I got an email from Nonsuch this morning, saying that my daughter hadn't been allocated a place there due to getting a higher preference school (WHSG, we live 200m away from it!) and inviting us to place her on their waiting list.

Is this common? It seems...odd. Particularly since both schools are part of the same trust.

hi - i got the same email, same scenario as you - i’m sure i’ve seen that this happened last year?

received the same email.

it's to confirm that we are on waiting list but won't know their position on the waiting list until 16th April, 2018.

but this email is only from non such not from wallington school for girls which seems a bit odd as when I tried contacting the school they have an automated message stating please email London Borough of Sutton rather than the school.

It doesn't sound like the same email then - this is saying we're not currently on their waiting list (and nor should we be, we got our 1st choice school, Nonsuch was 2nd choice) but if we would like to be, then to let the LA know before they start allocating places from the WL.

It reads to me like Nonsuch are trying to poach girls who might have accepted places at WHSG/Tiffin/etc.

It’s been happening for some time.
WHSG was our first choice.
We got the same email 4 years ago.

From what I understand, there are always a handful of DD's who change their minds about the order of CAF preference and ask to be added to the waiting list of a lower ranked school after the national offer day. Sounds like Nonsuch is proactively trying to gather information on any such DD so that they can sort out their waiting list.

I doubt their motive is to poach anyone (especially since they are part of the same trust as WHSG), sounds to me like they are just making sure their waiting list is ranked in the correct order by the 12th so that they can start offering any spare places to those ranked highest on the waiting list.

I have received an email from Nonsuch today too (our 1st choice) asking us to return a slip confirming whether we would like to accept or decline the place. Apparently this slip needs to be returned in addition to the response via eadmissions. The letter states that they can't release any places to anyone on the waiting list unless they have received confirmation from those who are declining the offer of a place.

I contacted Non Such and they said that DD was already on their waiting list as it was our 1st choice????
She said we need not do anything until then?

That is correct. If Nonsuch was your 1st choice and you weren't offered a place on 1st of March then you will automatically go on the waiting list.

The letter I received today is sent to those who were offered a place on 1st of March. It is asking to confirm in writing by the 12th of March whether we would like to accept or decline the place that we have been offered. Apparently they need to have confirmation in writing from parents who wish to release their place.

I sincerely hope that anyone who has an offer from Nonsuch and is not intending to send their DD there will reply to Nonsuch in writing by the 12th declining the offer. Without the written confirmation Nonsuch has to hold on to the place and can't offer it to the waiting list.

Yes, that’s correct. If it was a higher preference to the school you were offered, you will automatically be placed on their waiting list. This is our situation too.
Put Nonsuch first but offered Wallington (second choice). We have been added to the Nonsuch WL and received the same email today as you did.
We are very pleased with the Wallington offer and now feel it may suit DD better than Nonsuch, apart from her needing to travel further, so we’ll have quite a dilemma if we do get offered Nonsuch on the WL.

I just received an identical email from WHSG iniviting us to place our DD on their waiting list (we have accepted offer from Nonsuch, our 1st choice and WHSG was our 2nd choice). Looks like boths schools are following the same practise.