WHSB Waiting List - Please Post Info Here.......

clr · Post by **clr** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:12 pm

Mmm... if I was in your shoes I would be feeling really uneasy. Am
I right in thinking they wouldn't tell you your childs position as of today? This is ridiculously unfair.. I think they are forgetting they are dealing with real people here, to whom this means a lot. (not to mention children who have worked really hard to try and gain a place at these schools, and in a lot of cases really want it). Why are they putting another 2 week deadline on it, surely you have the right to know how many people are being added to the list above you, and when. This is the information they clearly don't want people keeping a track of!

chafford_dad · Post by **chafford_dad** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:44 pm

Same here; I called Southend this afternoon and was told to call back in a couple of wks. My dd is no 2 on WHSG waiting list. Good luck to you all !

maymum · Post by **maymum** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 7:54 pm

chafford_dad wrote:Same here; I called Southend this afternoon and was told to call back in a couple of wks. My dd is no 2 on WHSG waiting list. Good luck to you all !

Hi EKK and chafford_dad.....OMG it is unacceptabe to be told ring back in 2 weeks time!!!!!! I did call them yesterday and this morning (this morning to check up on them!!) and my DS had moved 3 places from 16th to 13th. I was not aware of further movement as of this morning but I can only speak for WHSB of course. I wondering if they are adding late admissions/changes in preferences etc etc to the 'lists' which has triggered movement, hopefully not in the wrong direction as I am fearing. Good Luck to all......Hang in there

EKK · Post by **EKK** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:39 pm

The said movement is for WHSB, but not yet recorded on the system.
In other word, over and above the positions declared today. However, not certain in which direction.

maymum · Post by **maymum** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 10:44 pm

EKK wrote:The said movement is for WHSB, but not yet recorded on the system.
In other word, over and above the positions declared today. However, not certain in which direction.

EKK - Thanks for your info, lets hope it is in the upwardly direction .....

chafford_dad - Hope its the same for you and your DD too......

Hoping we won't have to wait 2 weeks to find out where our DC are.......

FUZZFUZZFUZZ · Post by **FUZZFUZZFUZZ** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 12:03 pm

I not sure what all then fuss is about

- these are SELECTIVE schools. I am not aware that the system has changed this year

so everyone knew before the exams what the criteria / waiting list rules were. It seems sour grapes to me from parents who clearly did not put WHS down as first choice or with their scores they would have obtained a place - so they are quite happy to jump ship - but moan about others who are effectively doing the same

. At least WHS do protect Southend children by including an element of catchment students in their selection criteria.

Chelmsford mum · Post by **Chelmsford mum** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:45 pm

I don't think it is sour grapes.I just think people who named these schools on their CAF originally, and have narrowly missed getting in, are surprised to find that you can join the waiting list of a school you never named on your form in the first place.
I understand their frustration.I also understand other parents doing all they can at the last minute to get their child a place at a grammar school.People's circumstances do change but I wouldn't want my child going the wrong way down the waiting list either.

For the last two years that I have been on this forum, this has caused grief.It should be made more clear to the parents of those applying to southend schools that the waiting list is effectively open to newcomers after allocations day.

Good luck to all you still waiting.

EKK · Post by **EKK** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 12:05 am

[quote="FUZZFUZZFUZZ"]:? I not sure what all then fuss is about :shock: - these are SELECTIVE schools. I am not aware that the system has changed this year :?: so everyone knew before the exams what the criteria / waiting list rules were. It seems sour grapes to me from parents who clearly did not put WHS down as first choice or with their scores they would have obtained a place - so they are quite happy to jump ship - but moan about others who are effectively doing the same :oops: . At least WHS do protect Southend children by including an element of catchment students in their selection criteria.

:twisted:[/quote]

If your score was not high enough for your first choice school (say KEGS for instance), but was high enough for say your second or third choice (WHSB) you would automatically be allocated a place at WHSB without the need to go on the waiting list. What we are talking about here however, is the scenario where WHSB was not included in the Common Application Form at all. If such candidates are subsequently included in the waiting list, that surely means the Common Application Form and allocation of one school only principles are not worth the paper they are written on.

Surely, this is not too difficult to comprehend.

maymum · Post by **maymum** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:06 am

EKK wrote:
FUZZFUZZFUZZ wrote: I not sure what all then fuss is about - these are SELECTIVE schools. I am not aware that the system has changed this year so everyone knew before the exams what the criteria / waiting list rules were. It seems sour grapes to me from parents who clearly did not put WHS down as first choice or with their scores they would have obtained a place - so they are quite happy to jump ship - but moan about others who are effectively doing the same . At least WHS do protect Southend children by including an element of catchment students in their selection criteria.

If your score was not high enough for your first choice school (say KEGS for instance), but was high enough for say your second or third choice (WHSB) you would automatically be allocated a place at WHSB without the need to go on the waiting list. What we are talking about here however, is the scenario where WHSB was not included in the Common Application Form at all. If such candidates are subsequently included in the waiting list, that surely means the Common Application Form and allocation of one school only principles are not worth the paper they are written on.

Surely, this is not too difficult to comprehend.

EKK - yes I totally agreem with your comments......The problem starts back in October when the CAF is filled out with DC's preferences, taking into account, as I have said before, actually wanting to attend the Southend Grammars as my DS did from the staft when we visited WHSB, travelling, cost of travelling and whether the journey is, in fact, feasible!! i.e not having to leave the house at an unearthly hour!!! It seems to me that those who are jumping 'waiting lists' did not put Southend Grammars on their CAF's in the first place so they obviously did not want their DC to attend, for whatever reason/s possibly distance and cost or maybe they did not think the Southend Grammars are not good enough, I do not know, whatever the reasons they did not include Southend Grammars on their CAF, so they should not be allowed to do this now, effectively being given a 5th choice (we only get 4 choices in Essex, I believe Southend get up to 6 choices!!) when most of us are not given this option!!!! Basically, those who I consider to be jumping 'waiting lists' are NOT happy with their comprehensive allocation !!!! as they have NOT been allocated a Grammar School place anywhere........ otherwise this would not be happening

First-timer · Post by **First-timer** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:51 pm

I didn't realise Southend parents were given more choices on their CAF forms. If anything, though, this simply strengthens the case for Essex parents being able to get their DC onto waiting lists for the Southend Grammars. Had they had the choice of six schools they would have been able to name all four Grammars, a preferred comp and their catchment comp (assuming the two are different). If everyone had six choices there would be less resentment towards those parents whose DC had not performed well enough for the super-selectives but who had done enough to get into the Southend Grammars. They would not be seen as jumping the queue - they would already be in it.

As a previous poster stated - these are selective schools. If two children have sat the 11+ and are both able to attend a given school, then surely the one with the higher score should be given the place? The parents' order of preference doesn't really come into it. It's hard, but it's also the point of having selective schools.

What is wrong, however, is the fact that this situation is a complete surprise. There should be transparency from the outset. No parent should be given hope of securing a place and then find out that they are going down the list rather than up. Give everyone sufficient choice on the CAF at the outset and allow no movement thereafter (except for genuine geographical relocations) or else make it clear from the start that it is possible to join the waiting list of a school not featured on the CAF.

The situation as it stands just worsens an already stressful process. I sympathise with parents from both sides of this one.