August was quite considerable this year, at 11.393 miles.

I suspect that what happened is, because it was a slow process, a great many people took their children off the waiting list and opted for other schools between March & August, so by the end of August the net was thrown quite wide.

If the pattern is repeated this year it will be a nervous wait for you, and you will need to decide at what point you can no longer hold out.

However, do bear in mind that in the preceding 2 years, OoC applicants did receive places in the first round, so 2008 may just be one of the geograhpic "blips" that turn up in the system.

Sally-Anne