Grammar places - accepting and declining

[muminbrum]

wow...even more confused. I thought it was Stroller's (a) point as were told she had a score of 240+ but as she got a 50% scholarship at KEHS there was no deliberation as to the school of choice. I thought it more likely that she got 25% academic and 25% subsidy but did not speak to the parents directly. The information provided was through a mutual friend. The DD is very academic in school. As our family was going round in circles about CHG/KEHS debate, they had made a choice quickly and rejected CHG within one week of the results coming out. Now it appears that they decided to reject KEHS only a few weeks ago and changed their mind (I personally don't believe their reasons why as it doesn't make sense)

I started to doubt their story as it was too much of coincidence as to the timing, about the same time as some other girls we know were offered places at CHG off the waiting list.

I doesn't matter to me either way but I was just trying to understand the whole process as I understand that places at top grammars are like gold dust.

If she really did score 240+..... I don't think she would have been kept on the waiting list once they had said no but I have heard some stories of great generosity towards parents changing their minds so I can believe she might have been allowed back onto the list and she would then have gone straight to the top with her high score.

The cynic in me still thinks that she didn't do as well as expected and this has all been a ruse to cover up that she didn't get offered a CHG place on offers day.

[Daogroupie]

My dd's school issues ranked results so parents often get caught out lying as they meet someone who knows the student who is actually on that rank and there can't be two!

It is a lot easier to lie when it is a score, not a rank as there can be many on exactly the same score.

If it is the case they have kept this up for 14 weeks and have not been able to share the joy of finally getting a place with friends. DG

[HappyRobot]

We rejected a Brum grammar a few years back and the school secretary asked if we wanted to go on the waiting list, just in case we changed our minds and we said yes....so it is possible.

my head is hurting with all these accusations of lying so will dip out of this thread.

[Stroller]

We rejected a Brum grammar a few years back and the school secretary asked if we wanted to go on the waiting list, just in case we changed our minds and we said yes....so it is possible.

I genuinely don't understand how that would work. If someone is offered a place, by definition that pupil is ranked higher on the admissions criteria than those who are still on the waiting list. If that family were to turn down a place but ask to stay on the waiting list, that very day that very same pupil would immediately be top of the waiting list again - because the ranking criteria haven't changed - and next in line to receive an offer of a place. The pupil would be in the way, preventing those who don't have an offer from that school from receiving one.

Btw I could understand a scenario in which a receptionist might say, you scored very well, we're sorry to see you go, if you change your mind, let us know and we'll add you to the waiting list and keep our fingers crossed for you.

[kenyancowgirl]

Please don't think I am accusing anyone of lying, I"m not. However, HappyRobot, sorry I can't understand that as, surely, at the time of offers (and therefore rejections) isn't it the LEA who controls the waiting lists, not the school secretary? Schools only take over responsibility for their own waiting lists after Christmas of Y7.

[Stroller]

(Some?) academies are their own admissions authorities. LEAs just do what the school tells them to do after national allocation day. Or so the story goes, allegedly?

[muminbrum]

Please don't think I am accusing anyone of lying, I"m not. However, HappyRobot, sorry I can't understand that as, surely, at the time of offers (and therefore rejections) isn't it the LEA who controls the waiting lists, not the school secretary? Schools only take over responsibility for their own waiting lists after Christmas of Y7.

The Foundation Office runs the waiting lists for the KE schools so that's CHB, CHG, KEFW, KEA and KEHGS in Birmingham. The LEA run the waiting lists for SCGGS, BV and HGS.

[HappyRobot]

Drawn back in.

The secretary...Mrs Cosimetti at CHB at that time...put us on the waiting list even after rejection and we rejected in the March. I guess if we didn't say yes we'd like to be on the list...we may never have got a place on it....

We were still on that list when a place came free the following June and were asked if we would like our DS to sit another test to get in...this was well after the year had started of course, so a re-test of children made sense. The test was for less than 20 boys who were also on the list.

They may not always ask, so best to ask yourself if you want to stay on the list even after rejection...just in case.

[muminbrum]

Drawn back in.

The secretary...Mrs Cosimetti at CHB at that time...put us on the waiting list even after rejection and we rejected in the March. I guess if we didn't say yes we'd like to be on the list...we may never have got a place on it....

We were still on that list when a place came free the following June and were asked if we would like our DS to sit another test to get in...this was well after the year had started of course, so a re-test of children made sense. The test was for less than 20 boys who were also on the list.

They may not always ask, so best to ask yourself if you want to stay on the list even after rejection...just in case.

I'm not doubting you at all but I see Stroller's point. Your son would be permanently at the top of the waiting list with the highest score - so did they contact you every time a place came up - which this year has been at least 40 times since March?

[HappyRobot]

I don't know how it works.
We rejected the place so maybe there was a mark against our names saying not interested in year 7 entry as have another school, but keep on list after all places allocated. We told the school that we had accepted another place but we're happy to stay on the waiting list just in case we changed our minds.
So I guess if there were still spaces and we had changed our minds in say June after the March, then we would have gone to the top, maybe.
If we weren't on the waiting list (and high on it) after rejection, we wouldn't have been asked to re-test for a year 8 place.
We are no longer in the list as we asked to be removed at the end of year 7.