ALLOCATIONS QM & WALSALL 1st March 2022

[hermanmunster]

My DS scored 327.59. This was on the late entry test in March and he's now in 11th place. Though I thought we'd be considered 'exceptional circumstances' because we newly moved in the area and therefore might be considered in order of merit like the others, the test was days after 1st march , which clearly means his score was considered well after everyone got their place..
So now we can only wait.
Any experience of being on the waiting list for QMGS?
What are his chances of getting in Y7 in September?

I think you should have on the WL according to the admission criteria stated in the policy - this is from the Walsall website :

Late applications received after the notification date (once places have been offered)
Applications received after the notification date: a place will be offered at the highest ranked school if places are available. For Walsall residents, if a place is not available at any of the preferred schools a place will be offered by Walsall Council at the nearest alternative Walsall school with vacant places, after consultation with the relevant admission authority and the child’s name will be added to the waiting list for schools listed as preferences in admission criteria order.

I see someone stated that a place was offered on 326 - has anyone got any other info on the scores?

[ToadMum]

My DS scored 327.59. This was on the late entry test in March and he's now in 11th place. Though I thought we'd be considered 'exceptional circumstances' because we newly moved in the area and therefore might be considered in order of merit like the others, the test was days after 1st march , which clearly means his score was considered well after everyone got their place..
So now we can only wait.
Any experience of being on the waiting list for QMGS?
What are his chances of getting in Y7 in September?

Once the initial offers were made to on-time applicants, everyone else should be slotted in in their correct position on the list, according to the oversubscription criteria.

If your DS's score is above the cut-off for on-time offers, then the only boys above him on the waiting list should be those who are also late applicants (did not register to sit the test before that deadline / did, but not submit their CAF on time / took the test at the normal time and submitted their CAF on time, but initially did not have QMGS as a preference on their CAF, or did, but as a lower preference than the allocated school) and have a higher score than your DS.

Legally, the school is only allowed to 'punish' late applicants once, by not ranking them in the list for March 1st offers. After that, an applicant is an applicant, so to speak, whether on-time or not.

[STOC22]

Thanks for your replies.
What's confusing is their "exceptional circumstances" criteria. So far I haven't heard back from them on that point and don't know what to think /what effect our circumstances had or not on the outcome so far.
Here's what QMGS said in its admissions process:

" If the circumstances for the late application are deemed EXCEPTIONAL,
then the application will be treated as having been made on time. We will let you know how this will be dealt with after
your son has sat the test and received his result.
If you do not send the form, the application will be deemed as being for NOT EXCEPTIONAL reasons.
When your son will be tested and how this affects him being considered for a place
Candidates whose applications were late will still be tested by the School. Our test for all late applicants will be held in
March 2022. Although this means your son cannot be considered for a place at the School on the national date for
secondary school admissions, he will be able to be considered for a place from our waiting list. I can confirm we always
have places available to be offered from our waiting list and these are offered in accordance with our Admissions
Arrangements, based on how well your son performs in the test. "

We moved in the area just before September 2021. StarI am wondering if I should clarify with them about the exceptional circumstances.

[hermanmunster]

Difficult, just looking at the "late policy" they refer to late applications ie the CAF up to a month after the closing date,at the end of October.

If you moved in Sept 2021, did you submit the CAF ontime?

including:

Where the family were unable to submit their online application to Walsall Council on time because they moved into the Borough of Walsall after the closing date;
The family were unable to comply with the admission timetable because of exceptional circumstances which prevented them from submitting their online application;
When a single parent has been ill for some time.
In these cases, the circumstances must be given in writing at the time of

[STOC22]

Thanks. Yes CAF (is it the online registration with admissions for secondary?) was done on time and he is currently in Y6 in the right LEA as required to be considered at QMGS.

Maybe the said late entries they consider are the ones they consider 'exceptional' only? So all those plus those with late CAF, and QMGS as not preferred choice but with good scores still are in order of merit on the WL?

[hermanmunster]

so it was the test date / application for the test that was missed because you hadn't moved into the area ? This is the late application info for next year, presume it hasn't changed (and that you applied before Feb)

5. Late applications.
“Late” applications are those where the parents of a candidate have not registered with the School by 4.00
p.m. on 2nd July 2021 even if an application is made to the Local Authority by 31 October. The School deals
with such applications in this way:
a) Those received after 4.00 p.m. on 2nd July 2021 but before 1st February 2022 AND where there are
exceptional circumstances that are outside the control of the applicant (such as moving into the area,
or the long-term serious illness of a parent). The Governors will normally expect such applications to
be accompanied by appropriate evidence. The decision concerning whether circumstances are
“exceptional” will be delegated to a panel of Governors and is final.
If the circumstances are exceptional, the application will be treated as being in time. The School will
arrange to test the candidate at an appropriate time, after which they will be placed in the order of
merit.

b) Those received after 4.00 p.m. 2nd July 2021 but before 1st February 2022 BUT are not exceptional, and
all those which are received after 31st January 2022.
In these cases, candidates will be tested and placed at an appropriate point in the order of merit only
after all the offers of places have been made. This order of merit will then be the waiting list referred
to in section 6 below, and places allocated accordingly. Such candidates will, therefore, only be offered
a place if a vacancy should occur.

gets v complicated and looks like the governors have to decide if it is "exceptional" . (did you have any communication with them over whether it was "exceptional circumstances" ? ) As it is it looks like you are on the waiting list, what we don't know is the score of the last child admitted in the same category as your DS, we have a report of a 326 but not confirmed. It may be that it is a bit higher and your 11th is correct. You need to speak to the school / LEA to check the scores and whether you are in the right place on the WL.

https://qmgs.walsall.sch.uk/wp-content/ ... ements.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[STOC22]

Spot on Hermanmunster: we missed test registration deadline because we moved after 2nd July following dad's job relocation (and actually because of tricky house market at the time. We didn't sell previous house in North west to make the process easier but we only just cut it fine to register and get a place on the Friday and start in Y6 on the Monday!)

I have got exactly the same information from QMGS, which I am trying to get my head round. There were lots of late entry test candidates it seems, the queue stretched along the road that day...

I think like you it's all down to the governors now. I have not heard from them though regarding exceptional circumstances. The rank on waiting list is from the Walsall admissions.

I was hoping someone who experienced a similar thing a previous year could have shed some light.

[hermanmunster]

suspect "exceptional circumstances" are only granted in very rare circumstances, eg when a CAF was allowed late as single parent was admitted to hospital.

I think the tricky thing is that QMGS will have filled all their places on March 1st and it also sounds like there were a great many taking the late test, many of whom may have got over the cutoff score and are now on the WL. Hopefully you will get some more info from the LEA / school about whether you would have been informed if there were "exceptional circumstances" and what the current state of the list is

[STOC22]

Update: our son is now placed 13th on the waiting list. Two places down since the first time I checked a month ago. Probably due to candidates from other LAs.
Should I still keep hoping?

[Twinmomma]

You should always hope!

I believe it will move a bit more, one child being offered a place elsewhere has a knock on effect on everyone.
Last year my son was 37th and he managed to move to 10th… unfortunately we did not get a place but it shows how much movement that can place. There is still time.
Just keep calling and checking on a regular basis.