2018: Independent Wait list

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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rala
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2017 9:37 pm

2018: Independent Wait list

Post by rala »

Good Morning, All.
We have a couple of offers but waitlisted at St.Margaret's, Hampstead, which my daughter is very keen on.
Does anyone have experience on if they move onto wait list at all since their intake is so small?

Look forward to your thoughts.

many Thanks
rala
LolaD
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 11:06 am

Re: 2018: Independent Wait list

Post by LolaD »

I've no experience of the aforementioned school.

Generally though, a chance of an offer from any waiting list really will depend on your position on the waiting list and how long that list is. A cohort size and popularity of the school will also have an effect on movement if any.

Do you know your DD's position on the waiting list? If not, perhaps you could ask the school. This should give you a more realistic view of your DD's chances. Good luck!
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: 2018: Independent Wait list

Post by ToadMum »

Do indies actually hold ranked wait lists?

State schools have to publish their admissions policies, which have to comply with the Admissions Code. And oversubscriptions criteria, ditto. And they have to maintain waiting lists, at least until the end of the autumn term in the year of admission, strictly in oversubscriptions criteria order. There are legal processes for dealing with schools which fail to comply with any of these

The thing that people love about Indies is that they are, well, 'indie', though? Not bound by boring things like the Admissions Code, which annoyingly specifically forbids interviewing applicants or their parents, thus preventing schools from considering applicants holistically, making sure those naughty, distracting kids don't get in, etc?

Usually at this point, someone with an awful lot more experience of the North London indie school scene than I will pop in with the advice that what you need to do is contact the school and assure them that it is your very top choice and that the minute they find they are able to offer your DD a place after all, you will immediately turn down whatever offer she currently holds and be on their doorstep with your cheque book.

If that strategy genuinely works, then (sadly) I suspect I have the answer to my original question.

Seriously, though, rala, if that particular school is where your DD really feels that she would be happiest, then I hope that she will eventually be successful :) . It can't hurt to contact the school to ask whether she has a chance of this.
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