My daughter would have missed out by a couple of places for drhs if it had been last year. If she misses out this year, which looks likely, and we ask for her to go on on the waiting list, would we have to go before a panel and appeal? Or could she just be automatically offered a place? Hope this question makes sense.

When you are given your allocation on the first of March you can ask to be reconsidered for DRHS. At least some spaces will be freed up by people going private, and the results of reallocation come out at the end of March-ish (although the late entrants are also added at this point). If you still haven't been allocated DRHS you can ask to remain on the waiting list which will be kept open until the end of the year.

Separate to this you can lodge an appeal for over subscription. You wouldn't have to prove your DD is good enough (she has already done that), but would need to provide info on why that is the best school for her, that the school is able to squeeze in a couple more etc.

For appeal you go to panel, whereas the reallocation/ waiting list this would just be form filling.

That is really useful information. Thank you for replying!

I'm expecting to be in the same position with my DS and Crypt. Make sure you accept the place offered and then ask to go on the waiting list.

Good luck

Thank you. Good luck with Crypt.

I am sorry to hijack the thread but I also have a waiting list question…
I have a friend who has now changed their mind regarding their first choice and would now like their DS to attend (their 3rd choice school on the CAF) instead. The child has qualified for all schools listed on the CAF. Should my friend still accept the offered place first, then ask to be put on a waiting list for the preferred school? How does the waiting list allocation work, is it by ranking?

Not from your area, but general points:
- yes, always accept the school initially allocated, unless you already have an indie place to go to, or are happy with the possibility of home educating from September.
- waiting list places have to be allocated in the same way that the initial round of offers was decided, that is, according to the school's published admissions criteria.

Looking at Gloucestershire's online info on waiting lists, in one place it says that you can ask to go on the waiting list for higher preference school's not offered, but in another, just that being added to a waiting list is not automatic and must be requested, on a special form, by 8th March. So unless the form.itself prohibits requesting a place at a lower ranked school, this would seem to be the time to ask to be considered for the new first preference.

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@Toadmum that is really helpful, I’ll pass this information on, thank you for your reply.

I have a feeling that in some areas you have to specifically reapply to the lower schools (much the same asking to be on the WL I expect ) but worth checking with the LEA as to what the system is

Hi again. Could someone explain to me what the advantages are of appealing, rather than just going on the waiting list? Does appealing give you a better chance of getting in? For us it would be an over subscription appeal. If we did appeal, what sort of reason would we give for wanting that school. Is the fact she fell in love with it plus it's nearer enough? Or would we need to give more detailed reasons? Have we got just as good a chance if we just go on the waiting list, say if she only misses by a few places? Thanks for any advice.