I was wondering if anyone could advise me on the waiting list system? My DD was not offered a place at WGHS with 318. I understand 319 was the cut off. How likely is it that she will get a place through the waiting system? She is incredibly upset since she is the only one in her class to not have secured a secondary school position. Please advise so I can put her mind to ease xx

She is very close to the cut-off so is likely to receive a place from the waiting list.

Unfortunately, it's a matter of waiting to be offered it.

The WGHS list doesn't tend to move as rapidly as the Bham GS lists...but last year a girl who was one point below was offered a place in May.

Thank you - the wait is awful but I am trying to remain calm. I guess I shall have to keep my fingers crossed whilst also considering other options.

Hi sindsky

Just to say you should accept the lower choice school place offered but know that you are high up the waitlist for WGHS.

I’ve posted on the other waitlist discussion for 2018 - but basically as Um suggests you should be hopeful that (by Easter I suspect) your DD will be offered a place.

At that point you can accept WGHS and inform the lower choice school whose place you accepted that you have accepted your higher choice school place. The lower choice school can then offer that place to another child.

If you don’t contact the school they can’t offer a place until well into September when they are certain your child isn’t taking up the place, which means a very long wait for another child.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for your kind advice. Unfortunately my DD has not been offered any of her choice schools so we are currently in limbo quite literally. I never imagined this to be as traumatic as it has for both DDs and parents alike. I'm constantly being told that there is little movement in Wolverhampton based on waiting lists. So I cannot help but feel extremely anxious.

What schools did you list in what order? Were they all grammar schools - did you not heed the advice to put a local catchment school somewhere on your CAF, that you would be sure of getting a place at?

Surely your LA has offered you a school, even if it was not on your list? They are required to do that, and you would be well served to accept that place - otherwise you will have no place at all (and, if nothing is offered from the w/l will have to pay privately or home tutor). The LA is only obliged to offer you one place - if you refuse it, you're on your own.

Please do not be anxious.Contact the admissions officer at WGHS next week and find out your dd's score to two decimal places and the cut off score at WGHS to two decimal places.Your dd is likely to be offered a place in the coming weeks and months based on the movements in the last 4 years.When the waiting list comes out which from memory from the posts last year was compiled and kept by Wolverhampton LEA find out your dd's place on the waiting list.When you have information please keep posting it we will assist.Be strong and have faith the situation will resolve itself and you and your dd will be smiling either in the spring or in the summer.

In the meantime accept the school offered as it will be temporary.

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In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

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Thank you for the advice. I did have an option for a local comp in our area but still didn't get that. I also teach in a school and because this institution was not my first choice, we did not get this either. I will contact WGHS to find out scores and hopefully get a clearer indication of where we stand. Hoping waiting lists come out soon x

With enormous sympathy for your situation, please may I point out for the benefit of others, that the reason you didn't get any individual school on your CAF is just that your DD fell further down that school's ranked list according to its oversubscription criteria than too many other DC? If your DD could have been offered a place, you would have been offered it even if you listed it last, if none of your other listed preferences could offer.

Where one ranks a school is only really relevant where more than one of your preferences can offer a place - in that case, the one you ranked highest will be the one you get.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

But they must have offerd you A school, even if it was not one listed on your CAF....