The Abbey School Reading waiting list

[DaddySal]

Our DD placed on the waiting list for the Abbey school in Reading , what are the chances for a place?

[Reading Mum]

Impossible to say. I would not expect any movement till the Kendrick allocations are out at the beginning of March. At this point some girls who gain a place at Kendrick as well will chose to take it and will turn down their Abbey place which will start the waiting list moving.
Every year is different so there is no predicting the amount of movement.

[DaddySal]

Thanks for your reply Reading Mum. according to the school this is first year to have a waiting list. I agree nobody can predict until Kendrick allocations are out. I am just wondering, don't they normaly over offer (as most of other schools) and do not need to go to the waiting list?

[J50]

Thanks for your reply Reading Mum. according to the school this is first year to have a waiting list. I agree nobody can predict until Kendrick allocations are out. I am just wondering, don't they normaly over offer (as most of other schools) and do not need to go to the waiting list?

Typically schools over offer significantly 2x to 3x offers to places. So the waiting list is below those offers. Essentially the school are hoping not to go to the waiting list but are keeping people interested by telling them they are on the waiting list. Some years a school will have to go to the list; other years they won't get near it.

[Reading Mum]

I am sure it isn't the first year for a waiting list. It must be just unfortunate numbers - not enough for a bulge year but too many for standard class sizes. They may well have over offered but Kendrick really confuses things. The year my DD was moving from Abbey y6 to yr7 more than half of the year sat the 11+ exam but only 2 got a Kendrick place. I suspect that this has made them more cautious in their offers.

[kenyancowgirl]

Just out of curiosity, is it a true waiting list, or is that what they say to people who haven't done well enough for them to actually consider offering them a place?

[Reading Mum]

if you haven't done well enough to be offered a place then you will be told that

[jupiter51272]

Anyone knows how many students are out on waiting list? Would the school reveal the waiting list number for my DD

[Tinkers]

In the few years I've been in this forum I've not heard of Abbey having a waiting list before. That doesn't mean they haven't had one of course, just that if they did no one posted about it.

There is the Kendrick effect, and I know several girls who got offered places at Abbey who then turned them down to go to Kendrick, and some to go to other schools. Many girls apply to Abbey as a back up to Kendrick. Abbey know this, so maybe in the past they have over offered. This might have backfired on them at some point so maybe they are being more cautious.

Jupiter, I suspect your only way of knowing where your DD is on the list is to ask them.

[jupiter51272]

Thanks Tinkers, I will try calling them today. Will keep posted